New Ivy League Supplemental Essays Focus on Diversity

As you likely know by now, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Affirmative Action on June 29, 2023, thereby forbidding colleges from considering race in college admissions. While there are still plenty of questions about how this might affect your student or college admissions in general, we do know that many colleges are still pledging to find new ways to keep campuses diverse. 

We’ve told you before that we suspected that many colleges would shift their focus to the admissions essays in order to find diversity. Our suspicions have been confirmed. Late this summer, several Ivy League colleges released their supplemental essay prompts. As you’ll see below, many of them ask questions directly related to previous life experience. 

Brown: “Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community.”

Columbia: “A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's diverse and collaborative community.”

Cornell: “In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, Ezra Cornell wrote, ‘I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.’ For over 150 years, Cornell University has remained deeply committed to Ezra’s vision. Explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a learning community devoted to ‘... any person … any study.’ We encourage you to think broadly about your life experiences, including how local (e.g., family, school, neighborhood) or global communities you’ve been part of have helped shape your perspective.”

Dartmouth: has two prompts that address diversity: “There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.”

“‘It's not easy being green…’ was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity and outlook?”

Harvard: “Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?”

As of this writing, Yale, UPenn, and Princeton have not updated their prompts asking students to directly reflect on diversity. We will let you know if that changes. In the meantime, if your student is struggling with writing their supplemental essays or if they need extra help preparing their college applications, reach out to Ivy Link below. Our advisors will work with your student one-on-one to craft compelling and competitive Personal Statements and supplements.