NY Times on new application essays dabbling in so-called "identities"

[Anonymous]

“I guess I don't get the outrage. They are basically asking you to write about who you are as a human, and I don't sense that they are asking you to specifically identify with a certain class, gender, race, etc.”

As I understand it, it all has to do with relevance. If some kid writes about escaping from the carnage in Iraq, it’s relevant which religious group his family belonged to. What people are wary of is essays like “Coming from the Chaldean minority in Iraq, my dyslexia has made it particularly hard to master calculus….” That is, throwing in identifying data where it has no relevance.

Some think that’s fair payback, while others are hoping to make progress towards the “content of their character, not…”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
“I guess I don't get the outrage. They are basically asking you to write about who you are as a human, and I don't sense that they are asking you to specifically identify with a certain class, gender, race, etc.”

As I understand it, it all has to do with relevance. If some kid writes about escaping from the carnage in Iraq, it’s relevant which religious group his family belonged to. What people are wary of is essays like “Coming from the Chaldean minority in Iraq, my dyslexia has made it particularly hard to master calculus….” That is, throwing in identifying data where it has no relevance.

Some think that’s fair payback, while others are hoping to make progress towards the “content of their character, not…”

I'd be super interested in knowing more about an applicant who belonged to the Chaldean minority in Iraqu, also about how s/he has overcome dyslexia, which I know from a family member how challenging that is. Sounds like someone with some interesting background and character!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I have no idea what it means not to partake in "identification". Are you saying that your kid refuses to answer questions about their gender, or religion, or nationality, or family status or hobbies?

Everyone I know identifies as something.

If you're a white male, cis/het, not religious, UMC, family been here a long time and intermixed (generic European), truly what is there to say?

I'm not in this category but I feel like these Qs should be optional. Otherwise it is very cringe and fake.

"Tell us about an aspect of your identity OR a life experience that has shaped you."

By 17, kids have been shaped by something. If not, write an eloquent essay about being an unmolded lump still seeking form.

No need to bolden that. "Shaping life experiences" are also none of a university's business and this part of the question has no legitimate purpose, either.

Anonymous wrote:
My kid has many aspects to his identity. He is Jewish. He has a disability. He has a brother with a disability. He is white. He is American. He is a cis male. He plays a sport. He grew up in the south. He enjoys science. He is an extrovert who prides himself on prioritizing friendships. He volunteers. Some of those things he shared in essays, and some he chose not to either because he felt they were too personal (e.g., his disability) or irrelevant (e.g., they saw his citizenship and sex/gender when he applied and he didn't have anything to add on that topic). That left him with tons and tons of things to talk about, many of which he "chose" for himself (sports, academic interests, volunteer work, friendships).

Are you familiar with the teen slang TMI?
None of this belongs in a college application, and shouldn't even be asked.

A college application should not ask about sports, academic interests, and volunteer work? Or, again, is the problem with race, religion, and gender?

Your brain seems so mushed that you can't see the difference. Yes, colleges can asked about academic interests - though better only academic achievements.

Race, religion, gender, sports, volunteer work are nonacademic issues that have no relevance. You know who does it that way?
Every industrialized country aside from the U.S. You send in your transcript, perhaps take an entrance exam, and that's what decides.

Not your oversharing your "identity" to play some kind of stupid game, as other posters have pointed out.

So, if the only part of your identity you're comfortable writing about is your academic interests then write about that.

People from every country in the world want to come to the US for University. So, it would appear, that we're doing it right.

Well, let's just say that the full payers from China that come to the US are not admitted because of their identity essays, and leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The people opposed to this only do so because they think race or gender are the only way people identify and they are afraid that being white and cis may hamper their kid's college app.

But it is BS because there are so many ways your identity is defined. Physically, racially, culturally.

My husband wrote his essay on being an only child.


When I read the question from the article, “Tell us about an aspect of your identity or a life experience that has shaped you," I immediately thought of how much of my life has been shaped by my physical disability (missing a limb). In fact, I wrote about this in my college app essay in 1994.

