Is Diversity Statement really required for MS in Statistics

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For departments like UW Biostatistics, UCLA Statistics, they have a diversity statement as part of the graduate school application. 

For UW MS in Biostatistics in Capstone, they list it as optional (https://www.biostat.washington.edu/apply/instructions#personalstatement), whereas for UCLA MS in Statistics, the graduate school application contains a diversity statement, but this department website (http://statistics.ucla.edu/graduate/applying-to-the-graduate-program/) doesn't list it. It only lists the Statement of Purpose. Please see below:

 

 

I was wondering if you guys had submitted diversity statement to these schools? Honestly, I don't have much to write for diversity as I don't have much experience in this area.

[bayessays]

I doubt these make a big difference for most departments - the consensus used to be that they are institutional requirements most departments will probably not care about.  However, professors are humans like everyone else, and I imagine there are some professors whose political leanings make them interpret these statements in particular ways so I'd be careful about what you write just to be safe.  If they aren't required, and you don't have anything to say, I would not fill it out.  If they are required, I would write as little as possible without sounding dismissive.  I wrote about 2 sentences for Michigan's required diversity statement and it didn't seem to affect my application.