Writing the Diverse Perspectives Essay

In a world filled with echo chambers, this prompt is a chance to show an admissions committee that you can engage respectfully and productively with people who have different views—the kind of dialogue that is at the heart of a liberal arts education.

To write an effective Diverse Perspectives essay, at the minimum you need to:

1. Describe the situation

2. Explain the other person’s viewpoint and how it differed from yours

3. Show how you responded

The best essays, however, will also contain a fourth element: a reflection, perhaps on how this situation relates to a broader idea or principle, or on how you learned and grew from this experience.

Some prompts, like the Harvard prompt above, specifically ask for a reflection (“What did you learn from this experience?”). But even if the prompt doesn’t mention it, a reflection will make your essay stronger.

Tips for a Great Diverse Perspectives Essay

1. Brainstorm some encounters. What were some times when you encountered someone who held different views from yours? Come up with at least three or four possible ideas. Hot topics such as race, gender, and sexual orientation can certainly work, but you don’t have to write about politics if you don’t want to.

2. Examine your response. Ask yourself: In which situations did I respond with empathy? That could look like:

• Changing your beliefs or perspective in response to the other person’s views

• Disagreeing with the other person but leaving the conversation with a better understanding of their viewpoint

• Learning something new and unexpected

• And more . . .

3. Focus on your engagement, not the other person. A common mistake in these essays – despite the specific instructions in the prompt! – is making the story about how the other person was wrong. Instead, start by briefly telling the story of this “time when you strongly disagreed with someone,” and then use the last 20-30% of your essay to explore what you learned from it.

For more on the Diverse Perspectives essay, including brainstorming ideas, a guide to structuring your essay, and tips on revision, check out Chapter 6 of Write Yourself In (p. 188).

Diverse Perspectives Essay Example

Prompt

At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future? (250 words)

Essay

Last year, while hiking near my home, I ran into a man who wanted to talk about COVID. Despite the fact that he worked in health care, he wasn’t getting vaccinated. In fact, he believed there was a conspiracy and that vaccines caused COVID.

My initial reaction was anger. I knew he was wrong, and I had statistics to challenge his unscientific views. Yet as he spoke, I began to notice something else: he was afraid. Thinking back to my own vaccination the previous month, I remembered that when the National Guard medic stuck that needle in my arm, I, too, had an irrational fear that it might give me COVID.

So instead of reiterating the facts, I listened. When he was done, I told him about my vaccination, how scared I had been. Sure, I felt sick for a few days afterwards, but I got better. Today, I had just hiked a mountain!

He nodded, and I think he heard me. While I’d like to think that my empathy helped persuade him to get the vaccine, I do know that I learned a valuable lesson: there is power in simply listening to someone’s story and sharing your own.

I love science, and I’ll always believe in the power of truth and reason. Yet I now know that facts are not the only way to persuade. If I truly want to have an impact, I need to continue listening to others’ stories and finding the courage to share my own.

For more help with your essays, check out my new book Write Yourself In, available from your favorite library or bookseller. You can also subscribe to my Admitted newsletter for biweekly updates and guidance.