How Are You
Unique?
You cannot rely on
uniqueness to outweigh a mediocre academic record, but it can often give
you an edge. Admissions officers are interested in assembling a diverse
class of unique perspectives, so you should highlight rather than
downplay your differences. To an extent, all types of diversity will
help, but you should aim to focus on how unique aspects of your
background will enable you to contribute to the academic community.
The purpose of this lesson
is to show you examples of how other people capitalized on their unique
qualities. When it comes to your own essay, only you can identify the
optimal strategy for making yourself stand out. One way to start is to
look over your answers to the brainstorming questions and try to find
aspects of your background that separate you from your peers.
Ultimately, however, what will make the difference is your ability to
assess yourself honestly and thoughtfully.
The examples that follow are
not meant to be exhaustive. Rather, they represent the efforts of
particular individuals to recognize the unique elements of their
background and use them to their advantage. You should notice that these
unique elements are often directly related to their academic interests,
but can still be tied effectively to the applicants' goals or integrated
with their character and background.
This applicant starts by noting the diversity of his ethnic and
religious background. When mentioning such points, you should not assume
that such diversity is an end in itself. Rather, you should show how
your background and culture have shaped your perspective and given you
something unique to offer. This applicant does a good job of noting how
Zoroastrianism has given him guiding principles, but he never follows
through to discuss concrete examples. This essay would have benefited
from more details to show his diversity in more tangible terms.
This applicant's story is fascinating, at times harrowing, and
ultimately triumphant. From committed social activism to drug and
alcohol addiction to a reengagement with the world, the author pulls no
punches in telling his unique tale. While he does not whitewash his
experience with drugs and alcohol, notice how he situates it in a larger
context, showing both how it made him oblivious to the things he really
cared about (Third World injustices) and how his reintroduction to those
things helped him pull himself out of his downward spiral. In doing so,
he demonstrates both a strong social conscience and a dedication to his
beliefs. Additionally, his story makes him very hard for an admissions
committee to forget. Just be careful that any discussion of past
mistakes or difficulties leads to an indubitably positive conclusion.
This applicant shows that you do not need to be a true one-of-a-kind
to demonstrate uniqueness in the admissions process. In fact, what sets
him apart is a rather typical job in the computer industry. What makes
his application unique, however, is that he is applying to a geological
sciences program. His interest in mathematical modeling gives him a
novel area of specialization to offer to the intellectual diversity of
the program.
Finally,
this applicant shows that a personal, revealing story can be enough
to set someone apart. By recounting a particular episode that sparked
her epiphany as a writer, she gives us an in-depth look at her unique
approach to her craft. Again, this essay does not discuss exotic
experiences, but instead succeeds by painting a detailed, deeply
personal portrait that no one else could have written.
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