UPDATE: The University of California announced NEW essay prompts for 2016-17. Read about how to answer them HERE.
The following content in this post is no longer relevant and is outdated!
About three years ago, I wrote a post to try to help students applying to the University of California find topics to answer Prompt 1 for their college application essay: Describe the World You Come From. Since I shared my advice in my Describe the World You Come From post, I have received more than a 100 comments from students. Most have specific questions, mainly trying to see if their idea of a “world” would make a great essay.
Since then, I tried to answer most of their questions. This year, I am so swamped with tutoring students, however, that I’m not able to answer all the questions right now. But I have noticed that many cover the same ground—even though the topics range from someone’s world of books, to playing tennis, to making cookies, to an ill family member, etc. So I pulled some of the questions that I thought are more common, along with my answers, in hopes they might answer questions still lingering out there. See below.
Most students say they feel stuck. Or they have an idea, but wonder if it’s really a world or if it’s too general or interesting enough for their essay. If that’s one of your concerns, I would suggest reading some of the Q&As below, and see if you find them of help. If you want to read more of these, just go to that Describe the World You Come From Post and scroll to the bottom–at last count there were 228 comments (including my replies). Even if you don’t have a specific question, just skimming through these comments is a great way to search for ideas for your own topics!
Also, check out 3 Sample UC Prompt 1 Essays for Describe the World You Come From. And, I have this Brainstorm the World You Come From post and this Show The World You Come From post to help you write your essay in a narrative style.
November is a big month for the UC application season, since these are due for undergraduates by the end of this month. You still have plenty of time, but the sooner you get cracking the better!
Here are some of the comments/questions from students and my answers. (I put the topic ideas in bold.) Remember, I’m just giving you my best opinion, so trust yourself when deciding what to write about. This is your world and your essay!
Erica: Hi, for the “world I come from” prompt, how specific can I get? I was thinking about writing about my hobby of drawing faces and how that connects to me. But I’m not sure if this is even answering the question.)
Me: Your topic idea of writing about your hobby drawing faces is an excellent one, but not necessarily for this prompt. It would be a better choice for a prompt that asks you to describe a hobby, a passion, an accomplishment, that type of thing (more of a personal statement or Prompt #2 for UC app.).For this prompt, you are looking for a larger “world” or community that influenced you. If you loved drawing faces in a special place, such as an art room at school or a sun porch in your house, you could describe that as your world, and then go on to talking about how this “world” has shaped your love of art, etc. (Other words to think about instead of your “world” could be “community,” “environment,” “space,” or “habitat”–I believe it needs to somehow be a place, either literally or figuratively.) Hope this helps!
* * *
Aditya: For the “world I come from” prompt, I just don’t understand exactly what it wants me to answer. I come from an Indian Family who doesn’t go to temple much but is deeply connected with my roots. I am very social and active in school, however I feel at peace with all the craziness that goes on in my life when I play Carrom (Indian Board Game) which I learned from my grand father. Could that be a good topic for this prompt?
Courtney: For the first prompt, I was thinking of writing about my volunteering at Girl Scouts and at a tennis program. Is that okay for this prompt?
Me: You totally get it!! Yes, focus on that one memory, and then expand upon what it meant to you, and highlight some values that have shaped you to this day. You could start with a simple anecdote (see my post on How to Write an Anecdote) that would “show” us “a time” your grandmother made these sweets with you. Include what they look like, smell like, feel like, taste like, and how they make you feel–so much wonderful fodder for descriptive writing. (The challenge is condensing that moment into about a paragraph or two at the most. One tip: Start in the middle of the action.) But after the anecdote, then you must explain to us what this interaction meant to you, what you learned from it, and how those lessons “shaped your dreams and aspirations” for the future. Best of luck!
Me: Hi Hussam, I think you could write a great essay about your passion for dinosaurs. But first, I think you need to explore what it is about dinosaurs that intrigues you. The essay needs to be mainly about you. What core quality do dinosaurs bring out about you, or do they represent to you? Your interest in them could totally be a world! When you learn about them, aren’t you travelling back to another world, time, place? Pick “a time” or example of when you learned something about dinosaurs, whether at a museum or even a t.v. show and describe that moment (be specific, include descriptive details), and then background your interest in dinosaurs and what you have learned about your life and life in general from hanging out with them. What is it about the ancient world of dinosaurs that you love so much? Once you hit on that, share an example of a time you were in that world, and go from there. Good luck! It’s a great topic–you just need to use specific examples to illustrate the main point you make about dinosaurs and your passion for them. JR
Me: I think your passion with dying hair could make a colorful essay. Haha! Seriously, it would mainly depend on what you had to say about hair dying and how it was a “world” for you. I believe there could be many life metaphors to hair dying, and that you could expound upon those. YOu need to decide what exactly you want this essay to say about you. I think the idea of personal expression and how you found the courage to explore that and step out as your unique, bold self could be a great essay. Maybe start be describing one of the first times you went for a crazy color, how you felt at first, the results, how you felt about them, and the reaction from friends/family—and then analyze that experience, and what you learned. Make sure include how your new sense of self will affect your future dreams/aspiration–or life goals. Good luck! JR
Me: Hi Sandrine, YES, I believe books can create a world, absolutely! I think you are wise to focus in one one book, or one author, or even one place in a book, that has felt as though it transformed you into a different world. I would think about how specifically books have created a world for you, and what quality of yours they have helped your develop (“shaped”). Then I would think of an example from a book you read that you could recreate with your introduction to put us in your place when you are being transformed to that other world (creative writing opp!! see my posts on how to write anecdotes!! Let us see how even a small piece of a book can change how you think, feel, etc.) Then you can talk about how that book and then work in how other books have created a world, and then go into how they have shaped you–and end with how you will continue to use that quality in your future. The key is to get specific, and use those specific examples to support the point you are making about your world and what it means to you. (Yes, explaining how these books have helped you cope with the “real” world could make a nice twist! Good luck! (Thank God for books, right!!) JR
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When I was trying to wrote the “Describe the world you come form prompt” I could not come up with anything specific. Basically I am a kenyan girl,brought up with good circumstances but my parents came from a avery poor background and my relatives are all poor. Whenever i visit my grandparents and my hurt to seem them live in conditions without clean water and beds when my life is so different. I have thing for leadership and I really have the ache to help my family, community and country. I am a normal students who enjoys debate, orchestra.I have also travelled to japan,jordan, the US to represent my school in science fairs and leaderhsip conferences where i had live changing experiences that have ingrained my passion for science and technology. What exactly am I meant to write about??
