Hey everyone!
I’d like to get someone’s opinion on my first personal statement! It’s the one about my major.
I’m applying to
Berkeley
UCLA
UCSD
UCSB
Comment if you’ll let me to PM it to you!
Thanks:)
I personally don’t recommend reaching out to people on this message board for that. You should look into any personal statement or UC application events at your school that will give you insight into your personal statement, and/or having anyone close and important to you to look it over helps, too.
There’s a bunch of risks to having a total stranger on this message board read your statement.
^ Completely Agree. I would not send it to send it to anyone I don’t know personally.
Alright, thank you so much, guys! I was thinking it might be a little dubious.
^^^ yep
Unless it is some dark secret you don’t want the internet to know about, I don’t see the harm in letting someone else read it. I’m not sure to what extent I would incorporate their feedback, but I’m of the school of thought “the more eyeballs the better”.
Maybe I’m an eternal optimist?
It has to do with theft.
Are you the thief?
;))
Yes, the more eyes the better…of people that are not on this message board and total strangers.
I’m a parent, but let me tell you, it happens and you don’t want your sentences or storyline lifted and placed into an application - where the UCs might see a duplication (i.e., plagiarism).
You could show it to people up here who are already going to a UC. That’s a better path anyway. They know the system.
I hadn’t even considered that someone would plagiarize a personal statement. Yikes, has it really gotten that crazy?
Yeah, some people are bad writers, don’t know what to say and they’re desperate (not to mention dishonest). I mentioned this somewhere else: The ones to watch out for are the students currently applying who put up repeated posts volunteering to read essays.
It’s a crazy world out there.
That’s pretty low to steal a personal statement. And what if you got an interview? How do you suddenly conjure up a sob story and sell it to someone’s face? College admissions has gotten ridiculous if this is where it’s ended up. Well, I did graduate work at UCLA, so if you feel like you can trust me I’ll read it. I’ve posted elsewhere my other academic credentials. If not, I won’t be offended.
While I agree that it’s a good idea to be cautious, if one were placed in the scenario where they had the same PS as someone else (with one person actually writing it and the other being a thief), it likely wouldn’t be too difficult to prove that one actually wrote it. The personal statement is generally about very specific information - experience in one’s major, overcoming struggle in life, and so on - such that one could easily prove that their work is theirs.
It’s better to avoid the situation altogether, sure. Honestly, my PS has such specific information that anyone attempting to steal it could easily be disproved, so I really don’t mind asking people for help with it. Granted, I probably wouldn’t ask anybody who seems remotely suspicious, but even if my PS were to be plagiarized in some way, I could back it up. In that scenario, I would not be in the wrong, and I don’t think UC’s could possibly hold my PS being stolen against me.
And furthermore: any discrepancy could easily be resolved by providing email/message screenshots.
(but yes, all of this trouble could easily be avoided)
It would be a challenge to summon up a challenge you’ve overcome or a summer job that changed your life. I must have shown my essays off to anyone who was literate. Maybe I’m a fool after all.
A person can do whatever they want. However, just be mindful you’re showing them to total strangers. I personally would never do it. But that’s just me.
Also, if they found duplication, would they take the time to exhaustively research? That’s a big assumption @goldencub.
It’s probably prudent. I have always been a bit on the naive side so it never occurred to me that someone would steal a personal statement.
There are people forging international transcripts, test exam scores and commendations. It’s a huge issue nationally. Who knows what a person might do? Desperation calls for desperate measures.
I’m not saying not to show people but pick current UC students, former UC students, adults - anyone who is not a current applicant.