Background, identity and “diversity” scholarship essays
These prompts ask how your background, culture, identity or experiences shape you. You decide what to share. The strongest essays focus on a specific experience and what you bring because of it.
What judges look for
- A specific part of your background, not a general statement
- How it shaped your values, perspective or choices
- What you contribute to a community because of it
- Authenticity and your own voice
- Connection to your goals
Fill-in outline
- Opening hook: Open with a specific scene from your culture, family, community or experience.
- Context: Explain the part of your background you're focusing on.
- What you did: Describe how it has shaped your actions or choices.
- What changed / what you learned: Show the perspective or strength it gives you.
- Connection to your goals and this award: Connect it to what you'll bring to campus, your program or your career.
- Closing line: Close with what you want to carry forward.
Build this outline with your answers →
Brainstorm questions
- What scene captures your family, culture or community?
- Which part of your background do you want to write about?
- How has it shaped a decision you made?
- Have you had to explain or translate your world for others?
- What strength or perspective has it given you?
- How will you contribute to your school or field because of it?
- What do you want to keep or pass on?
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing about a group in general instead of your own experience
- Feeling you must share trauma (you don't)
- Stereotypes, even positive ones
- Not connecting your background to your goals
- Writing what you think judges want instead of what's true
Length guide: 250, 500 and 650 words
| Section | 250 words | 500 words | 650 words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening hook | ~25 | ~50 | ~65 |
| Context | ~40 | ~75 | ~100 |
| What you did | ~75 | ~150 | ~195 |
| What changed / what you learned | ~50 | ~100 | ~130 |
| Connection to your goals and this award | ~50 | ~100 | ~130 |
| Closing line | ~10 | ~25 | ~30 |
Rough word budgets. At 250 words, merge context into the hook and keep one story; at 650, add a second example or more reflection. Always follow the sponsor's limit.
At my grandmother's kitchen table, I translate letters from the water company, the school and the clinic. In our house, English and Spanish trade places mid-sentence. Being the family translator taught me to slow down, check that everyone understands and notice when someone is left out of a conversation, and those are skills I want to bring to my work as a pharmacist in a bilingual community.
Variants
Military & military-family version
Growing up military-connected is part of many students' backgrounds: moving often, living abroad, a parent's service. Focus on the perspective you gained. See military scholarships & benefits. (We're not affiliated with the military.)
Frequently asked questions
What should I write for a diversity scholarship essay?
Pick one specific part of your background and one or two experiences, show how they shaped you and explain what you bring because of them.
Do I have to share personal hardships?
No. You choose what to share. Strengths, traditions, languages and perspectives make strong essays too.
Can I use AI or someone else to write my essay?
Write it yourself. Many scholarships require original work and disqualify ghostwritten or AI-generated essays. It's fine to get feedback from a teacher or counselor, as long as the words and ideas are yours.