application essay : what do they want?

<p>I'm going to be a senior and I've been thinking about writing my application essay. Since I knew I was going to apply to the UC's, I decided to look at their prompts. I've thought about the essay prompts for a long time now but I'm not quite sure what to write about. </p>

<p>For example this prompt:</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>I'm sure I can think of something once I get what they are asking me to do. This prompt seems unclear to me for some reason. Is this prompt simply asking me to describe my background? Then, all I can say is that I'm an immigrant and lived a happy, stable life. My parents were very supportive and... that's all i can say. What is this prompt really asking? and what should I write about?</p>

<p>It would also be nice if you guys can give me advice on this prompt as well</p>

<p>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?</p>

<p>*also can my essays not reflect my application at all? For example, I don't think I can reflect my achievements necessarily with my application, but the advices that the ucs give seem to tell us that essays should reflect applications..</p>

<p>Thanks guys!</p>

<p>UC prompts much?</p>

<p>all you need to do is 1) write something interesting and not cliche and 2) write something that reveals a bit about yourself.</p>

<p>imo, the best essays are about really quirky personal experiences (you should always talk about an experience in your life so you can "show" the adcoms and not simply "tell") because they are fun to read and still convey a lot about the writer.</p>