Thank you!
Hi Mwana,
You have great material for your essay here. Just start by describing your grandparents living conditions (put us there with descriptive writing and details–set the scene), then give some background (why you visit them, what you experience in general), and then go onto to talk about how it has affected you, made you feel, how you handled it, and how it’s shaped your goals. Good luck! JR
Hello. I’ve been stuck trying to think of a topic to right about. If I wrote about a day volunteering at a hospital and how that has helped me aspire to be a doctor, would that work for the UC # 1 prompt?
Hi Harrison,
Yes, it could be great. I would suggest starting by sharing one specific incident, interaction or moment that happened while you were volunteering, and then go from there to explain what you learned and how it inspired you to be a doc. Good luck! JR
Hi Harrison,
This could be great. The trick is to start by describing one specific incident or moment that happened or you experience while volunteering, and then go into the background of your general experience there, and then what you learned. Best of luck! JR
Hi,
for 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.”), is it suitable if i talk about my world in terms of the ‘first airplane ride’ in my life since im applying for aerospace engineering and have a deep passion for aviation?
Hi Pranoy,
That topic idea sounds like a winner to me!JR
Hi Pranoy,
I LOVE your idea! Just start by describing that first airplane ride, how you felt, etc., and then go onto to how that led to your goals re aviation and engineering! Perfect!! JR
Hello.
I was wondering if for the first UC prompt ( world you come from) it is acceptable to write about how I used to go to Syria( my roots) every summer vacation and how the ongoing revolution there affected me
YES! My main advice would be to open your essay with one specific moment or experience that happened to you–it doesn’t have to be super dramatic, but meaningful on some level–that shows the reader what this world is like. I’m sure it will be very meaningful, especially given the recent issues there. Best of luck, JR
Hi, I was wondering if for the first prompt I could write about when I was once bedridden for about two months and I spent most of my time making small electronics and robotics projects — mostly automating things so that I didn’t have to call my brother for every small thing. I could explain how I fell in love with robotics at that time. Would that be a valid choice?
YES! Sounds perfect! JR
Hey.
I was thinking of writing about my experience with chronic classical migraines and how they have affected me throughout my life – things like numerous trips to the neurologist and doctor and the frustration of still being left with questions unanswered. I wanted to say how my neurological disorder sparked my interest in neurology and medicine because I was constantly surrounded by medical professions that shared the same curiosity as me in my condition that included a migraine “aura” – strange visual disturbances that precede an attack.
Well, it was more like I first felt hopeless, frustrated, and “not normal” because of the migraines’ impact on daily life. But after trips to the doctors, I felt passionately connected to my disorder and learned to embrace it and learn from it by having intellectual conversations with the doctors instead of moping about pain.
Which UC prompt & Common App prompt would this go under? And how can I make this topic really have an impact.
Thank you.
Hi Kelley,
I think the world of migraines could be a great topic. Start by describing your experience enduring one, then tell us how you have dealt with them and what you learned. I think you are clearly on the right track. If you have time, Google to find writer Joan Didion’s famous essay about migraines, titled “In Bed”. It’s short and also happens to be an excellent example of a narrative essay. Of course, don’t copy it, but could be very inspiring for you. Good luck! JR
Hello! I was wondering if I could write about how I grew up in my father’s pediatric clinic. Ever since I was a young boy I would come home from school to stay with my dad at his work. I’ve seen so many aspects of medicine there that really encouraged and pushed me to the medical profession (neuroscience/pediatrics). I really enjoy medicine and helping others out, so would this be a good topic? Would this be too cliche? And is it okay that I describe a memory that was like 6 years ago? Or would the prompt readers want something more recent? Thank you so much (:
Hi, for the first prompt can I write about how learning to play golf has taught me to be patient after the constant struggles I have gone through to be decent at the sport. Golf has prepared me to take on a rigorous major like computer science.
Hi TSherpa,
I think you can use golf as a world, especially if you take the qualities you learned playing it and applied them to computer science. Warning: if could be on the dull side. Try to think of something that happened while you were golfing, and what you learned from it, to illustrate your point instead of just describing it to us. Also, if there’s something “unexpected” that you learned golfing (something most people wouldn’t learn from golfing, but you did)–that could give it more of a twist and interest. Good luck! JR
Hi. I was wondering if writing about a movie theater is acceptable as a “world.” Any advice?
Totally! But it will need focus. What specifically are you trying to reveal about yourself as someone who loves this world? And what specifically is it about this movie theater world that attracts you (the shows, the other people, the popcorn, the dark, the credits, the music, the previews…the more specific the better.) Good luck, JR
Hello, I was wondering for the first prompt if writing about having eczema and multiple allergies since I was 2 and the itchy, uncomfortable world I come from has influenced me to pursue a healthier style of living would be an appropriate topic for the essay?
