I’m applying to UCs and some privates, so these are the topics I’m thinking about for the UC application.
UC Prompt 1: Describe the world you come from…
I go to school in a fairly competitive district known for academics. Personally, I’ve attended over 5 different schools in various states throughout my life, so I want to take a novel point of view on this prompt. Rather than talk about how the competition or rigor has pushed me to pursue a certain goal, I want to reflect on how this environment encourages students to pursue others’ “dreams and aspirations” rather than their own. I’ll conclude by asserting my personal dogma of doing things for yourself rather than others, relating it to my future. I will connect the entire essay with an anecdote my father told me as a child. My only concern is that this is too clique/common as it is basically an essay on nonconformity, and not unique because anyone from such a similar competitive schooling environment could theoretically reproduce my essay. But the prompt doesn’t give me that much to work with…
UC Prompt 2: Personal accomplishment…
I want to start off with a 10 minute presentation I had to give for an international competition, describing the sense of empowerment/joy public speaking gives me. Then I will jump back to the beginning, and rehash my experiences in the competition leading me to the finals presentation (It is a Business/Science/Technology competition). In this rehash, I hope to emphasize my leadership, ambitiousness, personal growth and hard work. I hope to convey myself as driven, confident, ambitious, yet also balanced in life. Finally I will connect this to my life motto, to give value to the world and produce significance.
Thank you for your input.