In this article, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about how to write a college diversity essay as a white male.

Note that this is not an easy question to answer without having to navigate the many mines in the minefield. The world of college admissions in the wake of a controversial affirmative action process makes this topic rather prickly, and it is not our intent to offend or make any of our readers uncomfortable. As such, this article aims to stay outside the realm of politics and personal ideology.

However, we still believe that there is a population of people who do not know how to write a college diversity essay as a white male applicant. Thus, this article will serve to answer exactly that without addressing any political or ideological beliefs.

This is purely informational.

Okay! With that out of the way, let’s cover some important points before getting to the guide.

There are three important points to keep in mind when tackling the college diversity essay as a white male.

1. Writing the college diversity essay as a white male is very difficult without a proper admissions consultant or editor who knows how to navigate the controversial nature of these prompts.
2. Your situation isn’t as bad as it seems; you simply need to navigate the prompt creatively.
3. Rewrites are normal for these prompts. Be patient!

For the first point, we’ve found many white male clients and students needed at least a few hours of consulting and advising in order to know how to navigate the prompt properly. Writing your college diversity essay as a white male isn’t easy. So, getting help from an advisor can go a long way.

Take into consideration though that you’re not exactly in as bad of a situation as you think. Sure, the odds are going to be stacked against you when the general diversity narrative goes against white men. However, answering creatively to stand out amongst the rest is key.

Lastly, be sure to remember that the difficult nature of these prompts makes rewriting them completely normal. We’ve worked with many students and clients who needed major rewrites in their diversity essays, and that’s completely fine!

With that said, let’s get to the main guide.

Table of Contents

1. How to Write a College Diversity Essay as a White Male.
   1. Recognize That There are Multiple Diversities.
   2. Topics You Should (Generally) Avoid.
   3. What Even is White Privilege? Can it be an Advantage You Can Leverage to Help Others in College?
   4. How Can You Bring Value to the School as a White Male?

How to Write a College Diversity Essay as a White Male.

Note that the nature of college admissions processes generally doesn’t have any hard and fast rules. The only exception to this would be dramatically exceeding word count, breaking written rules clearly stated in the application form, writing about illegal activities, and other extremes that are outside the realm of rationality.

As such, there is no one “right” or the official way one should write their college essays. It’s far too common for both advisors and other students to recommend students follow very strict rules about what to do with their writing.

Keep in mind that these are heavily suggested pieces of advice based on our experience. We give these bits of advice based on clients who were white males and wrote successful diversity essays that helped them get too many of their target and top-choice schools.

Recognize That There are Multiple Diversities.

Colleges often ask students how they can add to the diversity of their school.

However, when people think of diversity, they often think of race and only race. They don’t think about some of the other ways that they are diverse.

For instance, diversity can exist in the realm of interest and personality. There are often people in the realm of Psychology who are interested in the pathologies of mental illness. However, there are not many people who talk about the mental health of video games and modern culture (not without getting into fad science and conjecture.)

So, there is a gap in the niche that can be tapped into. Even as a white male, one can sow diversity by showing that they have both an interest in psychology and video games. In this multi-dimensional interest, a white male applicant can still provide diversity by helping the university expand the dimensions of its studies.

Okay, so what about if you don’t have anything about academics? What about culture? What if you feel race MUST be implemented in the diversity essay as a white male? That’s okay, get creative!

Diversity of thinking and personality can also exist. So, maybe you may not be able to add to the diversity of the school’s race distribution because you’re a white male. However, your unique mindset and personality will help distinguish you from other white applicants and help add to the overall diversity-driven culture of the school. You have a more open mindset that you’ve developed as an amateur podcaster and YouTuber; and, because of this, you believe you have the proper mindset to help others speak out and raise their voice in a manner that helps others learn from underprivileged individuals.

Let’s say you’re not a podcaster or YouTuber; or, you’re not really anyone. You’re just a basic white male! Fair enough! If you have the proper active listening skills to both process what other people’s opinions are and articulate them in proper form, you can add to the diversity of a school by using your communication skills to give others the voice they need.

Now, all these examples involving race imply having some skill in being able to understand the oppressed and underserved. But, if you don’t think you have those skills, consider other ways outside race that can show your diversity.

If you are stuck on what to write about in your diversity essay as a white male, I would highly recommend contacting one of our college admissions advisors for a free 30-minute consultation. This topic is hard, after all. So, you don’t want to let it blunder over a simple mistake!

Topics You Should (Generally) Avoid.

There are some topics that we would avoid in your college diversity essay if you’re writing as a white male. These include the following:

1. Trips to other countries (anything serving as a white savior).
2. Arguing that you can provide diversity solely because you’re white and male.
3. Downplaying the privileges of being white.
4. Mentioning slightly conservative public figures.