Hi Angela,
I love your idea. Not to make fun or belittle your allergies issues, but I love the idea of “the world of being itchy.” If you can describe that, and then expand it into a figurative sense. What have learned from dealing with your itchiness. The greater question: When do you scratch an itch (in life?). Just a thought. But I like the topic–share your challenge with a specific example/case, then how it makes your feel, how you deal with it, and MOST IMPORTANT, what it has taught you–about yourself (how you handle problems), about others and life in general (life lessons). Hope this helps. JR
Hi, I haven’t really seen anyone discuss a sport in their essay. I love basketball, but i wasn’t on varsity or anything. I was thinking about writing my essay about how old club coach influenced me by making me “scrappy”(i was a smaller player) and extremely competitive. Would this work? It hasn’t really affected my major choice at all(political science, then law). I was thinking about saying he made me want to be the best, for the “influenced your aspirations” part.
Hi Nate,
In general, college app “experts” advise students to avoid certain essay topics because they are cliche or overdone, and sports often falls into the category. However, it all depends upon what you have to say. If you are writing about how your team won the state championship, that could be very general and boring to read. But if something specific happened while you played a sport, and that shaped or changed or affected you in some meaningful way, that could still be a great essay. The trick is to focus on something that happened that illustrates one of your defining qualities. I like the idea of “scrappy.” I think as long as you can then show the reader why being scrappy is a great quality, and give examples of how you are this way in other parts of your life (besides sports!!). Great question! Thanks, JR
Hi, I was thinking about talking about how my bedroom is my world and how it has gave my this passion to want to experience things, like places, people, food, and events. Also, if that doesn’t work, I was going to stick to my bedroom topic, but talk about “Paris on the Wall.” I drew a picture on a scratchboard for my art class(im not artistic though). I chose to draw the Eiffel Tower & ever since then I’ve always wanted to visit Paris. Then it expanded to me wanting to visit other places and experience things. Then I was thinking about going into why California would be good for me to jump start me on my experiencing adventure, since im from Florida. Is this good?
P.S. What are some other words I could use besides “things”?
Hi Marcella,
I love your idea, but it could be tough to write about. What is your greater point here, and what are you trying to reveal about yourself by sharing this? I like the idea that you open your thinking to new ideas and places with your drawings in on your walls, and how that motivates and inspires you to act. Start with one specific example, the Eiffel Tower could be a good one. Then use that to help the reader understand your point. Then talk about how you apply this to other places, and how all this shapes your dreams/goals, etc. Good luck! JR
Hi, I’m really having difficulty coming up with a topic for this essay. I’ve been more of an introvert for most of my life and the only idea I can think of is the world of my computer and my experiences online. I have used my computer nearly every day since I was in Elementary school, and its really changed my life, for better or worse. I have, for instance, become friends with people from around the world, have been exposed to different idealogies and opinions, and have learned a lot about the world that I tend to hide away from. It’s certainly shaped my sense of morality, my personality, and my perception of my life.
I could possibly use this for my second topic, maybe starting from when I got my first computer, as I’ve written a response that my counselor seems to think could fit into this prompt (with modification). I’m just unsure really, and I’ve been unable to write anything since I completed my other essay.
Thank you.
Your site has been a phenomenal help throughout my (frantic) journey of college applications, a thank you in advance!
Currently my topic is the golf course being “my world”. I read your responses to Nate and TSherpa regarding the “risk of dullness” when writing about sports. I’m just wondering if it’s a good idea to try to incorporate a parallelism between how I learned to deal with problems on the golf course and how that taught me to deal with problems with school, family, & other stresses in the “real world”. Would an extended metaphor/parallelism be too confusing for the reader? Thank you!
Hello! These posts have really helped me come up with ideas yet I’m still a bit baffled on whether my topic is appropriate to answer this prompt or prompt 2. Since I was small I’ve lived in places where there were no kids or people of my age that I could interact with so I became a bit isolated. Therefore, I was thinking on writing about the group of people I began to meet from around the world through the internet whom when I’m chatting with them I feel very comfortable with. Could this topic work for prompt 1?
Hi Alexander,
I think the Internet can be a world that has shaped you. But you need to have a clear, focused point about what part of the Internet has been your world, and also how that has shaped you. I think if you are extremely isolated, you should first show us that so we can appreciate what your Internet world means to you. If you are just another student on FB, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and talk about how you enjoy that world of social media –you are heading for a very dull essay. Tell us something that happened in your Internet world, and how that affected you and what you learned. Then you might have a good essay. Remember, the more unexpected or unique your world is, the more interesting your essay will be. If the world itself is not that exciting, find something of interest that happened while you were in that world to give your essay some oomph. Hope this helps! Janine Robinson
Same question as Alexander’s! I am wondering if I can I talk about the internet. The online forums are where I found my passion for technology.
Hi Leon,
Ditto what I told Alexander. JR
Hello- I am having trouble with this first prompt as I want to discuss my dream to be a doctor or a neuroscientist… But the only things that shaped this passion were how I felt when my friend was misdiagnosed as having emotional problems when she really had a spinal tumor and ended up losing her ability to walk after the surgery and my interest with learning about the nervous system in psychology class and how it is so complex. By referring to how I felt when my friend couldn’t walk I wanted to convey that it humbled me that abilities I took for granted such as walking could easily be lost forever due to damaging the nervous system. Would this work?
Hi- I am also confused about writing the first prompt- I want to discuss my interest in being a doctor or neuroscientist but the only things that shaped this passion were 1) watching my close friend get misdiagnosed as the doctors said she had emotional problems when she really had a spinal cord tumor; then after surgery she lost her ability to walk. So from supporting her through that experience I first took interest in becoming a doctor out of my frustration that the doctors who treated her did not do everything they could to treat her. But I also was humbled and amazed by the sensitivity of the nervous system and how we could lose everyday abilities such as walking and talking, (which I had taken for granted) by damaging it. And sometimes they can never be recovered. The mystery of how they could not diagnose her also fascinated me as I became more curious about the mysteries of the nervous system. 2)Then I wanted to add how psychology class also furthered my interests in the nervous system.
I know I am supposed to only focus on myself- so I was hoping my reaction to what happened to my friend combined with my interest in the nervous system from psychology would be sufficient. Is there a way to make it have more of an impact or to make it more personal?
