In an increasingly competitive college admissions landscape, many high school students spend a long time thinking of the best way to present themselves to admissions committees. For LGBTQ+ applicants, this process can take on particular significance, as the college application is one of the first places where many students identify themselves and begin their journeys into queer adulthood. Gender and sexuality are a major part of self-understanding, and a theme through which one comes of age, so it is understandable why LGBTQ+ identification so often plays into the written components of college applications. But do LGBTQ+ applicants get an admissions edge?

How Impactful is Gender and/or Sexuality on College Admission?

Once upon a time (a period that roughly corresponds to the 2010s), applicants could proudly state their gayness or transness at the beginning of their admissions essay, meditate on the struggles that their identity brought about internally and in their communities for the length of a few paragraphs, and end, in a triumphant flourish, with their conviction that the college to which they are applying is the most supportive place for them to embark on a new chapter in their lives. Such an essay would typically play well with admissions officers.

Since then, LGBTQ+ presence on most college campuses has reached a saturation point, and applications crafted solely around queer identity are far less competitive than they once were. Gay and trans students are not considered inherently underrepresented in applicant pools. But that is not to say that LGBTQ+ students shouldn’t proudly identify themselves on college applications.

Crafting the Most Competitive Application as an LGBTQ+ High School Senior

Queer and trans identity should absolutely be stated on college applications for those students who feel comfortable doing so. After all, LGBTQ+ students contribute to a lively and diverse student body. But in lieu of focusing any admissions essays on identity alone, each student should consider if and how their identity has influenced and been influenced by academic, extracurricular, and character-building experiences. 

If a student has spent significant time building LGBTQ+ community at their school, organizing on behalf of LGBTQ+ political issues, or has faced significant setbacks in their life due to queer or trans oppression, by all means these experiences should be written about. But gesturing to identity alone without giving admissions officers a look at the person behind the identity will read as hollow and opportunistic. The same goes for an essay that gestures to the broader news landscape of LGBTQ+ civil rights as a stand-in for thoughtful writing on personal experience.

6 Quick Tips for Applying to College as an LGBTQ+ Applicant

1. Do your research — not every school will provide an accepting and inclusive environment.
2. See what current students on your dream campus are saying about being LGBTQ+ student life. This insight is far more valuable than anything the administration says!
3. Find those you trust and lean on them for support.
4. Rely on the admissions magic that is the singular hook. And remember: being LGBTQ+ alone does not constitute a singular hook.
5. Don’t craft your entire application around your identity — it will backfire, particularly in the current climate in which the Trump administration has set its sights on academia.
6. At the same time, don’t conceal your identity for the sake of getting in. Just convey your true self and trust that your singular hook will shine through.

Considerations for Applying to Colleges as an LGBTQ+ Applicant

LGBTQ+ applicants, especially those who do not come from supportive environments, face the daunting prospect of navigating a complicated process without much help from family or teachers. Before putting pen to paper, prospective applicants should research the LGBTQ+ friendliness of schools they are interested in. Trans students, in particular, should only apply to schools where their housing needs will be met, their healthcare protected, and their transition supported. Not every school boasts a strong LGBTQ+ community, and an application that proudly brandishes queer identity will fall on deaf ears if sent to a university with a hostile administration.

Researching the LGBTQ+ friendliness of universities is no small feat. While online guides and ranking systems are helpful for providing a broad overview of a university’s stated level of support, the testimony of current queer and trans students is the gold standard for figuring out what life is really like on campus. Some schools shout their tolerance from the rooftops but fail to provide sufficient resources and protections for their LGBTQ+ students. Others may appear to be ambivalent about their queer students, but maintain a robust community that flies under the radar. 

By supplementing any research into an institution’s stated LGBTQ+ values and protections with research gleaned from social media, student-run organizations, and campus newspaper op-eds, a prospective applicant can ensure that they do not waste their time applying to a school where they will not be valued for who they are.