Think About Yourself… What matters the most to you about your future dreams and aspirations? What are you most proud about in your present life?

Step 1A: Brainstorm (4 min) Focus on what you want to be later in your life: What are your dreams and aspirations? What are your goals for the type of life you’ll live? Brainstorm your answers to these questions. Don’t edit yourself. Just write. There are no wrong answers!

Step 1B: Tell a Story Tell what you want to BE or DO in your life and why. How has your family, community OR school influenced your goals? Write non-stop for 16 minutes; push yourself to keep adding to the story about what you want to be or do and why.

Step 2A: Brainstorm (4 min) Focus on who you are right NOW: Have you overcome an adversity or challenge of some sort? What skills did you learn or what qualities did you gain as a result? Or… What accomplishment have you made in your life that makes you feel good about yourself? Why does it make you proud? Note: Be sure that this is something you overcame or accomplished in high school, not when you were younger.

Step 2B: What makes you proud? Write again non-stop for 16 minutes; simply tell the story of that ONE thing that you overcame or that makes you proud and WHY. (Again: focus on who you are now.)

You’ve finished the hard part Believe it or not… That's it! You've just written a rough draft for your personal statement/college application essays! Later you will refine these further, but you’ve done the hard part.

You answered Prompt 1: UC Prompt 1: Describe the world you come from – for example, your family, community, or school (pick one) – and tell how your world influenced you to want the future you desire. What helped to shape your dreams and aspirations? We just worded it in a more straightforward way: Tell what you want to be or do in your life and why.

You also answered Prompt 2 UC Prompt 2: 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? We just worded it in a more straightforward way: tell the story of that ONE thing that makes you proud of the person you are right now and WHY.