Thanks
Hi,I’m really stuck on thin topic.I want to write some stuff about my kindergarden imagination which influenced my life a lot. However, how can i possibly connect this with the world? Please help me.
Hi!
I’m writing about defying South Asian cultural stereotypes and competing in a scholarship pageant and my passion for risk-taking and breaking barriers has influenced my passion for neuroscience as a woman wanting to enter a STEM field. Does this follow the prompt? My other essay is more science-focused as it discusses my research.
Hello, this website is very helpful to me! Thank you so much for writing it. I’m still in the editing phase of my draft and I was wondering if it would be okay if I wrote about multiple worlds. I feel like I am not defined by only one world so I want to include my family history as well as my world of books to convey my aspiration of travel. (My father and grandfather were war refugees and their experiences have helped me understand the necessity of travel whereas books have helped me understand the wonder of travel.) Do you think this would be acceptable? Thanks a lot!
For the UC Prompts, I’m feeling challenged to come up with my essay. My immediate family is small, racial mixed so we don’t follow traditions. My parents are loving and we have family time weekly. I’ve not been through difficult challenges except in my freshman year when a friend turned on me and tried turning my other friends against me. I’ve not really been challenge by fears, or frustrations. Overall, my life is good, I love life, I get good grades, and I volunteer for the community. My family is easy going but vocal, and I’m the introverted one, but I love performing in my dance recitals. Help!
Hello! I’m writing about how books inspire me to take chances, be brave, and believe in myself. I described a situation of me reading a book and described how the values that I got from books: be brave and believe in yourself, influenced me to pursue my dream of studying creative writing and literature in college instead of engineering like my parents want me to do.
Any pointers on whether this is good? May I please send you my essay for advice?
Sincerely,
Nervous Applicant
Hi,
I am planning to write about a visit to my ancestral village and how that whole idea of going there, in the middle of nowhere, multiple times at first seemed pointless to me but I slowly realized what the generations of my family have been through and what are my responsibilities to keep up the family name. These visits and talks to the local people about what happened decades ago and all the way from there till now has really inspired me. Please let me know your thoughts on the same. I would like to thank you for the response.
If you don’t mind, please provide your valuable advice JR
most of my time in high school was spent doing sports specifically football, would it be bad if both essays for UC were focused around my football experience?
Hi Darrius,
I can’t say it would be good. At a minimum, I would only write about football in one of the two essays, and even then, don’t write just about winning games or typical football topics. Find something specific/unique that happened to you while playing football, and share what you learned–and hopefully, it will be a lesson that applies to you beyond just the game of football. Good luck! JR
Hello. I’m writing my prompt#1 on my family’s old apartment back when I was in elemental school and our typical day in that apartment. I described the world using that the name of the street that apartment is on. I’m struggling a little bit with linking that experience to my “dreams and aspirations”. I think having lived the tougher life had allowed me to be appreciative and humble about everything. I’m not sure how to “show” that last sentence and not just “tell it”. Also, computer Science is my intended major, but I’m not sure if saying computer science can help people accurately relate to my experience with being in need of help. Any thoughts or advise would be very helpful. Thank you for your wonderful posts, they are literally the most helpful things I’ve read so far.
Hi Dan,
I’m always thrilled to hear that my blog is helping students. I think your idea is great. Even though it’s important to talk about how what you learned from your world, and explain how you will apply that (quality, skill, talent, lesson) in your future endeavors, you don’t need to overdo it. It if flow naturally, of course, mention what you hope to study or do in the future. But as long as you mention how you plan to apply something you learned about yourself, others or the world in your future, that’s plenty! Also, even though I encourage students to “show” their points through examples/anecdotes/details, there are other parts that you simply need to “tell” about or explain. I thought you might find this post helpful, too, if you haven’t already read it:http://www.essayhell.com/2013/08/got-grit-then-show-it.html
Good luck! JR
Hi,
I am planning to write about a visit to my ancestral village and how that whole idea of going there, in the middle of nowhere, multiple times at first seemed pointless to me but I slowly realized what the generations of my family have been through and what are my responsibilities to keep up the family name. These visits and talks to the local people about what happened decades ago and all the way from there till now has really inspired me. Please let me know your thoughts on the same. I would like to thank you for the response.
Hey! I was wondering if for the “describe the world you come from propmt” writing about my cousin constantly going to the mental hospital is a good idea. I really dont know what to do and this was the first and best thing that popped into my mind when i was reading your advice. Please help me!:'(
-Lexi
Hey, I really need your help. For prompt #1 I thought about writing about my trips to our local orphanage. And in my essay the word ‘world’ basically means their community/environment. I wanted to describe that I have hope in humanity after every trip to an orphanage. That I feel that there is a light in the dark.
What do you think
For the first prompt, I don’t know what to write at all, well I do it’s just that I chose to write about my family but can’t seem to find a way to start the essay. My family is a christian Latino family made up of 5. My dad and mom are both in a band and they sing every sunday. I just know that my family has shaped my dreams and aspirations of me wanting to be a midwife nurse ever since the first time I saw my then baby sister in the little hospital crib and because I used to take take of my little siblings when they were barely months old because of my parents being in a christian band. Can you please make some suggestions?
We have to write an essay to this prompt for my AP English class and I’m having trouble identifying a “world.” I’ve always been interested in the flow of money and was gunna start with an anecdote about my mom giving me a child’s book on economics when I was 9 and reading it cover to cover that day because I found it so interesting, but i don’t know what the world would be. My mom is an accountant and I look up to her and often went to work and followed in her footsteps, could that be my world? Or my relationship with money such as fundraising, having my own business and having a job at a department store be a world? Thanks for any guidance.
Hi Jenna,
Your topic sounds good. You might find this article of interest (you can Google and also find the four essays, too):http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/10/your-money/four-stand-out-college-essays-about-money.html. Also, search my blog to find the other posts about writing about your “world.” One has several hundred comments from students that might inspire you further. Good luck! JR
Thank you for your response. Do you think this is too risky to talk about? And I guess in short does this anecdote and following analysis answer the prompt and show a “world”?
