<p>I need serious help with my personal statement; more specifically, the first essay. It has 1150 words! I can only use 1000 words for BOTH essays yet I used 1150 for one. I basically told my life story (which is kinda sad but definitely shows how I overcame challenges), which I deem every part important, so it's hard for me to cut out any part. I also have trouble giving specific examples. Can you give me any tips to narrow it down to half its size and reduce generalizations?</p>
<p>As for the Common App essays... I don't even want to think about them, but I have to. X_X I have no idea how to choose which topic. Any tips on deciding which topic to choose and how to write the essay? How many words should it be?</p>
<p>For common app you can use one of your UC topics if you don’t want to write another essay.</p>
<p>OK, for the 2nd UC Essay, I need advice on what to write. Here’s the prompt:</p>
<p>“Tell us about a personal quality, accomplishment, contribution, or experience that is important to you. What about this quality of accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are.”</p>
<p>I plan to write about either 1) my motivation and how is it part of me now or 2) the experience that had a significant positive impact on my motivation and how has it changed me.</p>
<p>Which one do you recommend?</p>
<p>Here is a problem that I see for you. You have said that you pretty much summarized your life in the first 1st prompt, which asks you to describe the world you come from so based on that, it seems like your 2nd prompt might just reiterate what you wrote in your 1st one, which will be very redundant. You can probably separate parts of what you wrote in prompt 1 into prompt 2, which is what I suggest you do. Furthermore, you can easily use any of your UC prompts for you commonapp “topic of your choice” essay. If you need help proof-reading your essay that you have thus far, you can ask for it on the “College Essay” section of CC. Don’t actually post your essay- obviously. Make sure you choose CC’ers who have plenty of posts, have been members for a while, and are preferably college students or parents.</p>