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

[Anonymous]

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.

+1000. Look at the rhetoric proliferating throughout college campuses, mass media, and major employers. White people are constantly warned that our mere presence in a ““predominantly white institution”” makes POC feel challenged, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. How is being told that our very existence is threatening not an example of racism and bigotry?

[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

I'm sorry for your loss. You should boycott those colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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 "[/[/b]b]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."[b][b]

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.

Yes. And these schools are teetering very closely on the edge of still using race based admissions.

[Anonymous]

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.

+1000. Look at the rhetoric proliferating throughout college campuses, mass media, and major employers. White people are constantly warned that our mere presence in a ““predominantly white institution”” makes POC feel challenged, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. How is being told that our very existence is threatening not an example of racism and bigotry?

Well maybe you should listen and discuss. Have you ever found yourself spending years in an institution that was predominantly not your own race? What do you think that would be like? Are you brave enough to spend long amounts of time somewhere where you'd be a minority and very few people would be anything like you?

Why not engage in conversation and try to understand why someone feels unwelcome? Someone telling you they feel unwelcome in an environment is not personally targeting you. If they are saying YOU personally make them feel unwelcome, well, maybe you've done something.

What has your workplace specifically told YOU on a personal level about your very being? I'm white and I have not had your experience of "constantly being warned" that *my* mere presence--me, personally-- is challenging to my non-white colleagues in my workplace which is in fact a very white institution. But I have been in a few meetings where colleagues of color have shared their feelings about always being the only POC in their departments, meetings, etc., through their entire careers. That does not feel threatening to me, personally. It feels revealing and I understand better where they are coming from and why it's important to encourage diversity in the workplace.

Try it. Understanding other people is a great skill to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 "[/[/b]b]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."[b][b]

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.

Yes. And these schools are teetering very closely on the edge of still using race based admissions.

How so? I see their prompts as aligned just fine with the SC guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 "[/[/b]b]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."[b][b]

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.

Yes. And these schools are teetering very closely on the edge of still using race based admissions.

Racists love racism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Genuinely curious — truly — how you (and others!) might design a system, in a world with massive disparities many of which stem from historic injustices, that can (a) measure the academic potential of individuals from a pool of candidates who had different starting points and inputs, and (b) assess these individuals’ level of introspection about who they are and how their perspectives were informed, such that you can have confidence in their ability to work effectively, constructively, and equitably, across cultural, socioeconomic, etc., divides.

Maybe it’s not the “identity” essay, I don’t know. But then what is it? What is the better system?

I am interested in hearing a different/better approach, but if it doesn’t acknowledge the society we’re in, and it doesn’t acknowledge goals (a) and (b), how is it not just more of what has been?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Genuinely curious — truly — how you (and others!) might design a system, in a world with massive disparities many of which stem from historic injustices, that can (a) measure the academic potential of individuals from a pool of candidates who had different starting points and inputs, and (b) assess these individuals’ level of introspection about who they are and how their perspectives were informed, such that you can have confidence in their ability to work effectively, constructively, and equitably, across cultural, socioeconomic, etc., divides.

Maybe it’s not the “identity” essay, I don’t know. But then what is it? What is the better system?

I am interested in hearing a different/better approach, but if it doesn’t acknowledge the society we’re in, and it doesn’t acknowledge goals (a) and (b), how is it not just more of what has been?

+1

+1

[Anonymous]

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.

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.

+1

One person I know wrote funny anecdotes about how their parents raised them to be independent thinkers and gave them opportunities to be problem solvers. No trauma — just a well-rounded person.

[Anonymous]

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.

+1000. Look at the rhetoric proliferating throughout college campuses, mass media, and major employers. White people are constantly warned that our mere presence in a ““predominantly white institution”” makes POC feel challenged, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. How is being told that our very existence is threatening not an example of racism and bigotry?

Well maybe you should listen and discuss. Have you ever found yourself spending years in an institution that was predominantly not your own race? What do you think that would be like? Are you brave enough to spend long amounts of time somewhere where you'd be a minority and very few people would be anything like you?

Why not engage in conversation and try to understand why someone feels unwelcome? Someone telling you they feel unwelcome in an environment is not personally targeting you. If they are saying YOU personally make them feel unwelcome, well, maybe you've done something.

What has your workplace specifically told YOU on a personal level about your very being? I'm white and I have not had your experience of "constantly being warned" that *my* mere presence--me, personally-- is challenging to my non-white colleagues in my workplace which is in fact a very white institution. But I have been in a few meetings where colleagues of color have shared their feelings about always being the only POC in their departments, meetings, etc., through their entire careers. That does not feel threatening to me, personally. It feels revealing and I understand better where they are coming from and why it's important to encourage diversity in the workplace.

