<p>you should check the box of the race(s) that you are and leave it at that. i think writing egregious essays of struggle and overcoming obstacles has been done to death, and a majority of black applicants write something to the effect of race in their admissions essays. unless something really special happened to you, you should go ahead and try to think of something creative, like the effect of eating skittle too fast before a math test, or why ninjas are cool. they already know what color you are by the box you checked, but telling them your struggles and obstacles doesn’t really tell them anything they don’t already know or haven’t already heard. write about something that tells them something about you. so ok, you’re black, we know there are certain stigmas attached to being so, but now tell them that you are black…and love racing video games and how you hold the high score on cruisin’ exotica at the bowling alley (which i do, score!).</p>