Culture in Essays
Your cultural background is a rich and personal aspect of your identity that can provide a compelling narrative for your college essays. However, writing about culture can be tricky. It’s easy to fall into clichés or use gimmicks that don’t add real value to your story. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to thoughtfully incorporate your cultural background into your college essays, making your story unique and memorable. We’ll also highlight some common pitfalls and gimmicks to avoid.
Why Culture Matters in College Essays
1. Showcasing Your Unique Identity - Your cultural background is an integral part of who you are. When thoughtfully integrated into your college essay, it can provide a window into your values, traditions, and perspectives. Colleges are looking for diverse voices and stories, and your cultural background can help you stand out as a unique applicant.
2. Connecting Personal Experiences to Broader Themes - Writing about culture allows you to connect your personal experiences to broader societal or global themes. This can demonstrate your ability to think critically and reflect on how your background has shaped your worldview. It also allows admissions officers to see how you might contribute to the diversity of their campus community.
3. Highlighting Resilience and Adaptability - Many students have faced challenges or had to navigate complex identities due to their cultural background. Writing about these experiences can showcase your resilience, adaptability, and ability to thrive in diverse environments. These are qualities that colleges highly value in their students.
Good Essay Topics for Writing About Culture
1. A Specific Tradition or Ritual
One way to make your essay stand out is to focus on a specific tradition or ritual that is meaningful to you. This could be a holiday celebration, a family gathering, or a religious practice. The key is to go beyond simply describing the event—reflect on what it means to you, how it has shaped your identity, and what it teaches you about your culture.
Example:
Writing about your family’s annual Lunar New Year celebration and how the rituals reinforce your connection to your heritage and bring generations together.
2. Overcoming Cultural Challenges
If you’ve faced challenges related to your cultural background, such as discrimination, language barriers, or cultural misunderstandings, this can be a powerful essay topic. Focus on how you’ve navigated these challenges, what you’ve learned from them, and how they’ve shaped your character.
Example:
Describing your experience as a first-generation immigrant navigating two cultures and how it has influenced your adaptability and communication skills.
3. A Cultural Value or Belief
Exploring a cultural value or belief that has deeply influenced you can make for a compelling essay. Whether it’s a strong work ethic, a commitment to community, or a belief in the importance of education, explain how this value has shaped your decisions and actions.
Example:
Writing about the importance of “Ubuntu” (a South African concept meaning “I am because we are”) in your life and how it has inspired you to lead community service projects.
4. A Cultural Role Model
If there’s a person in your culture who has inspired you, whether a historical figure, a family member, or a community leader, you can write about their impact on your life. Discuss the lessons you’ve learned from them and how they’ve influenced your aspirations.
Example:
Discussing how your grandmother’s resilience and wisdom have guided you in overcoming personal challenges and pursuing your academic goals.
5. A Personal Cultural Discovery
If you’ve had a moment of cultural discovery—such as reconnecting with your roots, learning about your heritage, or embracing a cultural tradition—this can make for a unique essay. Focus on how this discovery has deepened your understanding of your identity.
Example:
Writing about a summer spent in your ancestral homeland and how it transformed your understanding of your cultural heritage and identity. Focus on the specific moment (no longer than 30 seconds) of realization.
Bad Essay Topics for Writing About Culture
1. Vague or Overgeneralized Descriptions
Avoid writing essays that give vague or overly general descriptions of your culture without tying them back to your personal experiences or reflections. Simply listing cultural customs or traditions without context won’t make your essay stand out.
Example:
A superficial description of cultural foods or festivals without explaining their significance to you or how they’ve shaped your identity.
2. Overly Negative or Pessimistic Tone
While it’s important to be honest about challenges you’ve faced, be careful not to write an essay that is entirely negative or focuses solely on hardships without highlighting growth or resilience. Colleges want to see how you’ve overcome challenges, not just the obstacles you’ve faced.
Example:
Writing only about the difficulties of growing up in a culturally isolated environment without discussing how you’ve navigated those challenges or what you’ve learned from them.
3. Trying Too Hard to Impress
Avoid topics that seem like you’re trying too hard to impress the admissions committee, such as exaggerating your involvement in cultural activities or claiming to have a deep connection to a culture you’re not truly connected to. Authenticity is key in college essays.
Example:
Claiming to be an expert in a cultural practice or language after only a brief exposure, rather than honestly reflecting on your genuine experiences.
4. Relying on Stereotypes
Be mindful of not relying on cultural stereotypes in your essay. Instead of reinforcing clichés, focus on your unique experiences and perspectives. Stereotypes can make your essay feel shallow and unoriginal.
Example:
Describing your culture using broad stereotypes rather than delving into your personal and nuanced experiences within that culture.
Gimmicks to Avoid in Cultural Essays
1. Writing in a Different Language
While it might seem like a good idea to write part or all of your essay in a different language to showcase your bilingualism, this can backfire. Admissions officers might not understand the language, and it could come across as a gimmick rather than a genuine reflection of your abilities.
Instead:
Incorporate a meaningful phrase or quote in your language, but provide a translation and explain its significance to you. This approach allows you to showcase your bilingualism without alienating your reader.
2. Overusing Cultural References
It’s important to avoid overloading your essay with cultural references that may be unfamiliar to the reader without providing context. This can make your essay difficult to understand and less impactful.
Instead:
Choose a few key cultural references that are central to your story and provide enough context for the reader to appreciate their significance. Focus on how these elements have shaped your experiences and perspective.
3. Exoticizing Your Culture
Avoid presenting your culture as something “exotic” or overly emphasizing its differences from mainstream culture. This can come across as performative and insincere.
Instead:
Focus on the authentic aspects of your culture that have had a meaningful impact on your life. Highlight what makes your experiences unique without resorting to sensationalism.
4. Making the Essay a “Tour Guide”
Your essay shouldn’t read like a travel guide to your culture. Avoid spending too much time explaining cultural practices, holidays, or food without connecting them back to your personal experiences and reflections.
Instead:
Use cultural elements as a backdrop to tell your personal story. The focus should be on how these elements have influenced your identity, values, and goals.
Tips for Writing About Culture in College Essays
1. Start with Reflection - Before you begin writing, take time to reflect on your cultural background and how it has influenced your life. Consider the values, traditions, and experiences that have shaped you. Think about moments when your cultural identity played a significant role in your life decisions or personal growth.
2. Be Authentic - Authenticity is key when writing about culture. Your essay should reflect your true experiences and feelings about your cultural background. Don’t write what you think admissions officers want to hear—write what is meaningful to you.
3. Connect Your Story to Broader Themes - While your essay should be personal, it can be powerful to connect your story to broader themes. Consider how your cultural experiences relate to larger societal issues, global challenges, or universal values. This can add depth to your essay and show your ability to think critically about your place in the world.
4. Focus on Growth and Impact - Colleges want to see how you’ve grown as a result of your cultural experiences. Focus on how your background has shaped your character, influenced your goals, and prepared you for college. Highlight the impact you’ve made in your community or how you plan to contribute to the college’s campus culture.
Conclusion - Let Your Culture Shine in Essays
Writing about your cultural background in a college essay can be a powerful way to showcase your unique identity and experiences. By focusing on specific, meaningful aspects of your culture, avoiding clichés and gimmicks, and connecting your story to broader themes, you can create an essay that stands out and resonates with admissions officers. Remember, the goal is to be authentic and reflective, allowing your true self to shine through. At Admyssion, we’re here to support you in crafting essays that highlight your strengths and tell your story in the most compelling way possible.
