<p>This year's Rutgers undergraduate admissions essay reads
"Rutgers requires that you write a short essay that is your original work. Please reflect on what you consider to be an important personal experience related to your talents, interests, or commitments. Using this experience, please tell us what you learned about yourself. How will this experience prepare you for success at Rutgers?"</p>
<p>Can someone explain me what are they looking for? Can I use one of the common app essays such as the "Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?" or "Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story."</p>
<p>No. Rutgers doesn’t use CA anyways so writing about a completely different topic would be unacceptable. Their prompt is the only thing you can write about.</p>
<p>Hi DavidGuti97,</p>
<p>Here is my suggestion on how to tackle this prompt:</p>
<ol>
<li>Brainstorm for 10 minutes. Write down a list of your talents, interests, and commitments.</li>
<li>Choose one that is most meaningful to you. Think of a specific personal experience (in this area) where you’ve learned about yourself/grown as a person/gained new perspectives or skills.</li>
<li>Write a short outline or do free write on this experience.</li>
<li>If this is the experience you will write about, then research Rutgers, connect this experience to Rutgers academics/clubs/offerings/campus and add it to your essay. </li>
<li>If you find there isn’t sufficient material to write on the interest/experience you chose, then start again from step 2.</li>
</ol>
<p>Basically, this is a personal narrative essay, and you have to show what you will bring to Rutgers, why you are a good fit, and “why Rutgers”?</p>
<p>Hope this helps. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your help. I was wondering if you could give me any advice with my personal statement for penn state @eCoachJen . I would love your help!
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