You should generally avoid talking about helping others in different countries as a white savior not because it’s actually bad, but because other students have made the topic a major red flag. This is one of those cases when the topic itself is really not that bad at all. After all, going to another country and exercising one’s privileges to help the underprivileged is an admirable act that would impress admissions officers. It’s just that the logistics of the topic put you in an unfortunate position. So many students have made bad essays that constituted a white savior complex that this topic can’t exactly be tackled without those red flags already looming over your essay.

So, it is more often than not safer to take on another topic. There can be exceptions, of course; though, if you’re very certain you want to write about your experience abroad, I would recommend speaking with us and requesting our advice on the matter before doing so! It never hurts to be safe!

Next, try not to argue in your diversity essay that you’ll provide diversity to the school using your white male identity. There is room for debate on this matter. After all, a white male applying for a majority non-white and female major is possible and would therefore make you someone who adds diversity. However, there are too many ideological controversies that clash with this idea. Thus, for the sake of maximizing your admissions chances, we would recommend not taking on this topic.

In the same vein, we would also recommend not downplaying the privileges that come with being white and male in your diversity essay. Of course, there are multi-variable facets that could lower the quality of privileges of someone who is white and male. But, again, it’s the controversial nature of the topic in the wake of political and ideological turmoil in universities that makes choosing that topic synonymous with playing with fire.

This last one goes hand in hand with the previous rules. Public figures who have a reputation for being slightly conservative can be a bad idea if you’re trying to write your college diversity essay as a white male. As stated earlier, there’s nothing wrong with liking certain public figures. But, from an admissions strategy standpoint, you’ll be at a disadvantage since most schools are politically leaning left. Schools will typically try to do whatever they can to judge you on the content of your character rather than ideological leanings. However, you can never be too safe in choosing another topic.

What Even is White Privilege? Can it be an Advantage You Can Leverage to Help Others in College?

There are instances where you can make the argument that your white privilege can serve as leverage to help the school’s pursuit of diversity.

Now, this should not be confused with whiteness itself being something that adds diversity. It should be clearly noted that it is the privilege that comes with being both white and male that can potentially help uplift other underrepresented voices in colleges and universities.

Of course, as is the case with writing your college diversity essay as a white male, you need to tread over this minefield carefully. When you’re writing the diversity essay, it may be important for you to clarify in your own words what your white privilege is exactly. Then, you’ll need to make an argument on how your privileges can actually be useful for those who don’t have them. Thus, you’ll serve to help the underrepresented.

I would recommend starting with intrinsic privileges that come with being white and male. What are these privileges that you have that others don’t? Then, see if they can be used as a tool for empowerment instead of domination.

Let’s take industry and career for instance.

Perhaps you’re looking to get into the world of mechanical engineering as a white male, and you have many female friends (yeah, we know, a shocker for an engineer but bear with us here…) who are also looking to get into the same field. Your voice normally carries more weight in collaborative efforts, and you get the chance to see this and better understand it when you talk to your friends. So, you build a small program that serves to provide a space for women in hard sciences to speak up about their concerns in the workplace whilst you serve as a mediator. You will use your voice to help empower your female friends to speak up for themselves and articulate their concerns in a manner where other fellow mech engineers can understand and empathize. Then, you talk about how you’ll continue this project at the university to hopefully bring a diversity of voices for others between white men and minorities in hard sciences.

How Can You Bring Value to the School as a White Male?

This is probably the biggest point to consider on this list. So, listen close.

All college essays, no matter if they’re diversity essays or not, are intrinsically asking whether you can bring value to the campus or not. In the case of the diversity essay, you’ll just be answering the same prompt but just in a different form.

You can talk about how much you care about those of other backgrounds and ethnic groups, and you can talk about how much you care about bridging the gap between white men and other folks outside that community. But, at the end of the day, don’t forget that you’re writing an essay on how you can bring value to the school.

The admissions officers are combing through your college essays to determine who would be the best fit for the school; but, they’re also considering who would provide the best ROI for their campus. Why should they spare a seat for you in their class? Why should their experienced professors take the time to work with you specifically? Do you demonstrate talent, grit, potential, and character that would make you a fantastic addition to the school and community?

The diversity essay actually answers that better than one may think. Answering the diversity essay as a white male can be hard, especially since it shows the admissions office isn’t exactly prioritizing your demographic in their desired class. But, don’t lose focus on the main point. They need to see diversity in more than just race. So, if you have a unique character that can make you stand out from the rest, make sure it correlates with helping the campus and university scale upwards.

If you have any other questions on how to write your college diversity essay as a white male, you’ll want to consider speaking with a professional college admissions advisor who has experience navigating complex questions. Schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation with us, and we’ll help orient your essays to maximize your acceptance rate.