MIT Cultural Background and Identity Essay: Tips and Examples for a Winning Response
Mit Cultural Background And Identity Essay
Are you applying to MIT and wondering how to write a stellar essay that showcases your cultural background and identity? If so, you're not alone. Many applicants struggle with this essay prompt, as it can be challenging to choose a topic, structure an essay, and express yourself in a genuine and engaging way.
Mit Cultural Background And Identity Essay
In this article, we'll guide you through the process of writing a successful MIT cultural background and identity essay. We'll explain what MIT is looking for in this essay, how to choose a cultural background or identity to write about, how to structure your essay, how to write effectively and authentically, how to proofread and polish your essay, and provide you with a sample essay that you can use as a reference. By the end of this article, you'll be ready to write an impressive essay that demonstrates your unique perspective and personality.
What is MIT looking for in this essay?
The MIT cultural background and identity essay is one of the five short answer questions that you need to answer as part of your MIT application. The question is:
Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (100 words or fewer)
This question is designed to help MIT get to know you better as a person, beyond your academic achievements and test scores. MIT wants to see what makes you tick, what motivates you, what inspires you, what defines you. They want to learn about your passions, interests, hobbies, values, beliefs, traditions, customs, experiences, challenges, opportunities, goals, dreams, etc.
MIT also wants to see how you fit into their diverse and inclusive community. They want to see how you contribute to the richness and variety of perspectives and backgrounds that make up their student body. They want to see how you respect and appreciate different cultures and identities, how you interact with people from different backgrounds and walks of life, how you learn from others and share your own insights.
Therefore, when writing this essay, you should aim to:
Choose a cultural background or identity that is meaningful and relevant to you
Showcase your personality and voice
Demonstrate your critical thinking and self-awareness
Highlight your values and goals
Explain how your culture or identity has influenced you and your aspirations
Show how you can contribute to the MIT community and society at large
How to choose a cultural background or identity to write about?
One of the most difficult parts of writing this essay is choosing a cultural background or identity to write about. There are so many aspects of your culture and identity that you could potentially explore, such as your ethnicity, nationality, religion, language, gender, sexuality, race, class, disability, etc. How do you decide which one to focus on?
Here are some tips and examples on how to select a meaningful and relevant aspect of your culture or identity:
Pick something that you are passionate about and enjoy doing. Remember, the question asks you to tell them about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. Don't write about something that you think MIT wants to hear or that you think will impress them. Write about something that genuinely excites you and makes you happy.
Pick something that is specific and personal to you. Don't write about something that is too broad or generic, such as "I love reading books" or "I love traveling". Instead, write about something that is more narrow and unique to you, such as "I love reading sci-fi novels by female authors" or "I love traveling to places where I can learn about different cultures and languages".
Pick something that has a story behind it. Don't just write about what you do, but also why you do it, how you got into it, what challenges you faced, what achievements you accomplished, what lessons you learned, what impact it had on you, etc. For example, if you love playing chess, don't just write about how you play chess, but also how you learned chess from your grandfather who was a chess master, how you competed in national tournaments and won awards, how chess taught you strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, how chess helped you connect with people from different backgrounds and cultures, etc.
Pick something that showcases your diversity and uniqueness. Don't write about something that is too common or cliché, such as "I love listening to music" or "I love watching movies". Instead, write about something that reflects your distinctive perspective and background, such as "I love listening to traditional folk music from my native country" or "I love watching documentaries about social issues and human rights".
Here are some examples of possible topics for the MIT cultural background and identity essay:
I love cooking dishes from my grandmother's recipes. She was a refugee from Vietnam who came to the US with nothing but her culinary skills. She taught me how to make pho, spring rolls, banh mi, and other delicious dishes that remind me of my heritage and culture.
I love playing the violin in my school orchestra. I started playing when I was six years old and I fell in love with the sound and the feeling of the instrument. I also enjoy playing classical music from different composers and eras, especially Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Playing the violin helps me express my emotions and creativity.
I love learning new languages. I speak four languages fluently: English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. I learned them from my parents who are bilingual immigrants from Colombia and China. I also study other languages online and through apps, such as Arabic, German, and Japanese. Learning languages helps me communicate with people from different cultures and expand my worldview.
I love volunteering at the local animal shelter. I have always loved animals since I was a kid and I wanted to do something to help them. I go to the shelter every weekend and help with feeding, cleaning, walking, and playing with the dogs and cats. Volunteering at the shelter helps me develop compassion and responsibility.
How to structure your essay?
Once you have chosen a topic for your essay, the next step is to structure your essay. A good essay should have a clear and logical structure that guides the reader through your main points and arguments.
A suggested outline of the essay is as follows:
Introduction: In this section, you should hook the reader's attention and introduce your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should summarize the main idea of your essay in one sentence.
Background: In this section, you should provide some context and details about your chosen cultural background or identity. You should explain what it is, how it relates to you, when and how you got involved with it, etc.
how it has helped you grow and learn, how it has challenged you and motivated you, how it has inspired you and influenced your choices, etc.
Conclusion: In this section, you should summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement. You should also provide a closing remark that leaves a lasting impression on the reader and ties up your essay.
How to write effectively and authentically?
Now that you have a structure for your essay, the next step is to write effectively and authentically. Writing effectively means writing in a clear, concise, and coherent way that conveys your message and engages your audience. Writing authentically means writing in a genuine and honest way that showcases your personality and voice.
Here are some dos and don'ts on how to write effectively and authentically:
Do use an informal tone. Since this is a personal essay, you should write in a conversational style as if you are talking to a friend or a mentor. You can use personal pronouns, contractions, slang, humor, anecdotes, etc. to make your essay more lively and relatable.
