<p>so im pretty average. average community college gpa, bio major, average community service/activities, blah blah.
but basically i wanted to know if/how much our personal statements factor in when colleges look at our applications. i imagine if you have a pretty high gpa (i.e. ~4.0) and/or other aspects that make u stand out...then you could write a crappy personal statement and easily get in. but if youre just a average, do you think that writing really good personal statements will give you a better chance?
i personally think that the main/only thing that admissions people actually consider are your grades (and maybe ex. curricular activities if applicable)...am i wrong?</p>
<p>Well uh, I'm betting there are a lot of applicants who are "average" like you with similar ECs. A well written personal statement can put you over the top and be the deciding factor for admittance. If I were you I would put lots of time into my essay and make sure it is well written.</p>
<p>Regardless how high your GPA is and how much E/C's you have tied under your belt, your personal statement should be solid. </p>
<p>Haas accounts the personal statement as 35% of the admissions decision. 4.0 students with great EC's are rejected because their personal statements aren't up to par. Your personal statement should reflect the same level of success as your grades and E/C's.</p>
<p>I imagine it varies somewhat depending on the program. If you're applying for a major that is impacted/selective, the admissions staff will be trying to put together a balanced cohort. For example, in my major, they are not going to want 30 directors with similar personalities and backgrounds, it would be a nightmare. They need diversity or the students will kill each other by the end of the first term. </p>
<p>I'm not sure how it works in bio, but it can hardly hurt to put some effort into it. If you have a legitimate reason for mediocre performance, the personal statement is the place to mention it, together with your explanation of how you've taken care of the problem and are now back on track and prepared to succeed.</p>
<p>It depends on what UC you are applying to... some of the UC's do not even read your personal statement for transfer students and some put a large emphasis on it. For example UCD does not read personal statements for transfer students and Berkeley puts heavy emphasis on it.</p>
<p>danahue,</p>
<p>The scenario in your example about someone with high stats but a bad personal statement still getting in wouldn't happen at Cal. </p>
<p>Definitely for Cal, and probably UCLA, the personal statement will make or break you.</p>