<p>I just finished writing essays for uchicago, and I was getting ready to do my uc apps…but… i read over the questions and read over this handout on essay writing that cal distributed, and I got the impression that you arent given much room to be creative. Actually the handout specifically discouraged creativity or humor. When I read those questions, I can think of original ways to answer them that are not completely “out-there,” (er, maybe they are…) but I just don’t know if that’s how they want you to approach them. So how unique are we allowed to be? Do they want robots? :-/</p>
<p>squareinavolvo:</p>
<p>the UC essay questions are meant to be designed like interview questions. imagine having an interview with one of the guys. he asks you, for instance, give me a quality, etc. that you will bring to the University of California. You are not going to say, "Splish, splash! THe white water...!" you write down answer you would answer the interviewer. creativity is not discouraged, just dont get too cute. the creativity must be within the realms of normal, adding on the the normalness. i dont know if that makes sense. the UC admission offciers will be skimming these essays, they have no time to examine your creativity and artistic-ness in them. the UC wants to know more about you, in a matter of 200, 200, and 600 word essays.</p>
<p>typo. you write down how you would answer the interviewer***</p>
<p>thanks. that's what I figured</p>
<p>That's pretty different from the usual, non UC-specific advice you get. I heard one LAC admissions officer say "show, don't tell" and "make me want to read to the end." Leave telling and bragging for the activity and award lists. Are UCs different?</p>
<p>yea i agree with you hiker. im damn confused as to what exactly their looking for in the essay .id be easy to just repeat all the stuff like extracurriculars n stuff but thts all already part of the app. how do u make ur app stand out? the essays rite?9or thts wot ive been told for other colleges!) n is it good to concentrate on one thing only? or a multiple?(in the individual essays) n if the uc officials r jus gnna SKIM the essays how the hell r thy gnna differentiate b/w thousands of similar students wid similar courses/grades etc...........im damn confused abt this. can plz sumone help?</p>
<p>yea i agree with you hiker. im damn confused as to what exactly their looking for in the essay .id be easy to just repeat all the stuff like extracurriculars n stuff but thts all already part of the app. how do u make ur app stand out? the essays rite?9or thts wot ive been told for other colleges!) n is it good to concentrate on one thing only? or a multiple?(in the individual essays) n if the uc officials r jus gnna SKIM the essays how the hell r thy gnna differentiate b/w thousands of similar students wid similar courses/grades etc...........im damn confused abt this. can plz sumone help?
the ucs are realy impt for me (esp fianance wise...(ca resident)) so im freekd abt messing up the essays</p>
<p>they are looking for you to show passion about something. dont rattle off a bunch of things you have done. show passion about one activity, cause etc.</p>