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caminante · Post by **caminante** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:33 pm

I think you could write a diversity statement about your background, but definitely do not try to focus on how knowing Spanish/ spending time in another country makes you "unique." I am sure there are plenty of unique things about you, but knowing how to speak Spanish is not one of them.

TIKITEMBO · Post by **TIKITEMBO** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:54 pm

caminante · Post by **caminante** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:45 pm

Hmm, maybe my sample is biased, but almost everyone I know studied abroad and learned a second language. I really don't think that is a good topic for a diversity statement. Also, I would imagine that a large proportion of applicants have some experience volunteering in impoverished areas.

Your background growing up in a rural area definitely brings a different perspective than many applicants. I believe this is a common diversity statement topic, and I think it would be more effective than trying to argue your experiences with other cultures is unique. (Sorry, it isn't.)

TIKITEMBO · Post by **TIKITEMBO** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:19 pm

cutecarmel · Post by **cutecarmel** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:28 pm

caminante wrote:I think you could write a diversity statement about your background, but definitely do not try to focus on how knowing Spanish/ spending time in another country makes you "unique." I am sure there are plenty of unique things about you, but knowing how to speak Spanish is not one of them.

First, I think what you talked about should be written in a PS. I think diversity statements are geared towards people who are a religious or ethnic minority.

However, I don't agree with the above statement. I have studied abroad, but its not very common. I go to a small school (about 5000) and only about 50 study abroad every year. That's only about 1%, which makes it unique. Very few people study abroad, and even less can leave saying that they can actually "speak" the language. I studied abroad last semester and can speak Spanish, and I'm convinced that that is one of the main reasons that I got a full tuition scholarship to 3 schools already (my numbers are only average). I definately think that you should write about this (but maybe not as a diversity statement). Every professional that I talk to about it is really impressed, and I know very few people who have studied abroad.

TIKITEMBO · Post by **TIKITEMBO** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:12 pm

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