College Essays and UC Personal Insight Questions Fall

College Essays and UC Personal Insight Questions Fall 2020

Why Do Colleges Want Essays? Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 3

Why Do I Have to Write Essays ● Give colleges a chance to get to know you, beyond the “numbers” ● Share information that is not available anywhere else on your application ● An opportunity to tell colleges what you want them to know about you ● How do you see yourself? ● Provide the colleges with additional insight into who you are as an individual ● Demonstrate your ability to write and communicate through writing ● Let colleges know why you would be a good “fit” for them Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only Who am I? 4

UC Personal Insight Prompts The University of California asks students to answer Personal Insight Questions (PIQ’s) that are designed to get to know you better. Think of these questions as an interview with the admissions office. As an undergraduate applicant, the University of California wants you to be open and reflective and find your individual voice as you compose your answers. You will have 8 questions to choose from and you must respond to any 4 of the 8 questions: ● Each response is limited to 350 words. ● Which questions you choose to answer is entirely up to you. But you should select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances. ● All questions are equal and all questions are given equal consideration in the application review process. There is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others. ● Your responses will be sent to all UC campuses selected on your application. Do not personalize your answers for any one UC campus. ● Write your responses in a Word or Google document and cut and paste them into the UC application. 5

UC Personal Insight Prompts (PIQ’s) 1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. 2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? 6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. 7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? 8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? 6

Which UC Do I Belong To? Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 7

The Common Application Essay Prompts for the 2020 -21 Common Application essay are (max. 650 words): 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. 8

Common App and COVID-19 Extra Section Added on the Common Application Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. ● ● Do you wish to share anything on this topic? Y/N Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you. The question will be optional and will appear in the Additional Information section of the application. The response length will be limited to 250 words. The question will be accompanied by a more detailed FAQ to help students consider the kinds of impacts they may wish to report, including illness and loss, housing and employment disruptions, and shifting family obligations. Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 9

What College Do I Belong To? Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 10

The Coalition Application Essay Prompts for the 2020 -21 Coalition Application are (about 550 word max. ): 1. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. 2. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution. 3. Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs? 4. What is the hardest part of being a teenage now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)? 5. Submit an essay on a topic of your choice. challenges and rewards of making your contribution Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 11

Getting Started/Making It Personal and Descriptive Getting Started: ● ● ● Brainstorming, with parents and friends Free-Write for 15 minutes Make an outline Consider things that excite, engage, and motivate you. What’s important to you and why do you want to write about it? Consider events or decisions in your life that have made a difference. A Great Opening Paragraph For longer essays, create an opening paragraph that grabs your reader’s attention and makes them want to read more. While you will want an opening, a body, and a conclusion, you do not have to adhere to the traditional writing format that you use for an English assignment. Your opening paragraph may actually describe the middle of your story and that’s ok. Grab the reader in the beginning and then backtrack to fill in details. This is creative writing! Don’t worry if you can’t find that perfect beginning when you are trying to get started; just start writing and the opening paragraph will come to you later. The UC PIQ answers are short, so you have limited space and a “creative” first sentence won’t always work. But try to change up the opening of each PIQ; for example, you don’t want to start each with “I did …” Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 12

Getting Started/Making It Personal and Descriptive cont. Show, Don’t Tell: Make your essay come alive by using sensory details (taste, touch, sound, smell, sight) that allow the reader to experience your story as if he/she were actually there. Use rich details and descriptive language instead of vague general words and phrases. A good essay will always “show” while a weaker essay will “tell. ” Action verbs and descriptive adjectives are important. Tell: I went to the store on Tuesday. Show: Even though it was summer, the pouring rain matched my mood as I slumped to the corner store in my soaked blue tennis shoes. Tell: I get nervous when it’s time to take a test. Show: My palms were sweaty and I began to shake all over as I waited for the teacher to say “begin. ” Editing Once you have a draft, it is important to edit, several times! Your language should be simple, direct, and clear. Have someone you trust read your essay and get feedback (one or two people at most), but always use your own words. Check for careless spelling and grammatical errors. Nothing screams “I wrote my essay the night before!” more than glaring typos and grammatical mistakes. Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 13

Important “Do’s” for College Essays and Personal Insight Questions ● ● ● ● Start writing your essays early, preferably during summer when you have more time. Begin by getting your ideas on paper or creating an outline. Your writing will become more cohesive in later drafts. Make sure you are answering the essay or personal insight prompts. Try to share a side or sides of your personality that don’t appear elsewhere on your application. Demonstrate your curiosity and how you have been changed by your experiences. Share personal examples. For the UC Personal Insight Questions, “personal” is the key! Share your thoughts and feelings in an open and personal way. For longer essays of 500 – 650 words, start out with a “bang” to make sure your opening sentence and paragraph will grab the reader’s attention. Be honest, open, thoughtful, and reflective Use your own words (not your parents’ words!) Use humor, if that’s part of your personality (sarcasm not recommended!) Follow the word limit. Take out unnecessary words that don’t add to your meaning. Revise until you are completely satisfied. If you start early, you will have more time! Edit for grammar and spelling. Have some fun while you are writing! Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 14

Important “Don’ts” or What To Avoid in College Essays/UC PIQ’s ● Brag; humility is important even while highlighting your achievements. ● Use gimmicks or words that are not normally in your vocabulary. Avoid using overly formal, complex, or business-like language. Poetry, metaphors, and quotes by famous people usually don’t work well or add to your essays. ● Be confrontational or use inappropriate language. And certainly don’t use “texting” abbreviations! ● Try to sound like a philosopher. Your experience as a teen-ager is limited and you aren’t going to change the world (at least not in your first 4 years in college). Focus on what you can achieve or accomplish. ● Write about topics that are overused in college essays. Some of the most common themes would include: ○ Sports and music, unless you can bring a new “twist. ” These topics are common for “talent” or “skill. ” ○ Leadership by being captain of a sports team, president of a club, first chair in orchestra. ○ Overcoming shyness, especially in high school ○ Volunteering because you “like to help people. ” Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 15

Important “Don’ts” or What To Avoid in College Essays/UC PIQ’s cont. ● Use phrases that are common and cliche in college essays. ○ I want to help people. . . ○ I have persevered … ○ I want my family to be proud of me … ○ My family has sacrificed for me. . . ○ Hard work pays off … ○ I am passionate about. . . ● Use lists of your accomplishments; those are already elsewhere on your application. You can highlight one or two activities if they are related, but do not try to bring all your activities and involvements into one essay. ● Be afraid to be different and unique! This is your chance to show your personality. Most Important: Start Early! Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only 16

College-Specific Essay Prompts Many private and out-of-state colleges and universities will have supplemental essay questions that relate directly to their particular school. These will appear on the college-specific pages within the Common Application or the Coalition Application and most will be shorter, between 200 and 350 words. Common questions that you might see: ● ● ● ● Why are you interested in attending our college? What about being a student at our college excites you? Review our mission statement and describe an experience from your life that embodies an aspect of that mission. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you excited about learning. We value difference and support equity and inclusion of all students and their many intersecting identities. Pick one of your unique identities and describe its significance. Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at our college. What is something about yourself that is essential to understanding you. 17 Copyright - El Camino Real Charter High School College Office, Reprint by permission only

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