Sorry if it offends you that I was shaped by this, and that I shouldn't have written about it. I know some of you want to believe or downplay the experiences of others as cashing in on "trauma," but you are so far off the mark.

I agree. Would also add that people who experience true trauma, don’t write about it. My dad was shot when I was a kid. Only now do I speak of it… I’m 50. The idea that kids are trotting out trauma for a college essay is a fantasy of boring UMC folks who are dying for a way to get their slightly above average kid to stand out from other slightly above average kids. Your anxiety is showing.

I agree. I experienced a traumatic loss as a teen & refused to write about it. I didn’t want to be defined by it, or seem like I was ‘milking’ things to get sympathy points.
I really dislike the trend that makes kids feel like they need to share their most intimate feelings with a stranger.
I’d also like the essay section to somehow be random & time-limited to avoid influence from parents, AI & paid consultants.

Who exactly believes they need to share trauma and what is their evidence? Seems like the only people who believe that are the hand-wringing people against that idea. My college-aged kids never believed that and wrote essays that got them into top colleges. Their English teacher who helped their class brainstorm essay topics never mentioned anything about trauma--more focused on what makes you -- you -- and highlighting your voice. I think this is just another one of those things that some people who are angry-anxious about college like to say--those people got in because they celebrated their victimhood etc. Makes their success less threatening to them. Similar psychological response to victim-blaming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I have no idea what it means not to partake in "identification". Are you saying that your kid refuses to answer questions about their gender, or religion, or nationality, or family status or hobbies?

You're lumping a few things together here, but yes, you're right. My kid refuses to answer questions about all of these things unless they are necessary for a legitimate purpose. For instance, a medical doctor might need to know about their biological sex to correctly diagnose symptoms. Otherwise, it's nobody's business, and especially not some random AO's.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know identifies as something.

Get around more and talk to people outside your "bubble." Not everyone is constantly obsessed about "gender," not everyone follows a religion, and few people can choose their nationality.
Many are fed up with the constant emphasis given to these by some.

So what makes your kid interesting / different / unique? Nothing? That's really sad.

What’s unique about your kid is… he or she is your kid.

Step back and take the perspective of an admissions officer. Your kid is simply not very different from thousands of other bright suburban kids, sorry. It is what it is. They could replace the whole process with a lottery and not much would change. Probably be more fair, too.

The point is not just being "different" it's being self-aware, interesting and being able to access and articulate your particular voice. And there's a lot of differences between bright suburban kids in terms of their aptitudes to do that and that difference is one of the small things that set one bright suburban kid out with a 4.56 and a 1560 and leadership and awards from another with those same things.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The people opposed to this only do so because they think race or gender are the only way people identify and they are afraid that being white and cis may hamper their kid's college app.

But it is BS because there are so many ways your identity is defined. Physically, racially, culturally.

My husband wrote his essay on being an only child.


When I read the question from the article, “Tell us about an aspect of your identity or a life experience that has shaped you," I immediately thought of how much of my life has been shaped by my physical disability (missing a limb). In fact, I wrote about this in my college app essay in 1994.

Sorry if it offends you that I was shaped by this, and that I shouldn't have written about it. I know some of you want to believe or downplay the experiences of others as cashing in on "trauma," but you are so far off the mark.

Yup. As always, the people who claim not to want to talk or think about race and gender can’t help but show that they are actually obsessed with it.

white/hetero/athletic/intelligent male:
People look at me and before they know anything about me or my background they think: 'toxic masculinity', 'privilege', 'racist', 'misogynist', 'homophobic', etc. They see the root cause of all that is wrong with society these days apparently. I am a walking billboard for them to direct their hate.

Give us some specific examples of how it's impacted your life.

NP here. If you asked any middle or UMC black person the same question, they are unlikely to have glaring examples to point to, like lack of homeownership or difficulty getting into colleges (on the contrary actually, they benefit). What they would point to were probably many small micro aggressions and insults to their personhood that accumulated over their life. This now happens to white cis males all the time, and if you can't see that you are blind.

My DS is a white cis male and I've just asked him if he's experienced many small micro-agressions and insults to his personhood during his lifetime of 21 years, and he gave me a quizzical look and said, what??? Has no idea what I'm talking about.

