1. Sharon Travers Writing Coach & College Advisor

2.  Introduction  Personal Statement Basics Purpose Comparing Prompts Writing with Insight Engaging the Reader Dos and Don’ts © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

3.  Add dimension and context to the application  Reveal personality and make connection  Explain unique circumstances  Show how you will add to university  Demonstrate writing and thinking skills  Limitations and reality © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

4. U.C. THE COMMON APPLICATION Two mandatory prompts Must address both mandatory prompts 1,000 word maximum total One optional prompt (550 word max.) Applications due November 30 Six prompt choices Address one prompt 250-500 words One work/ extracurricular prompt (1,000 character max.) Additional essays by college – Supplemental Due dates vary © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

5. 1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you 2. Discuss some issue of personal, national, or international concern and its importance to you 3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence 4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence 5. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you 6. Topic of your choice © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

6.  U.C. Prompt #1 Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.  U.C. 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? © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

7.  “If necessary, you may use this space to tell us anything else you want us to know that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in the application” Purpose is to allow you to provide additional information that you have not been able to provide elsewhere in your application Leave the third prompt blank if you do not have any additional information to add Separate 550 word limit (c) Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

8.  Prompt 1: About Your World and How It’s Shaped You Family, Community or School – choose one only  Prompt 2: About You Quality, Talent, Accomplishment, Contribution, or Experience © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

9.  Answer both components of each prompt Describe and Make Meaning: Insight is Key Small, specific story can reveal something greater about you © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

10.  Outside, In What attributes do you want the reader to know about you? Write an essay that shows those attributes  Inside, Out Think deeply about your life and what has influenced you Reflect that understanding and insight in your essays © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

11. Challenge: Student felt she had not really “done” anything significant Strategy: Think about recent experiences and interests Interest in early childhood development Worked at pre-school during summer © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

12.  Identify Specific Experience Helped a boy who was behind learn to write his name  Reflect on Experience Felt good to help him Why?  Helped him catch up to peers  Go deeper…  Every kid needs to be able to write his/her name © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

13.  What does writing enable us to do or become? Identity Independence, freedom How we learn who we are  Insight = Student… Realized significance of the act of writing Discovered importance of her role as an educator and clarified her passion for teaching © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

14.  Intriguing introduction  Sensory details  Connect specific incident to larger theme  Reveal personality  Reflective  Connect to values or attributes © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

15. VERSION 1VERSION 2 I have always had an interest in early childhood development. Last summer, I worked at my mother’s preschool, and the highlight of this experience was helping a four-year-old learn to write his name. Nicholas was the same age as the others but was behind in many ways. After weeks of working together, he was so excited when he finally was able to write his name correctly. Four-year-old Nicholas hollered in triumph. The entire class of preschoolers looked up from the stories they were writing about butterflies to see Nicholas waving his paper excitedly. On it, for the first time, was his name. The “N” was a little wobbly and the “s” was backwards, but it was all there. “You did it!” I said proudly. Weeks of working together had yielded his victory. © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

16. Write it yourself Write about yourself Provide additional information Write about recent experiences or accomplishments Examples of leadership, involvement, passion, responsibility Provide specific examples Keep statement focused Have teacher, counselor, or adviser read it Read instructions carefully  Go to: University of California – How to Apply – Personal Statement University of California, Davis o © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

17. Don’t just list accomplishments Don’t use gimmicky writing techniques Don’t write more about an inspirational person than about yourself Don’t exceed total maximum length Don’t include work samples, letters of recommendation, etc. University of California, Davis © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

18.  Begin writing process now: Reflect before writing Write from the heart Think before writing about sensitive subjects Brainstorm, pre-write, draft, and edit  Parents: provide support, but give student the lead  Use your resources – CVHS Essay Workshop, teachers, Career Center, counselors  Don’t think of the essay as an “assignment” – it’s a gift Everything else on application is “past” – this is one place you can actively control now © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

19. Contact me at s.travers@yahoo.coms.travers@yahoo.com www.truenorthcollegeadvising.com © Sharon Travers, True North College Advising

20. (c) Sharon Travers, True North College Advising