For the UC personal statement prompt #1, I was thinkiing about writing how my kidney problems led me to think about studying pharmacy. How can I convert this to a “world”? I was also considering making the Doctor’s office a “world”, yet I think this seems too illustrate the problems I had that led me to pursue my dreams, not the things I like to do. Is this okay?
For the UC personal statement #1, I was thinking about writing how my kidney problems led me to think about becoming a pharmacist. How can I make this a “world”? Also, can I make the “world” my doctor’s office? The things that made me dream seem negative, yet is it okay, although they do not relate to the things I like?
Okay so for the world prompt, i have writers block. How would you go about telling my story? Basically i am a second generation asian american who is now living in taiwan, attending an international school (for about 3 years now). the reason we moved in the first place is because my dad got a heart transplant. i dont want to be melodramatic and be all like: “i held my dads hands whiletears streamed down face”. so yea please help me thank you! -Tom
Your topic is good. just tell the story, write it all down wihtout thinking aobut the reader. when it’s all out on the screen, then you should print it out and read it and make edits to take out melodramatic stuff or things u think u should remove or stuff to focus on, like how you GREW and gained wisdom from the experience and maybe how you matured cuz of the dad’s heart transplant. How it affects you and how you delath with it. Maybe also how it cfhanged your world, really. You moved across the world for your dad. That’s really big. So good luck nad don’t sweat the essay too much! you sound like you’d get into many UC’s 🙂 with a good essay topic like that,
I have to say “someone going to UCI now” has offered some spot-on advice! Thanks for sharing that!! JR
Hi Tom,
You don’t have to melodramatic. If going through your dad’s heart transplant affected you in a deep way, write about it! (CA Prompt 1). Just tell what happened and don’t use words to try to make it more than it was. The power will come through by your sharing a moment with your dad. Make it a simple moment, tell us where you were, what you or he said, and then comment on how it made you feel, and go into background of this issue, and onto how you handled it/dealt with it, and ultimately, what you learned (about yourself, others and the world.) The trick is when you have super charged info (death, illness, crisis, accident) to almost understate what happened for the best effect. Hope this helps! JR
Hi! Your feedback is absolutely wonderful and I was wondering if you could give me constructive criticism as well. For the UC #1 prompt, I was wondering if writing about jogging at the Rose Bowl would be a good topic. I’m not really sure if it relates to my future aspiration (which is to become a pediatrician), but what I observed was the determination that every single person that passed by me had: either it was to get into shape or maintain their physical fitness. It’s a bit hard to explain.. but basically, their determination to make it to the end of the track (which is 3 miles!) made me determined to reach my own goal in life. Another topic that I was unsure to write about would be my world at my grandpa’s house. It taught me the typical lessons in life such as how to be patient and respectful, but my grandpa’s house was also a place where multiple special events happened (like where I got my first dog, or where I first saw my baby cousin walk, etc.) Please help and thanks!
Hi, I will be applying to UC Berkeley as an electrical engineer. What are your thoughts about centering my world around my parents garage? It is a place where my imagination of building likes to roam free, and has heavily influenced my dreams of becoming an engineer. I also would like to talk about my childhood memories with my dad in the garage, but the UC app says to focus on events within our 4 years of highschool. Just last year, we moved houses, so my garage is now just a memory.
Alex, Love your idea of the “garage” as a world! Go for it! To keep it current, just link what you learned there way back to some things you have been doing more recently. JR
Hi! For the describe my world prompt, I have decided to write about being in a dance studio, but I have no idea how to elaborate. Other info: I plan on majoring in biology. Please help! Thank you!
Hi!
I have been racking my brain for something to write about for this topic and I was going to discuss my world of growing up with an extremely powerful business woman mother who started with nothing and the leadership skills and feminist upbringing I’ve had from that. Also discussing her ultimate need to provide for me and my want to provide for her in the future. Would that topic be too general or get the point across well.
Thank You!
Mags
i am very confused about how to put my essay together i want to talk about how my family is Hispanic and i will be the first to attend college and i want my parents to be proud that i took advantage of this education opportunity. my parent went through so many struggles and when i look back at that i want to mention how i will learn from that and do better to make them proud and be a role model for my younger siblings. i also want to talk about my niece who was diagnosed with a disability an how that made a big impact on my life will i be able to talk about that. what are some idead i can talk about in future? is that where i go back to how i will make my parents proud and do better?
Hi,I had an idea about the world I want to describe but I am not sure how to do that exactly. So I chose to describe the time when my uncle went to jail and my aunt and her children were forced to sort of stay at my house for about 1/2 year. I was forced to take many new responsibilities which shaped my character. I have already written my first draft but apparently my teacher believes I am not describing the world. How would I characterize this world?
Hi Roberto,
If you described what it was like to live with your aunt and children, I would say that qualifies as a world. As long as you help us understand how you dealt with them for an extended period of time, and if you can give details and examples to show how it affected you–and how you were changed in any way by that experience. (and how that experience and what you learned from it links with what you hope to do in the future.) Maybe start by “showing” us one of the new responsibilities, and how you felt about it (grumbling, resentful…), and then how you bucked up with that and other chores/responsibilities because you started to understand how hard it must have been for your aunt and cousin as well. I think you will have an excellent world to write about and terrific essay, too!! JR
Hi, I was thinking about writing my prompt about the is Boy Scout High Adventure trip where I bike about 200 miles for a week with other scouts and another I just went to, kayaking around Catalina Islands. I was also thinking about writing about my experience in this solar car club last year or about how I always wanted to be in the engineering field when I was little. I don’t know what’s the best for me to choose.
