Diversity Statement

[frequentist]

How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan?

This is a prompt of personal (diversity) statement of Michigan. I am a minority who grew up in a war plagued zone and had an uncommon childhood. I have also contributed to diversity in my role as a resident assistant in a college dorm. So, I think I have a decent non-trivial story to tell.

However, I am a moron and spent all my time doing mathematics as a kid. And the only reason I am applying to gradschools is I enjoyed working on those problems and want to do so for the rest of my life. And Michigan has one of the best departments in the country, so of course I want to study there. But I am facing a solid writer's block in relating my background to decision of choosing Michigan. Is this part absolutely necessary? Can I just talk about my background and explain how can I contribute to diversity in Michigan? 

 

Is there anyone who wrote this statement to Michigan, really tanked it, and still got in? 

[zee888]

Did your experiences in any way contribute to your decision in applying to this school? My advice is to not overthink, just notice the first thing that pops in your head.

[Crucial BBQ]

The prompt is asking you two separate questions:  are there any influences or experiences that pushed you desire a graduate degree; and, why Michigan?

Your example is pretty good.  Growing up in a nation caught in civil war, I found beauty in numbers when despair was all around me.  Initially a means of escape, I quickly learned that not only was I good at math but that I had developed a solid desire to do it for a living.  Coming from a place where the future seemed bleak, math gave me hope.  I want to study math at Michigan because, you know, awesome. 

Something like that. 

I think diversity statements are pretty hard to tank.  

[frequentist]

On 12/10/2020 at 7:53 AM, Crucial BBQ said:

The prompt is asking you two separate questions:  are there any influences or experiences that pushed you desire a graduate degree; and, why Michigan?

Your example is pretty good.  Growing up in a nation caught in civil war, I found beauty in numbers when despair was all around me.  Initially a means of escape, I quickly learned that not only was I good at math but that I had developed a solid desire to do it for a living.  Coming from a place where the future seemed bleak, math gave me hope.  I want to study math at Michigan because, you know, awesome. 

Something like that. 

I think diversity statements are pretty hard to tank.  

Bravo! that sounds awesome.