Dear People that Put Together Law School Applications:

Dear people that put together the applications I am filling out this fall:

Can you please tell me something? Why on earth are you having me write a diversity statement? University of Michigan, you can feel free to ignore this, since you gave me 6 choices and I just happened to selected the diversity statement because I am lazy. For the rest of you, why do you specifically ask me for a diversity statement? I mean, even when its optional, its not really "optional." When you specifically ask for one, or say you can also submitt a diversity statement, what you are really saying is "ok white kids, time to come up with 250 words on how you are different than the majority, lets see how creative you can be in coming up with things that we really don't care that much about." If somebody really had a super unique trait that they felt you wouldn't know from their application, they would have/should have written it in their personal statement. Now you get a few thousand "Im unique because I went to X on vacation and really understood how my nation is viewed oversees" and other similar, unimportant, contrived essays.

If somebody really is diverse, they would write it in their personal statement. The diversity statement is a waste.

Here's another option: use ONLY the diversity statement as your judge of diversity. When somebody is considered diverse because they check a box (without explaining the significance or importance of that box and how it gives them a perspective to add to the classroom) you take away the entire value of the diversity statement. If we toss out the boxed for traditional race based diversity and instead say everybody have to write a statement stating what they will bring or add to the law school class...... oh wait, thats what a personal statement is supposed to do.

The diversity statement is garbage. Either make the diversity statement the ONLY way to be considered for diversity factors (including URM status.... you only get it if you demonstrate how it has impacted you through a diversity statement) or, better yet, USE THE PERSONAL STATEMENT, THATS WHAT IT IS THERE FOR!

I feel better now.