Hi Ellis,
There are great stories in almost every topic. Writing about Boy Scouts, however, can be cliche, depending upon how you write about it. If you write about a specific experience that just happened to take place during a Boy Scouts event, it could still be amazing. I have to say writing about the solar car club sounds very interesting, and seems to link more directly with your interest in engineering. That would be my pick. Good luck! JR
Hi, I’m looking to apply to multiple UC schools this coming November. I’m having trouble thinking of a unique idea for this prompt. I eventually want to become an occupational therapist, helping both the elderly and injured/handicapped children overcome their physical and mental disabilities. I come from a family with ALS, breast cancer, prostrate cancer, Autism, and diabetes. I was wondering if writing about visiting my severely autistic younger cousin after school and helping out, learning sign language to try to communicate with her, and observing occupational therapists help my cousin progress would be a good topic? I’m just not sure how I would organize this and start the essay.
Hi Alyssa,
Seems like you have the perfect “world” to write about that links so directly so your interest in OT. I would start with an example of “a time” either your autistic cousin or another challenge from someone in your family to show the challenge of living in your world. Then go onto to show and tell us about how you handle it all (give more specific examples, share your feelings, etc.) and what you have learned–ending with how this has affected your goal of OT. Sounds like you have a fantastic topic!! Good luck! JR
Hello! For the world prompt, I plan on writing about how avid of a gamer I am. I have a passion for gaming, and I think I will be able to describe gaming “worlds” very easily. However, I really don’t know where to go in terms of defining who I am. I have ideas about saying that I take the time to enjoy myself and relieve stress, or that I learned to cooperate online because of multiplayer gaming, but I’m not really sure where to start, and I feel I need some help in identifying how this affects my life. Also, I’m having problems identifying how this shapes my dreams/aspirations. I plan to be some kind engineer, so I don’t know how gaming can tie to that.
Thanks in advance!
I was thinking about writing about my grandma getting diagnosed with brain cancer overcoming it and my role in helping her get through it along with my emotions. would that fit the essay topic?
Hello!
I am writing a rough draft for the UC prompt about describing the world. Do you think if I could write about how I am in a gaming community where I want to be a well-known game for a video game by taking part in tournaments? However, many women such as myself feel insecure about being part of this community because of all the sexism and there were many instances when I ended up backing out. You see, I have always dreamed about becoming a part of the gaming industry in the future, and I thought that becoming involved in this type of thing is what inspired to me think of what kind of future I want. Therefore, I was thinking about developing this essay by saying how the prejudice towards women in the gaming community is what helped shape who I am today: confident, unwavering, and just. In addition, my experience in the gaming community is also what helped shape my goals and why I am dedicated to this hobby. So, what do you think? My description feels a bit bland, but if I were to develop it efficiently, do you think it would be something that colleges look for? Thank you in advance!
Hello,
My intended major is computer science. My dreams and aspirations include being able to use my programming skills to help advance modern technology. I’m having trouble describing the world I come from and how that’s shapes these dreams and aspirations. I was thinking about describing my world as revolving around technology, but I don’t know how specific to get. I’ve used a computer since a young age. I built my own computer when I was 13. I’m into web development and have built websites for people, businesses, and organizations. Any advice? Thanks
For my personal statement #1, I want to write about how my love for singing has all come back because I joined my high school choir. I pushed my love for singing away because of the world I live in. When I was in middle school, I felt ashamed of telling people I was in choir because it wasn’t considered “cool.” I was going to tie it back to how singing and the choir I joined in high school has made me confident and proud of the person I have become today. My choir class makes me happy, and definitely has help me build confidence and take risks; I know i can achieve anything I set my mind to if i just give it a chance. I want to be a voice for others, and without the confidence of a singer, I would not have developed this special dream of mine. I need advice on how I can tie this more to the first prompt. Would my passion for singing in this choir room be considered the “world I come from?”
Hi,
For this UC prompt, I wanted to write about belonging to two countries. I’m an Indian but I moved to Ghana when I was one. I wanted to start off by recounting an experience with an Indian lady who assumed I could help her wrap her sari because I’m Indian. I had no idea how to (awkward). Then I wanted to move on and talk about how these two countries have influenced me. Is my idea okay? I haven’t seen any sample essays on belonging to a particular country so I’m a bit confused.
Hi Nikita, I can’t tell you how much it pleases me when a student “gets” the idea of how to zero in on a single moment to illuminate a larger point. I LOVE your idea of starting with that “moment” when someone asked you to wrap her sari, assuming you were Indian. Simply by sharing that, we “get” what it’s like to be in your shoes, and we then care what else you have to say. Since it’s a “problem” (because you don’t know how to do this), it makes your little moment (anecdote) that much more engaging–we want to see how you handled it and it’s also a bit amusing for the reader! I would say just go on to then explain your background, and walk us through the good and bad, the up side and down side, of straddling two countries (make sure we understand how they are different–culturally) and what you learned in the process. Send me your essay, if you want. I would love to read it!! JR
Hello, for UC Prompt 1, I’m trying to write about how my world has restricted my creativity. I started off with an anecdote where my art teacher castigates my artwork and goes on to how I don’t understand why people say they value creativity yet destroys it when they see it. (it’s like they fear the difference or something) And I end it by saying how I want to challenge myself to be more creative and how I want future children to be openly creative despite the restricted mindsets of the society. But I’m confused because my teacher said that my essay is not really answering the prompt, yet I think it is! people from my world had restricted viewpoints and it has shaped me to dream of a world where creativity is highly valued. Is that to vague? 🙁
Hello.
The only thing I can think of is how my parents have always pressured me to get straight As in high school. They didn’t really encourage me, but expected it from me.
However, I wrote a rough draft to this prompt for a class assignment and my teacher said that it didn’t answer the prompt. I really can’t think of anything else. Could you give me advice on how I make it work or do you think I should just write about something else?