So in his case it's not "all the time." In fact I dare say it's been quasi-never. And he has always gone to and still goes to diverse schools. Think Silver Spring/PG county. He also got into a T40 university, with a scholarship.

Schools today are one long unending microaggression against white cismales. If your story is even true (doubtful) your son is obviously brainwashed into believing it’s not legitimate for him to notice that he’s public enemy number one.

This is hilarious. It even made DS giggle when I showed it to him.

His high school awarded him a scholarship for college, btw. He was nominated by a black teacher. Such a microagression!!!

If you and your kid are too dumb or indoctrinated to notice blatantly obvious patterns, that speaks very poorly of the "critical thinking skills" you probably imagine you learned in school. Sad!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people opposed to this only do so because they think race or gender are the only way people identify and they are afraid that being white and cis may hamper their kid's college app.

But it is BS because there are so many ways your identity is defined. Physically, racially, culturally.

My husband wrote his essay on being an only child.


When I read the question from the article, “Tell us about an aspect of your identity or a life experience that has shaped you," I immediately thought of how much of my life has been shaped by my physical disability (missing a limb). In fact, I wrote about this in my college app essay in 1994.

Sorry if it offends you that I was shaped by this, and that I shouldn't have written about it. I know some of you want to believe or downplay the experiences of others as cashing in on "trauma," but you are so far off the mark.

Yup. As always, the people who claim not to want to talk or think about race and gender can’t help but show that they are actually obsessed with it.

white/hetero/athletic/intelligent male:
People look at me and before they know anything about me or my background they think: 'toxic masculinity', 'privilege', 'racist', 'misogynist', 'homophobic', etc. They see the root cause of all that is wrong with society these days apparently. I am a walking billboard for them to direct their hate.

Give us some specific examples of how it's impacted your life.

NP here. If you asked any middle or UMC black person the same question, they are unlikely to have glaring examples to point to, like lack of homeownership or difficulty getting into colleges (on the contrary actually, they benefit). What they would point to were probably many small micro aggressions and insults to their personhood that accumulated over their life. This now happens to white cis males all the time, and if you can't see that you are blind.

My DS is a white cis male and I've just asked him if he's experienced many small micro-agressions and insults to his personhood during his lifetime of 21 years, and he gave me a quizzical look and said, what??? Has no idea what I'm talking about.

So in his case it's not "all the time." In fact I dare say it's been quasi-never. And he has always gone to and still goes to diverse schools. Think Silver Spring/PG county. He also got into a T40 university, with a scholarship.

Schools today are one long unending microaggression against white cismales. If your story is even true (doubtful) your son is obviously brainwashed into believing it’s not legitimate for him to notice that he’s public enemy number one.

This is hilarious. It even made DS giggle when I showed it to him.

His high school awarded him a scholarship for college, btw. He was nominated by a black teacher. Such a microagression!!!

If you and your kid are too dumb or indoctrinated to notice blatantly obvious patterns, that speaks very poorly of the "critical thinking skills" you probably imagine you learned in school. Sad!

I dunno, man. A lot of people in this thread have written some pretty thoughtful things. Meanwhile, here you are insulting people. I’m not an AO, but I’m guessing that this is exactly what AOs are trying to filter out. At any rate, best of luck to you and your family.

[Anonymous]

What disgusts me is the blatant thumbing if they’re noses at the Supreme Court ruling. These essay questions are designed specifically to keep using race as a means to boost admission. I suspect more lawsuits

[Anonymous]

^ of their noses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people opposed to this only do so because they think race or gender are the only way people identify and they are afraid that being white and cis may hamper their kid's college app.

But it is BS because there are so many ways your identity is defined. Physically, racially, culturally.

My husband wrote his essay on being an only child.


When I read the question from the article, “Tell us about an aspect of your identity or a life experience that has shaped you," I immediately thought of how much of my life has been shaped by my physical disability (missing a limb). In fact, I wrote about this in my college app essay in 1994.

Sorry if it offends you that I was shaped by this, and that I shouldn't have written about it. I know some of you want to believe or downplay the experiences of others as cashing in on "trauma," but you are so far off the mark.

