Help with UC Personal Statement...

<p>Im applying to the UCs of Fall 2014 and Im on the personal statement section. I just want any feedback or tips on improvement. These are my first drafts.</p>

<p>Prompt 1-</p>

<p>When I was a freshman in high school, whenever someone were to ask me how’d I get a gigantic scar on my knee, I would just say, ‘I fell.’ The real reason was because of an accident that occurred during pre-registration for high school. Unlike many other students, I wasn’t nervous at all going into high school, in fact, I was really excited. Sadly, that excitement got the better of me and as I was running to the pre-registration line, I fell. My mom tried helping me up, but I couldn’t apply pressure onto my leg because it would hurt so much. And of course, the worst possible scenario, the principal of the school calls 911, and little did I know, in about thirty minutes or so, I went from running excitedly to the pre-registration line to laying down in hospital bed with a splint around my leg.</p>

<pre><code>When I was in my hospital bed, I was just thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I’m gonna miss my first days of high school,’ but I could tell my mom was more worried about my leg than me going into school.. I stayed in my hospital bed for about a whole month until I received surgery. I couldn’t recall much of what happened throughout the month because it was all such a blur to me. All I remember was all the wires that had to be connected to me and the beeping sound the heart monitor makes. The one thing that I can vividly remember was the comfort the nurses and doctors gave to me throughout this whole entire process.

The whole time I was in a hospitable bed, all my thoughts about missing school were gone and all I thought about was that it was not only me who is in a hospital bed. I’ve only had a taste of what it feels like to be a long term patient as a hospital. There other people who have to stay at a hospital for the rest of their lives, and they had no choice or voice in the matter. This inspired me to become a doctor, and help those patients who have it way harder than me, and give comfort to them the way doctors and nurses comforted me. Now, whenever someone would ask how’d I get a gigantic scar on my knee, I would say that it doesn’t matter how I got it. What matters is how getting this injury has given me the dream of becoming an orthopedic surgeon so I can help dim-witted, zealous people like me get on their feet so they can follow their dreams as well.
</code></pre>

<p>Prompt 2-</p>

<p>Here I am, standing in front of my opponent. I see the crowd yelling and flailing their arms, but I can only hear the sound of my heart beating and feel drops of sweat running down my face. Suddenly, all of my senses become clear, and I can hear the overwhelming noise of the crowd as the excitement for the battle increases. The music starts and it was then, I realized, I was in a dance battle.</p>

<p>At the start of my freshman year, I was very shy. I wanted to make friends, at least a few I can trust and rely on, but I was just too shy to approach others. I was that one student in the back of the class alone doing work and the only friendships I had were with my teachers. In my junior year, I expected the same thing to happen in my freshman year, but it was completely different. Another student approached me and asked if I wanted to join the breakdance club at my school. I was laughing inside as I was asked this because I couldn’t dance at all, but he persuaded me any way. I got hooked into breakdancing and before I knew it, it went from a hobby into a passion. Dancing allowed me to express myself in a way I wasn’t able to when I was in my freshman year. On top of all the weight I lost through dancing, I was a able to gain self-esteem and confidence through dance. </p>

<p>As I began to mature, I was able to fully witness my complete transformation. It went from me not having any friends to me being around friends who support me as much as I support them, and my expectations turned into reality. Now, I have enough confidence to dance in front of a crowd of people, and it was all because I was able to break out my shell, and be the person I am aspired to be.</p>

<p>Your first two paragraphs start with “When”. Switch it up a bit.
The first sentence would flow better if you say "Whenever someone asked me my freshman year how I got the gigantic scar on my knee, I would tell them, “I fell”
When it comes to college essays, avoid using words like "couldn’t, wouldn’t shouldn’t, hadn’t. Instead, it should be could not, would not, had not…you get the point.I think you should
The first sentence of the third paragraph is really awkwardly phrased
“help those patients who have it way harder than me” sounds really colloquial. Take it out or rephrase it
I don’t think you should keep the “dim-witted, zealous people like me” part either.
You started paragraphs 1 and 2 about being in the hospital bed. Switch that up as well
Try to avoid saying “this inspired me to become a doctor”. What exactly is “this” you are referring to? In general, it’s a bit cliche. </p>

<p>For prompt 2, the first sentence should just be “I am standing in front of my opponent”.
Change “It went from me not having any friend to me being around friends…” to “I went from being a lonesome introvert to a confident new person surrounded by reliable friends who support me as much as i support them”</p>

<p>hope this helped!
please reply to my post if you have time :)</p>

<p>I think scene setting is frowned upon most of the time, especially if you dedicate one ore more paragraphs purely to just setting up a scene with no actually showing of the significance or change the experience had on you. </p>

<p>For UC #1,</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 do not believe your current essay addressed the first part of the prompt relating to “world”. Your essay is more about an incident.</p>

<p>What have you’ve done to pursue the medical profession since that hospital stay? Medical related - Classes? Internships? Clubs? Volunteer work? If you have actively pursue the medical field during the high school years, then you can write about these experiences as your world in your essay, and condense the first two paragraphs into one.</p>

<p>For UC #2,</p>

<p>I highly recommend you focus most of your essay on the breakdancing experience itself, and then summarize how it transformed you. How about writing about your most memorable breakdancing moments? Or your first breakdancing day? Be specific with vivid details. Invite admissions into your breakdancing world with your essay, as if they are there watching you. This has the making of a great essay.</p>

<p>Hope this helps. Best of luck! : )</p>

<p>Thank you everyone for your time to read my essays. I’m absolutely going to take all of your advice. </p>