<p>I'm an incoming freshman at my local CC, De Anza, if that matters. I'm going to start on my Personal Statement early, so I'd have less stress when application rolls around. What is the best book for me to buy/borrow that will guide me to write my "boss" statement? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Way too early to start. Just have fun the last few weeks of summer before college starts.</p>
<p>No, not, i am on my 4th draft already. Avoid rush in school. Common Application you can do during winter. But UCs, best suggestion, Start NOW. </p>
<p>Why buy books?
They want to see your own hand writing. Write them with your heart, and I am going to find as many people as possible to edit for me.</p>
<p>just a heads up: a page back or so, there’s an official PS thread for us early starters. so - just mark that thread as your PS home :D</p>
<p>Are the UC statements the same every year?</p>
<p>^yes, they are ;)</p>
<p>[University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html)</p>
<p>@LiveTheLimit</p>
<p>Thank you. Saved me an email.</p>
<p>You’re very welcome.</p>
<p>LiveTheLimit: A good resource for you at De Anza is to see the rep from UC Davis when he comes to the transfer center (at least it was a he a few years ago). He comes to the campus multiple times every quarter and gives mini seminars every fall on how to write an effective personal statement.</p>
<p>Here’s a hint: If you start with the UC prompt #2 you will already have a good essay for the Common App. For example, The UC prompt #2 is:</p>
<p>“Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?”</p>
<p>The Newest Common App Prompt (#1 of 6 possible prompts) is:</p>
<p>“Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.”</p>
<p>Just about every university on the Common App requires from 1 to 3 additional personal essays. It will save you a lot of time to focus on these essays and recycle/rewrite the UC prompt #2.</p>
<p>No one has given me a good book yet…=(</p>
<p>Also, for those who thinks I’m starting early, then you better be working your butts off when application rolls around. When it does, you’ll be writing Big Macs!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html[/url]”>http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html</a></p>
<p>I don’t think that any book is going to give you better advice than the UVA link you posted.</p>
<p>Go for gold, I’m about to start my 3rd draft for my UC app. I dunno about the common app because I’m only applying to UCs, not sure how that works but I started two months ago. It’s good to start early. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s a bad idea, start early and get that thing looking golden.</p>
<p>[The</a> Personal Statement](<a href=“http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/]The”>http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/)</p>
<p>[Write</a> an Essay that Stands Out | Boston University Admissions](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/how-to-write-an-essay-that-gets-noticed/]Write”>http://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/how-to-write-an-essay-that-gets-noticed/)</p>
<p>[STANFORD</a> Magazine: September/October 2008 > Features > Admissions Essays Opening Lines](<a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found)</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Applying to UC: The Personal Statement](<a href=“Applying to UC: The Personal Statement 2007 - YouTube”>Applying to UC: The Personal Statement 2007 - YouTube) </p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Personal Statement](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>Forget any type of books. Like they say in one of the videos “make it your own personal statement”.</p>
<p>Wow, a 50 minute video. I’ll definitely watch this sometime this week. Thanks.</p>
<p>I still have no idea of how to approach this thing. I don’t have any heart-wrenching stories, personal accomplishments, or any experiences. Maybe I’ll just talk about how I’ve been extremely depressed and plagued with anxiety and still managed to earn a 3.8 (lol).</p>
<p>Thank you so much, Mitch! I love those links ;)</p>
<p>Also do we have to write the personal statement in terms of prompt order</p>
<p>There are two separate boxes on the application, one for each prompt.</p>
<p>CalBear2009:</p>
<p>What is the common app prompt?</p>
<p>I’m a bit confused about the UC personal statement. I’m trying to fit in something about my experiences during my first two years at community college that led me to receive poor grades, but the UC prompts only ask about your major and some trait you value. Am I supposed to somehow relate my personal problems with some trait in order to throw it into my personal statement?</p>
<p>I’m talking about some early poor grades in the additional comments section, which has a 500 word limit in addition to the 1000 words for the personal statements.</p>
<p>That said, prompt 2 allows you to talk about an “experience.” If a parent’s death was an influential experience and played a role in some poor grades, you could allude to that experience in prompt 2.</p>
<p>Can I include my volunteering in High school for prompt#1? And also, can I talk about my observations in these past years? I know they list a lot of stuff there, but can I? I didn’t start school yet, and I’m kinda clueless on what to exactly write about.</p>