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@Churchill
2 answers, 4 votes
 • 10 months ago •
Admissions Advice

Thoughts on the affirmative ruling.
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This affirmative ruling is just discouraging. I spent 3 months to gather and write up my personal statement - which had three excellent rating from super reviewers on the peer review section. It was about my cultural background. Obviously, that is the most personal and challenging experience I’ve faced. Am just 17 years old. Now I’ve got to write a new personal statement with admissions portal opening in days. I do not have the luxury of three months now. Am tensioned. Admission officers would feel different now about essay regarding personal statements concerning cultural background of any sorts. It may now be more harm that’s good to keep or submit that kind of personal statement. Now, am tensioned with coming up with a new personal statement that doesn’t involve cultural background. It just isn’t fair. Authenticity reduces when pushed to the edge to write something that wasn’t even your initial. Anyways, it is what it is.

2022_23AdmissionsCycle
650-word
2023
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Accepted Answer
@a_random_twig
37 answers, 83 votes
 • 10 months ago

Hello! Just a heads up, you do not HAVE to change your personal statement essay on your cultural background because of the affirmative action ruling. If your essay is a strong essay, and focuses on how your heritage and culture has affected you, then you can most definitely still use it. Because of the ruling, an essay or admissions portfolio that says “I’m a member of x race/ethnicity/culture” or something similar won’t necessarily hurt your admissions chances, but it won’t help your chances either. From what I understand, taken at its face value, the ruling simply means race isn’t a factor that influences your chancing anymore. As long as your essay provides context for it, for example, it touches on how being a member of a specific race, ethnicity, or culture affects your life and education, or incidents of bullying/discrimination based off of your race/ethnicity/culture caused you to take a specific action, then for sure, use that personal statement.

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