Should I write about my culture?

Blamei
Tue, 16 Aug 2016 12:13:33 +0000

So I’m applying to a few top schools, and I heard that being Asian might actually hurt your chances, so sometimes we would be discouraged to write about our heritage or try to look as least Asian as possible. However, I was born in a third-world/developing country and wanted to write about my experience with poverty, as well as about a sense of community and belonging. I’m also a first-generation immigrant and college student. Would my background be a ‘hook’ or would it actually hurt my chances?

I have other things to write about in my other essays, like the fine arts and my recent experience at a summer program, so it won’t seem as if my childhood is the defining moment of my identity.

Thanks!