1 The Personal Statement: Strategies for Supporting Freshman Applicants.

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The Personal Statement: Strategies for

Supporting Freshman Applicants

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Overview Purpose of the

personal statement in UC admissions

Instructions and questions

Writing strategies for students

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Purpose of the Personal Statement

Part of UC’s comprehensive review process

Opportunity to provide information that supports and augments the review process

Helps readers know and understand applicants

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Adds clarity, depth and meaning to information collected in other parts of the UC application

Completes the application for admission

An admission decision will never be based on the content of a personal statement alone

Purpose of the Personal Statement

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A Message From UC Faculty While it is acceptable

to receive feedback or helpful suggestions, applicants’ personal statements should reflect your own ideas and be written by them alone.

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Instructions and Prompts

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Instructions Two questions

Students respond to both questions. A maximum of 1,000 words total If you are even one word over, you cannot submit

your application.

Students choose length of each response. If you choose to respond to one prompt at

greater length, they suggest the shorter answer be no less than 250 words.

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Prompt #1

[Freshman Applicants] Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.  

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Prompt #2

[All Applicants][All Applicants] Tell us about a Tell us about a personal quality, talent, personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. experience that is important to you. What about this quality or What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you how does it relate to the person you are?are?

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Additional Comments Use Additional Comments box for

clarification, expansion on important details: Additional names Visa issues Additional IB exams

Describe anything else that you have not had the opportunity to include elsewhere in your application. 500-word limit

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Writing Strategies for Students

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Steps to Writing an Effective Personal Statement

Gather InformationGather Information

Read CriticallyRead Critically

Develop Topic and ThesisDevelop Topic and Thesis

Draft, Get Feedback, ReviseDraft, Get Feedback, Revise

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Personal Statement: Writing for College

College Unknown audience:

Students write for a community of scholars.

Writer-determined topics: Students choose the topics.

Dig deep: Analysis and reflection are key.

Personal Statement

Unknown audience

Writer-determined topics

Analytical and reflective response

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Important Strategies Students are encouraged to write about special

circumstances that have influenced their educational experience: Re-entry Small or alternative learning environments Learning and/or physical challenges Veterans

Read critically and write analytically. Think like an admissions reader by capitalizing on the

relationship between readers and writers.

Use a writing process.

Get good feedback.

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Think Like an Admissions Reader All readers have expectations of writers, revealed in

readers’ questions, observations and interpretations of the application.

Writers fulfill readers’ expectations by addressing

these questions, observations and interpretations in the personal statement.

Writers can anticipate readers’ expectations by completing and critically reading their applications prior to writing a personal statement.

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Writing Process Read the application critically using levels of

questions.

Draft.

Get feedback — give readers at least a week to respond.

Revise for organization, clarity and meaning.

Proofread.

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