arevasaurus

Hijacking this thread as I also have a question about the appropriateness of including something in a diversity essay. I have to write a 300 word diversity note in one university's central scholarship application, and I'm considering whether it is a good idea to mention that I am a non-binary/gender variant person (which basically means I don't identify in the traditional male/female binary but somewhere in-between, or with no gender at all). This is obviously something that has had a massive impact on my life, has given me very particular experiences, and makes me different from other people. But even though I should technically be protected by equal opportunity policies etc I'm still worried about possible prejudice or unease amongst scholarship committees... Would love any thoughts or advice!

Hello! I've read a lot of posts and advice in this thread but as my situation is a little different than others I would really appreciate some input from someone more knowledgeable. I'm applying to much less competitive schools than most people on here, but also with a slightly less competitive profile... I am not from the US (grew up in Sweden, lived past 5 years in the UK) so I am very unfamiliar with what it takes to get in to different schools etc - even though I have tried to read up on it a lot! My main worries are my GRE scores, how my transcript/GPA will translate and my SoP. PSU states GRE minimum requirement of 299 in total V+Q and 4.5AW, which I meet, but they also mention specifically minimum 150V and 149Q where I fall a little below par on the quant... Schools and programmes applying to: Portland State University - MPA with specialisation in Global Leadership and Management, University of Oregon - MPA. Undergrad institution: School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) Degree: Development Studies and Geography (joint majors) Undergrad GPA: Currently 70% (1st class) when not counting first year grades which you don't in the UK system. Depending on final term results I will graduate with a 1st or 2.1 (equivalent to about 3.6-3.9 GPA). However, looking at my transcript which includes first year grades my average is only 63% which translates to 3.29 GPA... GRE: 161V, 147Q, 4.5AW Work experience: 3 months paid internship (more like a short-term employment contract) as Research Assistant with the UK Department for Education. 3 years as Supervisor in a bar/café run by a nonprofit (not directly related but still leadership, management, and nonprofit experience). 2 months volunteering in Tanzania with a local NGO. 3 years as project and administration volunteer with London Cycling Campaign. Lots of fundraising and volunteering for local charities and involvement with Oxfam events. Language skills: Bilingual proficiency English and Swedish, conversational Swahili and Spanish. SoP: Not really sure about it; found it very hard to know exactly what to include and to fit everything I wanted within the 500 word limit. But it's definitely straightforward, honest and well-written. People who've read it have given generally very positive responses, but none of them have applied to an American grad school or know anything about it! LoR: 1. Supervisor at Department for Education 2. UG Professor who supervised my project on a fieldwork trip to Kerala, India last year. 3. UG Swahili teacher - wrote very nice things about me but unfortunately in slightly substandard English