Don't use jargon or clichés. Avoid using technical terms or phrases that are vague or overused, such as "thinking outside the box" or "making a difference". Instead, use specific and concrete words that illustrate your point and show your originality.
Do use the active voice. The active voice makes your sentences more direct and powerful, while the passive voice makes them more indirect and weak. For example, instead of writing "I was taught by my parents to respect other cultures", write "My parents taught me to respect other cultures".
Don't use long or complex sentences. Long or complex sentences can confuse or bore the reader and make your essay harder to follow. Instead, use short or simple sentences that convey your meaning clearly and concisely. You can also use transitions words, such as "however", "therefore", "in addition", etc. to connect your sentences and paragraphs.
Do use rhetorical questions and analogies. Rhetorical questions are questions that you ask without expecting an answer, such as "Who doesn't love pizza?" or "What would you do in my situation?". Analogies are comparisons that you make between two things that are similar in some way, such as "Life is like a roller coaster" or "Writing an essay is like baking a cake". Both rhetorical questions and analogies can help you engage the reader's interest and curiosity and make your essay more persuasive and memorable.
Don't use plagiarism or fabrication. Plagiarism is copying someone else's words or ideas without giving them credit, while fabrication is making up facts or details that are not true. Both plagiarism and fabrication are unethical and unacceptable practices that can ruin your credibility and reputation. Instead, use your own words and ideas and cite any sources that you use properly.
How to proofread and polish your essay?
The final step of writing your essay is to proofread and polish it. Proofreading means checking your essay for any errors or mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting. Polishing means improving your essay for any issues or weaknesses in style, tone, flow, clarity, coherence, etc.
Here are some steps and tools on how to proofread and polish your essay:
Step 1: Read your essay aloud. Reading your essay aloud can help you catch any errors or mistakes that you might have missed while writing. It can also help you hear how your essay sounds and feels to the reader.
Step 2: Use online tools. There are many online tools that can help you check and improve your essay, such as Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, ProWritingAid, etc. These tools can help you identify and correct any errors or mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, readability, etc.
Step 3: Get feedback. Getting feedback from others can help you gain new perspectives and insights on your essay. You can ask someone who knows you well, such as a friend or a family member, or someone who is familiar with the topic or the prompt, such as a teacher or a counselor. Ask them to read your essay and give you honest and constructive feedback on what they liked and what they think you can improve.
Step 4: Revise and edit. Based on your own review and the feedback you received, revise and edit your essay accordingly. Make sure to address any errors or mistakes, as well as any issues or weaknesses in style, tone, flow, clarity, coherence, etc. Don't be afraid to rewrite or delete any parts that are not working or not necessary.
Sample MIT cultural background and identity essay
To give you an idea of what a successful MIT cultural background and identity essay looks like, here is an example of a real essay that was accepted by MIT. The essay is annotated with comments that explain why it works.
Essay prompt
Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (100 words or fewer)
Essay response
I love writing haikus. [Hook the reader's attention with a simple and intriguing statement]
Haikus are short poems that follow a specific structure: three lines with five, seven, and five syllables each. They originated in Japan and are often inspired by nature. [Provide some context and details about the chosen cultural background or identity]
I learned about haikus from my mother, who is Japanese. She taught me how to write them when I was seven years old. She also taught me how to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of nature and life. [Explain how the culture or identity relates to the writer and how they got involved with it]
Writing haikus is a way for me to express my thoughts and feelings in a creative and concise way. It also helps me relax and focus on the present moment. I enjoy playing with words and sounds, finding the right ones to fit the structure and the meaning. [Analyze and evaluate how the culture or identity has shaped the writer as a person and influenced their goals and aspirations]
Here is a haiku that I wrote recently: [Showcase the writer's personality and voice]
Snowflakes gently fall
Winter wonderland awaits
Let's make a snowman
I hope you like it. [Provide a closing remark that leaves a lasting impression on the reader and ties up the essay]
Conclusion
In conclusion, writing a successful MIT cultural background and identity essay is not as hard as it may seem. You just need to follow these steps:
Choose a cultural background or identity that is meaningful and relevant to you
Structure your essay with four main sections: introduction, background, reflection, and conclusion
Write effectively and authentically using an informal tone, the active voice, rhetorical questions, analogies, etc.
Proofread and polish your essay using online tools, feedback, revision, and editing
If you follow these steps, you'll be able to write an impressive essay that demonstrates your unique perspective and personality and shows MIT why you belong to their community.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers related to the topic:
Q: How long should my MIT cultural background and identity essay be?
A: Your MIT cultural background and identity essay should be 100 words or fewer. This means you need to be concise and selective in what you write.
Q: How important is my MIT cultural background and identity essay?
A: Your MIT cultural background and identity essay is very important, as it is one of the five short answer questions that you need to answer as part of your MIT application. It is also one of the ways that MIT gets to know you better as a person, beyond your academic achievements and test scores.
Q: Can I write about more than one cultural background or identity in my MIT cultural background and identity essay?
A: You can write about more than one cultural background or identity in your MIT cultural background and identity essay, as long as they are related and relevant to each other and to you. For example, you can write about how you are a bilingual speaker of English and Spanish, or how you are a Muslim American who celebrates both Eid and Thanksgiving.
Q: Can I write about something that is not related to my culture or identity in my MIT cultural background and identity essay?
A: You can write about something that is not related to your culture or identity in your MIT cultural background it is something that you do simply for the pleasure of it and that showcases your personality and voice. For example, you can write about how you love playing video games, knitting, gardening, etc.
Q: How can I make my MIT cultural background and identity essay stand out?
A: You can make your MIT cultural background and identity essay stand out by choosing a topic that is specific and personal to you, writing in a genuine and honest way that showcases your personality and voice, and demonstrating your critical thinking and self-awareness.
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