Hi I’m currently working on the essays for UC application. However, I’m feeling very lost and have no idea on how to make myself stand out from the others. I would really appreciate if anyone can give me some advice and crucial tips that made their essays successful. My chosen prompts are:
Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major,including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
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?
Thanks!
This is something you have to answer for yourself. I could give you the answers I would submit, but how would that help you?
@bjkmom yeah I know that these are personal questions so I’m just asking for tips such as some key things the administrators really care about or technical writing style that would give the essays a twist.
If you haven’t seen this already, you should take a look at this. It helped me a lot focusing my essays.
ETA: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-questions/transfer/index.html
These questions as well.
There are other websites which I cannot link that can offer tips on writing your essays. Each individual is unique, so you need to convey to the readers what makes your different beyond your academics/test scores. You may have similar EC’s and interests than many of the applicants, but your experiences will be not be the same. Write from the heart on what is important to you and was is special about you as an individual.
Start off with a list of ideas for each prompt and try to focus on only one idea for each since you are limited by the # of words (350) but each of the 4 prompts should tell a story about you as a person.
For my older son, in one essay he wrote by his love of fly fishing and how this lead him to pursue an Environmental Science major. In another prompt, he also wrote by fly fishing but how the slow methodical rhythm of casting a fly mimics his personality and his approach to life and school.
Best of luck and getting started is the hardest part.
@OhWhatsHerName @Gumbymom thanks for your help! I would def look thru this websites and contemplate on what I would write based on the resources 
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
I used this question as well and I put that I used the beacon tutoring program because when I started I didn’t know anything about math then after trig I did so well my instructor asked me to be a beacon tutor for his trig course. From there I saw a few students thank me for getting A’s in a math course they never thought possible - from that I knew I fell in love with math and will always love it. I will never forget the joy in peoples faces when they found out they too can solve a challenging math problem. (this is a tldr my barrier was my inexperience and fear of math and after overcoming it I wanted to help others do the same)
The point I think is to take an experience that was special and meaningful to you in some way - elaborate on it and reflect on the significance it had on you and will have on you at UC. My answer is showing them I am passionate about math and will be for a long time - something you need at UC. I really hope this helps you shape an answer - I got accepted by UCD and UCSC so it worked for them at least, however I did get denied from UCB and UCI.
As for upper div courses, well courses in general at UC level you HAVE to know the concepts. Most of my courses the course is like 40% weighted on a cumulative final and the rest from 2 midterms with some hw. the hw is mostly really challenging conceptually and you will need to find study groups fast and use your TA’s office hours - they grade your work so get to know them - and they are usually really smart and sometimes phd students so could very well teach at cc. The most important part is to do the work and still find more work to do. My major is computer science so in physics and math I constantly find more problems to solve to make sure I have mastered the material that is to be tested on. The upper div courses in writing for me have been really fun but for cs have been really frustratingly challenging and beyond rewarding - I guess as expected. GL on your endeavors
I just wanted to give you some advice on that because nobody gave it to me ^^^ maybe it will help you prepare an answer as well
This is a true test of creativity. I am struggling with this as well, to the extend I am losing sleep.
The key is to incorporate the info you have gathered, into how you fit into the school, at this same time trying to extinguish yourself from others, and make it interesting and exciting.
Alot of us know what to do but struggling with how to do it.
“How to dunk tips: Jump from foul line, above everyone else, avoid contact, and throw the ball down.” Thanks for the tip!!!