Yup. As always, the people who claim not to want to talk or think about race and gender can’t help but show that they are actually obsessed with it.

white/hetero/athletic/intelligent male:
People look at me and before they know anything about me or my background they think: 'toxic masculinity', 'privilege', 'racist', 'misogynist', 'homophobic', etc. They see the root cause of all that is wrong with society these days apparently. I am a walking billboard for them to direct their hate.

Give us some specific examples of how it's impacted your life.

NP here. If you asked any middle or UMC black person the same question, they are unlikely to have glaring examples to point to, like lack of homeownership or difficulty getting into colleges (on the contrary actually, they benefit). What they would point to were probably many small micro aggressions and insults to their personhood that accumulated over their life. This now happens to white cis males all the time, and if you can't see that you are blind.

My DS is a white cis male and I've just asked him if he's experienced many small micro-agressions and insults to his personhood during his lifetime of 21 years, and he gave me a quizzical look and said, what??? Has no idea what I'm talking about.

So in his case it's not "all the time." In fact I dare say it's been quasi-never. And he has always gone to and still goes to diverse schools. Think Silver Spring/PG county. He also got into a T40 university, with a scholarship.

Schools today are one long unending microaggression against white cismales. If your story is even true (doubtful) your son is obviously brainwashed into believing it’s not legitimate for him to notice that he’s public enemy number one.

This is hilarious. It even made DS giggle when I showed it to him.

His high school awarded him a scholarship for college, btw. He was nominated by a black teacher. Such a microagression!!!

If you and your kid are too dumb or indoctrinated to notice blatantly obvious patterns, that speaks very poorly of the "critical thinking skills" you probably imagine you learned in school. Sad!

Oh we notice patterns all right. Just not the ones you are hallucinating.

Get back to us when the poverty rate among black families levels off to that of white. And when there are as many black politicians and high level execs to align with the proportion of black Americans in our population. When black mother maternity rates equal those of white mothers instead of being astronomically higher. When applicants with stereotypical black-sounding names get call backs at the same rate as white applicants with the exact same resume (see studies that have been conducted on this). So many patterns to see, and you're refusing to look at them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What disgusts me is the blatant thumbing if they’re noses at the Supreme Court ruling. These essay questions are designed specifically to keep using race as a means to boost admission. I suspect more lawsuits

SC decision specifically encourages this. Stated plain as day. It, very frankly, satisfied nobody except Blum.

Clever man. Possibly evil. Definitely clever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What disgusts me is the blatant thumbing if they’re noses at the Supreme Court ruling. These essay questions are designed specifically to keep using race as a means to boost admission. I suspect more lawsuits

They are doing what the Supreme Court directed them to do. How is that thumbing their noses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What disgusts me is the blatant thumbing if they’re noses at the Supreme Court ruling. These essay questions are designed specifically to keep using race as a means to boost admission. I suspect more lawsuits

+ a million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What disgusts me is the blatant thumbing if they’re noses at the Supreme Court ruling. These essay questions are designed specifically to keep using race as a means to boost admission. I suspect more lawsuits

+ a million.

Point to the text of the SC judgment that you think they are flaunting. They are literally following the directive of the SC justices. This is exactly what they suggested schools should do to consider diversity in their application process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What disgusts me is the blatant thumbing if they’re noses at the Supreme Court ruling. These essay questions are designed specifically to keep using race as a means to boost admission. I suspect more lawsuits

+ a million.

Point to the text of the SC judgment that you think they are flaunting. They are literally following the directive of the SC justices. This is exactly what they suggested schools should do to consider diversity in their application process.

NP. My guess is that they are referring to the opinion stating "But, despite the dissent’s assertion to the contrary, universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today. (A dissenting opinion is generally not the best source of legal advice on how to comply with the majority opinion.) “[W]hat cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly."

Elsewhere: "At the same time, nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university. Many universities have for too long wrongly concluded that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned, but the color of their skin. This Nation’s constitutional history does not tolerate that choice."

The phrase "concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability" is what I would focus on if I were a URM applicant writing an essay.