Try it. Understanding other people is a great skill to have.

I see where you are coming from, but I don’t agree with this perspective. Say, for example, I told a group of people—including a number of black people—that being in black-majority environments makes me uncomfortable, but it’s not anything to do with those specific black people. I do not think that conversation would go well. But for some reason, certain people believe it is socially acceptable to say this about whites.

[Anonymous]

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.

+1000. Look at the rhetoric proliferating throughout college campuses, mass media, and major employers. White people are constantly warned that our mere presence in a ““predominantly white institution”” makes POC feel challenged, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. How is being told that our very existence is threatening not an example of racism and bigotry?

Well maybe you should listen and discuss. Have you ever found yourself spending years in an institution that was predominantly not your own race? What do you think that would be like? Are you brave enough to spend long amounts of time somewhere where you'd be a minority and very few people would be anything like you?

Why not engage in conversation and try to understand why someone feels unwelcome? Someone telling you they feel unwelcome in an environment is not personally targeting you. If they are saying YOU personally make them feel unwelcome, well, maybe you've done something.

What has your workplace specifically told YOU on a personal level about your very being? I'm white and I have not had your experience of "constantly being warned" that *my* mere presence--me, personally-- is challenging to my non-white colleagues in my workplace which is in fact a very white institution. But I have been in a few meetings where colleagues of color have shared their feelings about always being the only POC in their departments, meetings, etc., through their entire careers. That does not feel threatening to me, personally. It feels revealing and I understand better where they are coming from and why it's important to encourage diversity in the workplace.

Try it. Understanding other people is a great skill to have.

I see where you are coming from, but I don’t agree with this perspective. Say, for example, I told a group of people—including a number of black people—that being in black-majority environments makes me uncomfortable, but it’s not anything to do with those specific black people. I do not think that conversation would go well. But for some reason, certain people believe it is socially acceptable to say this about whites.

Np
That would likely go over just fine. I hope people can understand that feeling, whether they experience it or not.

[Anonymous]

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.

+1000. Look at the rhetoric proliferating throughout college campuses, mass media, and major employers. White people are constantly warned that our mere presence in a ““predominantly white institution”” makes POC feel challenged, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. How is being told that our very existence is threatening not an example of racism and bigotry?

Well maybe you should listen and discuss. Have you ever found yourself spending years in an institution that was predominantly not your own race? What do you think that would be like? Are you brave enough to spend long amounts of time somewhere where you'd be a minority and very few people would be anything like you?

Why not engage in conversation and try to understand why someone feels unwelcome? Someone telling you they feel unwelcome in an environment is not personally targeting you. If they are saying YOU personally make them feel unwelcome, well, maybe you've done something.

What has your workplace specifically told YOU on a personal level about your very being? I'm white and I have not had your experience of "constantly being warned" that *my* mere presence--me, personally-- is challenging to my non-white colleagues in my workplace which is in fact a very white institution. But I have been in a few meetings where colleagues of color have shared their feelings about always being the only POC in their departments, meetings, etc., through their entire careers. That does not feel threatening to me, personally. It feels revealing and I understand better where they are coming from and why it's important to encourage diversity in the workplace.

Try it. Understanding other people is a great skill to have.

I see where you are coming from, but I don’t agree with this perspective. Say, for example, I told a group of people—including a number of black people—that being in black-majority environments makes me uncomfortable, but it’s not anything to do with those specific black people. I do not think that conversation would go well. But for some reason, certain people believe it is socially acceptable to say this about whites.

Fair point.

It is absurd. And racist.

[Anonymous]

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.

+1000. Look at the rhetoric proliferating throughout college campuses, mass media, and major employers. White people are constantly warned that our mere presence in a ““predominantly white institution”” makes POC feel challenged, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. How is being told that our very existence is threatening not an example of racism and bigotry?

Well maybe you should listen and discuss. Have you ever found yourself spending years in an institution that was predominantly not your own race? What do you think that would be like? Are you brave enough to spend long amounts of time somewhere where you'd be a minority and very few people would be anything like you?

Why not engage in conversation and try to understand why someone feels unwelcome? Someone telling you they feel unwelcome in an environment is not personally targeting you. If they are saying YOU personally make them feel unwelcome, well, maybe you've done something.

