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The Personal The Personal StatementStatement

Strategies for StudentsStrategies for Students

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OverviewOverview• Purpose of the personal statement in UC

admissions

• Instructions and Prompts

• Writing strategies for students

• Advise

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Purpose of the Personal Purpose of the Personal StatementStatement

• Part of UC’s comprehensive review Part of UC’s comprehensive review processprocess

• Opportunity to provide information that Opportunity to provide information that supports and augments the review supports and augments the review processprocess

• Helps readers know and understand Helps readers know and understand applicantsapplicants

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

• Completes the application for admissionCompletes the application for admission

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

Purpose of the Personal Purpose of the Personal StatementStatement

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A Message From UC A Message From UC FacultyFaculty

• While it is acceptable to receive feedback or While it is acceptable to receive feedback or helpful suggestions, applicants’ personal helpful suggestions, applicants’ personal statements statements should reflect their own ideas should reflect their own ideas andand be written by them alone.be written by them alone.

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Instructions and Instructions and PromptsPrompts

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InstructionsInstructions• Two questionsTwo questions

• Students respond to both questions.Students respond to both questions. A maximum of 1,000 words totalA maximum of 1,000 words total Students should stay within the word limit as Students should stay within the word limit as

closely as they can. A little over—1,012 closely as they can. A little over—1,012 words, for example—is fine.words, for example—is fine.

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

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

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

Prompt #1Prompt #1

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Prompt #2Prompt #2Tell us about a personal quality, talent, Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?relate to the person you are?

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Writing Strategies Writing Strategies for Studentsfor Students

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Important StrategiesImportant 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

• Read critically and write analytically.Read critically and write analytically. Capitalize on the relationship between readers and writers.Capitalize on the relationship between readers and writers.

• Use a writing process.Use a writing process.

• FeedbackFeedback Get good feedback. Allow enough time for readers to give Get good feedback. Allow enough time for readers to give

feedbackfeedback

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Steps to Writing an Steps to Writing an Effective Personal Effective Personal

StatementStatement

Gather InformationGather Information

Read CriticallyRead Critically

Develop Topic and ThesisDevelop Topic and Thesis

Draft, Get Feedback, ReviseDraft, Get Feedback, Revise

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Advise: Part IAdvise: Part I Stay on task, avoid being wordy. Stay on task, avoid being wordy. 

You admission essays should be of excellent quality, You admission essays should be of excellent quality, but not poetic or extremely literary.  Admission but not poetic or extremely literary.  Admission committees are used to reading essays and letters, and committees are used to reading essays and letters, and they know when applicants are trying too hard.  Keep they know when applicants are trying too hard.  Keep your objective in mind and the content within the context your objective in mind and the content within the context of your college application.of your college application.

Have direction and know where your going. Have direction and know where your going.  Don’t write an essay that goes around in circles, Don’t write an essay that goes around in circles,

repeating the same information in different ways.  Some repeating the same information in different ways.  Some tend to give too much information, or they just use the tend to give too much information, or they just use the same information over and over again.  Compose a same information over and over again.  Compose a short outline that will guide you through what you want to short outline that will guide you through what you want to say. say. 

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Advise : Part IIAdvise : Part II• Get their attention AND keep itGet their attention AND keep it

Remember that your goal is to get the reader hooked on Remember that your goal is to get the reader hooked on who you are and why you deserve to be in the school.  who you are and why you deserve to be in the school.  Try to hold the reader’s interest with an attention-Try to hold the reader’s interest with an attention-grabbing introduction, an interesting body, and a grabbing introduction, an interesting body, and a clinching conclusion.clinching conclusion.

• MOST IMPORTANT OF ALLMOST IMPORTANT OF ALL These essays are a reflection of who YOU are so These essays are a reflection of who YOU are so don’t don’t

elaborate or fabricate.elaborate or fabricate.