"Two years after the Supreme Court banned the use of race in college admissions decisions and in the wake of the Trump administration's attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, colleges' use of diversity- and identity-related supplemental essay prompts is patchy. After a boom in prompts about applicant's identities, several universities have scrapped the essays entirely for the 2025-2026 admission cycle. Still others, especially selective universities, have kept the prompts, saying they are the best way to get to know their applicants."
"Kelsea Conlin, who oversees the college essay counseling team for College Transitions, an admissions consulting firm, identified 19 colleges with optional or required diversity essays last admission cycle that either had dropped or reworded those prompts this year. "I've seen very few colleges that still require students to write about diversity; the prompt may still be on their application and students have the opportunity to write about it, but it's an optional essay," she said."
Two years after the Supreme Court banned the use of race in admissions decisions and amid political attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, colleges vary widely in their use of diversity- and identity-related supplemental essay prompts. Several universities removed the essays for the 2025–2026 cycle, while many selective institutions retained them as a way to learn about applicants. Research identified 19 colleges that dropped or reworded diversity prompts from the prior cycle. Diversity essays commonly ask how community, culture or background shaped applicants or how applicants might contribute to campus; others ask about diversity, social justice or antiracism more broadly.
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