Hi. I’m thinking of doing my first UC essay on being an atheist in a Christian family and my belief in freedom of expression. I was thinking my specific anecdote would be getting temporarily kicked out of the house for not saying the family dinner prayer.I was going to tie it back to my desire to work in politics as a lobbyist. What do you think about this about approach and do you have any tips?
Hi Nosa,
I love this idea!! Maybe start by describing that “moment” at the dinner table, how you spoke up and held your ground, how you got kicked out of the house, how it made you feel, and then what you did after that to handle the conflict, and finally, what you learned in the process–about yourself, others and the world in general. This would be perfect for either UC prompt. Good luck! JR
Hello! I was wondering if it would be better if the essay tied in a way to what my intended major is? For example, my major is likely to be Biology but I the topic I’m considering for this 1st UC Prompt doesn’t exactly deal with that. Does that matter? I was thinking about writing either about the local movie theater that I go to. Usually my father and I have a quiet relationship but the only time that we really bond together is through watching movies at the movie theater. Through talking about movies we started to get more comfortable speaking to one another and actually discussing my interest in Biology and he was the one who pushed me to pursue my interest. But i’m not entirely sure it relates to the prompt.
Hi Eduardo,
I love the idea of using the “world” of the movie theater to explore your relationship with your dad, and what you learned from that, including sparking your interest in biology! Maybe start by sharing one of your conversations after watching a movie, and then go into the backstory that usually you don’t talk a lot, but how that changes at the movies, how that makes you feel, what you learned from that, maybe try to toss around ideas on why you connect with the movies, etc. Good luck!! JR
i have my personal statement ready and I was wondering if you can take a look at it ?
im really getting stuck at what i really want to talk about for my prompt 1 essay. its really annoying and nerve racking becasue i dont know exactly where and how to start writing. some ideas that i have had were 1) my life and asthma 2) being the oldest of seven siblings 3) getting hit by a car while riding my back from rugby practice. i dont know how to be specific with them because they are mostly over a long period of time and not one specific and exact moment. PLEASE HELP ME!
and also i forgot to mention is that i have a passion for film and cinematography. should i talk about an experience i had when i filmed something??
Hello im really stuck on this prompt and im really hoping i could get some guidance on it through you. Im not really sure what to write about. The only thing thats really come to mind is my mother. I find it difficult writing about her because i end up writing about her instead of me. I want to write about how shes turned into my world ever since i lost my dad. She pushed my brothers and I a lot and has made things happen for us. I wanted to write about how its made me want to be as hardworking as her and give back in return to her everything shes done for us. I also wanted to add on to it by talking about my fathers brothers. after he passed away they tried to take over my mom by taking everything my dad left behind for us but my mother stood her ground and fought. my only fair is that ill be writing about her instead of me. How can i prevent that.
Hi! I want to write about how I struggled to adopt to new environment (Russia). I was bullied for the first few years, but eventually Russia became a part of my world. And now my dream is to connect my country with Russia. Does it fit to the topic?
Hi Janine! Right from the beginning, I knew I want to write about my experiences in Leadership as my “world.” Leadership has been so profound and life-changing for me because that was the first time I truly felt like I was in control of my life and who I want to be, and that is so important to me because coming to the US from a country with an entirely different culture has been extremely difficult. Things went all sorts of wrong, from dealing with hostile middle school classmates to getting a knee surgery in my freshman year of high school, which subsequently resulted in missing many weeks of school and slipped grades. In 10th grade, I joined leadership, and I found stability for the first time in five years, which truly turned my life around.
My question is, how can I start off my essay? As of now, I’ve started off with an anecdote about the time we and 20 other leadership groups in other high schools came together to raise $12,000 to building wells in Africa, and later on that day, I reflected on just how much leadership has helped me grow and become confident in my ability to make an impact in the world. Is that a good start? And if so, how can I tie that back to how my life was before I joined leadership?
Hello, for UC Prompt 1,can I describe a competitive world(study in a prestigious school and my dad lost the job), it shaped my aspiration to equip myself and work hard so as to become a successful person? Do I need to focus on the major I chose in the essay? It seems that being a successful person is too broad.
Hi,
Is it possible for me to write about the gym/weightlifting as my world? I am interested in going into medicine and want to relate how lifting weights allowed me to really feel and appreciate the complexities of my own body (blood rushing through my veins, endorphins being released, etc.) and how this has sparked my interest in studying the human body further to become a doctor. Is this too broad? I don’t feel as if I have any specific experiences at the gym to write about but just lifting weights over the years in general has driven me to want to study to be a doctor.
Hello, i am totally stuck and need some help! please. okay so I’m interested in the medical field since i really have a passion for helping people. what inspired me is the show house… i know kinda cheesy. Also my aunt who recently passed away from lung cancer and it took 1 year for multiple doctors to find out she had stage 4 lung cancer. i was wondering if i could somehow intertwine both of those into one amazing personal statement that stands out.. or if those 2 even go together
Hi,
I was brainstorming topics for my world and could fish keeping be a world? Can I talk about being an aquarist?
Hi,i’m kind of stuck on what to write i was thinking about me being a middle child and the way i see the world
Hello,
I have been thinking a lot about this essay because it has inspired me in many way. I wanted to write about my experience since my family and I immigrated to the United States, and how I have overcome obstacles that were on my way. My parents had a very good life in our mother country. They made good money and had good social status. However, they had sacrifice everything for me as we move over here with the belief that this opportunities would be best for my education future. Do you think this idea is good? I am struggling on how to approach and develop ideas for the essay. Thank you
Hi. I am starting on my college essays. And I was thinking about writing when I tried a new food while on vacation and how it taught me to approach things with an open-mind. I was also thinking of writing about my secret activist page that I have on Instagram for lgbtq+ equality and feminism. But I realized that the latter might be too controversial and I’m not sure which one to write about. Any help would be great. Thanks!!!
I kind of want to write about both but I don’t know which one would be best to write about. And on the Instagram account that I have, I wanted to do it because I aspire to possibly have someone say that “because of your account, I don’t feel like I’m alone” or something along the lines. I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life.
