Personal Statement Getting Started Your First Draft Message

Personal Statement Getting Started: Your First Draft

Message from the UCs: “Your personal statement is your chance to tell us who you are and what's important to you. Think of it as your opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions and scholarship officers reading your application. Be open, be honest, be real. What you tell us in your personal statement gives readers the context to better understand the rest of the information you’ve provided in your application. ”

So what’s the point? Your opportunity to stand out! Provide information to support and aid the admissions process. Enables you to make the best case possible for admission, but a decision will never be made only based on a personal statement. You can only win!

The Prompts: Prompt #1 (freshmen 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. Prompt #2 (all applicants) : Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Guidelines Rules: ◦ Respond to both prompts, using a maximum of 1000 words. (1012 ok, but 2000 or 500 aren’t!) ◦ Allocate the word count as you wish. Short answer should not be less than 250 words. Tips: ◦ Tell a great, true story about yourself. People remember stories… ◦ Give Supporting Details Ex: Want to be a doctor? Tell the story of the time you helped someone. Make it vivid: sights, sounds, smells!

Your first draftshould 1. 2. 3. Convey something special + unique about you. Be related to your goal. Be fun to write (and detailed). To get you started… Have you had to overcome any obstacles or hardships? What personal characteristics do you possess? How does your story demonstrate these?