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"To stand out among 40,000+ students" - umich diversity essay


rimafadlallah 2 / 4  
Sep 21, 2009   #1
"We know that diversity makes us a better university - better for learning, for teaching, and for conducting research."
(U-M President Mary Sue Coleman)

Share an experience through which you have gained respect for intellectual, social, or cultural differences. Comment on how your personal experiences and achievements would contribute to the diversity of the University of Michigan.

It took a while for me to appreciate the effects of cultural diversity on each individual as an Arab American growing up in Dearborn, Michigan, a city with the densest Arab American population in the United States. A more extreme example is Fordson High School; over 90 percent of Fordson's students are Arab-American. To an outsider, us "Fordson kids" may look and act the same, but to me, we are all different reactions to a similar environment and upbringing. It may be the case that my experiences as a "Fordson kid" have equipped me with the ability to let my differences characterize my environment, wherever it may be.

To me, diversity is the quest to find one's identity and use this knowledge to work alongside other individuals toward a common goal. This is why, contrary to the "Melting Pot" (the assimilation of all of our cultural, social, ethnic, etc. differences) I have adopted the Salad Bowl theory. In a salad bowl, the differences characterize the environment; in fact, the more variation, the better the context of that environment. Most importantly, when one thinks of the word "salad" there is no intrinsic value that is required of every salad. There is no expectation or ideal picture of how this salad bowl should be; all that is required is diversity and unity all in one.

My plans for the University of Michigan are to ensure that I stand out among your 40,000+ students. If admitted, I plan to encourage my peers to take pride in their differences, and work together with their unique backgrounds to maintain the Wolverine salad bowl that is so important to your university.
Moonshadow0302 - / 68  
Sep 22, 2009   #2
You have not answered the question that has been asked -

Share an experience

Where is the experience that helped you appreciate the differences in cultures etc?

contribute to the diversity

How will your experiences as an Arab American and your achievements contribute to the diversity of the university?
Where are your achievements, your experiences and your culture in this essay? All I can see are your ideas about diversity.

It may be the case that my experiences as a "Fordson kid"

What experiences?

that I stand out among your 40,000+ students

How will you stand out?

Wolverine salad bowl

What does Wolverine in this context mean?
mike920125 - / 9  
Sep 22, 2009   #3
Most of your essay is about how you think of diversity.

The purpose of this essay is to show your experience which helps you to be different from other people.

You must reconsider it and write about your experiences or achievements etc.

Good Luck!
EF_Simone 2 / 1,986  
Sep 22, 2009   #4
Your "salad bowl" metaphor is good; UMich uses that metaphor itself. Remember, though, that lots of Arab-Americans from Dearborn apply to Michigan, so you can't count on simply being a "Fordson kid" to show that you will contribute to the school's diversity.
OP rimafadlallah 2 / 4  
Sep 22, 2009   #5
Thanks guys. You've been a great help. I think I'm going to re-do the whole essay and use a more specific ecperience from my four years at Fordson.


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