Hi, I’m having difficulty with this essay because I feel like I don’t have “dreams and aspirations.” I’m going into college undecided and I really have no idea what to do with my life because I enjoy all the classes I take at school. I’ve done a lot of activities in the past because I have a lot of different interests, and right now those are piano, horse riding, and running track/xc. I have been given so many opportunities and I’m indecisive, so that really leaves me with a lot of options for the future. I used to live in Japan when I was little where my family and I were introduced to new experiences and food and that is still a part of my life today but I’m not sure if that would be too cliche or boring to incorporate in an essay. I’m also a pretty shy person. If you have any tips for me at all on how to come up with a “world” or “dreams and aspirations” and what direction I should go with that, that would be great.
Hi,
Would talking about being a Big Sister work for this prompt? I have a younger brother and many younger cousins, and I’ve worked/volunteered with children, but I’m not sure if this counts as a world. I want to talk about how being around children influenced my goal of becoming a pediatrician. Does this work? Thanks!
Hi. So I am really struggling with writing this essay. I was thinking about writing about how my short height has been an issue that I have had to live with because I get teased so often and excluded from things. However, i feel like that sounds like whining. Then, I thought that maybe I could write about how I love to listen to music and how I love to combine clothes because they are my escape from a lot of the teasing and stress but i’m not sure how I can write about that as a world and also I am not necessarily sure what I want to major in so I do not know how I would connect that to my goals. Any suggestions?
Hey,
I am answering UC Prompt 1 and I wanted input on my topic. I have narrowed by essay topic choice down to two. Either My world of running for sport or my world of being multi cultural.
Either one could work, but you need to find something SPECIFIC that happened within these topics to give your essay focus and interest. JR
Hi there,
Would a computer program be an okay world, or would the physical place (the space in my house with my computer) be better?
Hi,
For the prompt 1 essay, I am trying to write about my experiences in robotics team, computer class, and my game programming hobby and how these activities have influenced me to pursue a career in compsci. I was wondering, although I wrote a personal story for each of these activities, will having all these examples potentially bring the feeling of an “unclear world”. Thanks
Hello 🙂
I’ve been struggling for a while on deciding what topics to talk about for both the UC prompts.
For Prompt 1, I want to describe my experiences at a my local cafe and how I’ve learned important lessons from the people there. Then I want to relate it to my future goals of being a Biomedical Engineer and how I want to incorporate those lessons into achieving my vision. Would that make sense or should I make more of an attempt to write about an experience that relates directly to the biomed world?
For Prompt 2, I want to talk about an experience I had where I had to answer a little boy’s questions about why cows are important in the Indian culture and how my involvement in my Sunday school program allowed me to answer that question. Should I be focusing on a topic that relates more to me?
For prompt 1, would discussing my poor eyesight and how my world changed with the introduction of glasses be a strong essay topic?
Hi,
I wrote my prompt 1 about playing the marimba, but then realized it was more of a prompt 2 essay. Now I’m stuck on what to write about for prompt 1. I have a couple ideas. One is about how the media and my school have both encouraged me and discouraged me from pursuing physical science. Similarly, I could also write about my family giving me my first telescope and plunging me into my fascination with space. Then, on the total flip side, I could write about how my brother who has Asperger Syndrome made me patient or how my friends influenced me to write my first novel. Should I just write multiple essays and choose one later? Or would one have more impact than the other? Thanks.
Hey,
I was thinking to write about how much my parents sacrificed to raise my siblings and me, and how my struggle to reward them resulted in me becoming a socially awkward geek with little or no confidence. I’ll go through how I decided to change this and worked on improving my persona and confidence. This change also made my grades fall a little lower, but it opened a whole lot of opportunities and doors for me to learn so many new things and shine as a student not just with good academics but also an array of extra curricular activities.
hey, im working on my uc prompt one and i’m really struggling on finding a specific event.i come from a chinese indonesian family where my parents are never home and words of encouragement is rare. i wanted to write about my struggle, how because of this i was able to motivate myself etc but i dont know how this relates to the course i am taking which is biochemistry. pls help
Hey,
I was thinking about topics for UC prompt #1. I thought about my being a part of my school computer club and going for various tech competitions like tech quizzes and debates, implying that I come from a tech related world, despite the fact that any person from my family has been in the field of comp sc. CS is the major I’m applying for, so do you think this would qualify?
Or the fact that I live in India, and how multi cultural my environment is.
Any suggestions?
Hi Janine!
Could my visit to an entrepreneur’s lecture can be a possible world for prompt 1? I feel it impacted my passion for business.
I’m having trouble starting my essay, both. but I do have an idea in mind. i am vegetarian is that consisdered a world? please reply.
also for the 2nd prompt, about experience I want to talk about an argument me and my little bro had. It’s about an image and he thinks it’s a face and I say it’s a seal, there’s a back story to it about my belief’s. At this point I lost hope.
Hey,
I’m hesitant about my “world” example. I started my essay with dialogue between my friend and me in which she tells me of her depression and her failed attempts of suicide. I then go on to talk about how I failed to help her and was insensitive about it, and how it ended our friendship. now I want to be more aware of the psychology of people and mental illness… I don’t know how this one experience can be considered a “world.” feedback would be appreciated!
I’ve been thinking and thinking for months, trying to find some interesting story. The problem is, I don’t really have any. There’s no one particular stories that have made a huge impact on my life. The only thing that pops up in my mind is how diverse my world is. My parents are from different countries. I lived in both rural and downtown areas before. I attend an international school. I became good friends with too many groups where I can’t feel belong to any. Do you have any suggestion for this?
Hey
I’m writing my UC essay prompt 1.The essay talks about how my brother who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes changed our entire family’s life how we stopped doing what we normally do and how it taught each of us new values and new habits which changed us for the better . Is this apt or is it too vague ?