What has your workplace specifically told YOU on a personal level about your very being? I'm white and I have not had your experience of "constantly being warned" that *my* mere presence--me, personally-- is challenging to my non-white colleagues in my workplace which is in fact a very white institution. But I have been in a few meetings where colleagues of color have shared their feelings about always being the only POC in their departments, meetings, etc., through their entire careers. That does not feel threatening to me, personally. It feels revealing and I understand better where they are coming from and why it's important to encourage diversity in the workplace.

Try it. Understanding other people is a great skill to have.

I see where you are coming from, but I don’t agree with this perspective. Say, for example, I told a group of people—including a number of black people—that being in black-majority environments makes me uncomfortable, but it’s not anything to do with those specific black people. I do not think that conversation would go well. But for some reason, certain people believe it is socially acceptable to say this about whites.

Good grief. It's like you think the entire context of centuries of white oppression of blacks doesn't exist. White racism against blacks still exists today whether you want to believe that or not. It's still a reality for most black people. Just ask your black friends and neighbors and family.

I think if you were in a group with black colleagues and had an honest discussion and admitted you feel uncomfortable and WHY you feel uncomfortable when you are the only white person in a room and use that to discuss how you can therefore understand why black colleagues would feel uncomfortable always being the only black person in a room, then you'd start up a real conversation and dialogue. Is that a bad thing? Most white people I know are not entirely comfortable being the only white person in a room. One because they're not used to it. Two because you are self-conscious. Imagine now how it feels for your black/Asian/Native American colleagues who live their entire lives like this. Any thoughts about that? Why do you expect them to feel nothing when you acknowledge you'd feel strange in a reversed situation?

[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.

+1000. Look at the rhetoric proliferating throughout college campuses, mass media, and major employers. White people are constantly warned that our mere presence in a ““predominantly white institution”” makes POC feel challenged, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. How is being told that our very existence is threatening not an example of racism and bigotry?

Well maybe you should listen and discuss. Have you ever found yourself spending years in an institution that was predominantly not your own race? What do you think that would be like? Are you brave enough to spend long amounts of time somewhere where you'd be a minority and very few people would be anything like you?

Why not engage in conversation and try to understand why someone feels unwelcome? Someone telling you they feel unwelcome in an environment is not personally targeting you. If they are saying YOU personally make them feel unwelcome, well, maybe you've done something.

What has your workplace specifically told YOU on a personal level about your very being? I'm white and I have not had your experience of "constantly being warned" that *my* mere presence--me, personally-- is challenging to my non-white colleagues in my workplace which is in fact a very white institution. But I have been in a few meetings where colleagues of color have shared their feelings about always being the only POC in their departments, meetings, etc., through their entire careers. That does not feel threatening to me, personally. It feels revealing and I understand better where they are coming from and why it's important to encourage diversity in the workplace.

Try it. Understanding other people is a great skill to have.

I see where you are coming from, but I don’t agree with this perspective. Say, for example, I told a group of people—including a number of black people—that being in black-majority environments makes me uncomfortable, but it’s not anything to do with those specific black people. I do not think that conversation would go well. But for some reason, certain people believe it is socially acceptable to say this about whites.

Good grief. It's like you think the entire context of centuries of white oppression of blacks doesn't exist. White racism against blacks still exists today whether you want to believe that or not. It's still a reality for most black people. Just ask your black friends and neighbors and family.

I think if you were in a group with black colleagues and had an honest discussion and admitted you feel uncomfortable and WHY you feel uncomfortable when you are the only white person in a room and use that to discuss how you can therefore understand why black colleagues would feel uncomfortable always being the only black person in a room, then you'd start up a real conversation and dialogue. Is that a bad thing? Most white people I know are not entirely comfortable being the only white person in a room. One because they're not used to it. Two because you are self-conscious. Imagine now how it feels for your black/Asian/Native American colleagues who live their entire lives like this. Any thoughts about that? Why do you expect them to feel nothing when you acknowledge you'd feel strange in a reversed situation?

Is there anyone alive today who can claim to have experienced "centuries of racism?" Maybe a handful of centagenarians? Be real.

I don't expect anyone to feel nothing, but I do think learning to live with each other is far more productive than saying "whites are intrinsically unsettling to me." Our tribalistic group identities are something to overcome, not encourage.

[Anonymous]

I don’t get people who are responding to this about how it could be asking about things like being an only child or being white. This question is directly related to finding another way to use race in college admissions, notwithstanding the supreme court’s ruling. This is why a non URM struggles with the question. Clearly, anyone can answer this about their identity: only child, disabled, youngest/oldest child, army brat, loss of a parent, ill sibling, etc.,but that’s not the intended use of this essay.