<p>In regards to the first question. I'm an English major that has no volunteer work, internship, or extra currics in line with the major. So far it's been just a story about my development. I do work at a pizza parlor and am in the honor society, but thats already stated in another part of the app...should i still try to link these to my major? I think it will appear too forced and out of conjunction with the flow of my statement.</p>
<p>Well, if you're an English major, I am assuming you can relate the seemingly unrelatable. If you want to tie some of your extra-academic activities into your statements, maybe talk about how your job at the pizza parlor has presented you with a variety of different personalities, adding to your interpretation of the world, and writing style? The honor society is just application fodder, there really is no sense in adding it, imo.</p>
<p>I'm an English major as well; I wrote about going to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival every year and the influence poetry and literature has had on me, and how I decided I wanted to major in English. </p>
<p>Write about you own personal experience and how you came about loving literature or something along those lines. I volunteered in the arts and theater also, perhaps that has some relevance. I wouldn't discuss your job unless it has a specific tie to your major or has impacted your college success or life situation.</p>
<p>so coco my strategy of talking mostly about development seems ok right?</p>
<p>Yeah, I would make sure it correlates with your plan to major in English. I talked with a UCLA adcom member and she said she expects better and more formulated essays with an interesting story from prospective English majors (which makes sense). I'm sure you'll be fine; if you're applying to Berkeley and/or UCLA the personal statement will be secondary or tertiary to your grades and major prep.</p>
<p>Coco, where did you get that information on the tertiary importance of the personal statements for Berkeley and UCLA?</p>
<p>On Assist for example it says:
- completion of L&S Requirements (or IGETC), plus<br>
- strength of academic preparation, and<br>
- grade point average<br>
are the primary selection criteria for admission. </p>
<p>The Berkeley and UCLA reps have told me that the personal statement is then used to add more personality to the application and sway some applicants into acceptance or rejection. However, grades and preparation are the first considerations - among many others like work and personal experiences, EC's etc.</p>