Brainstorm the World You Come

UPDATE: as of March 23, 2016 The University of California announced NEW essay prompts for 2016-17. Read about how to answer them HERE.

This post is now outdated. The information is no longer relevant!!

Describe the world you come from
College Admissions Essay Help

The University of California Application Essay Prompt #1

So you want to go to UCLA. Or Cal, aka Berkeley. Or UC Irvine. Or Santa Barbara. Maybe Santa Cruz. Perhaps San Diego.  Could be Davis! They are all such amazing schools–and you should do your best to write killer college admissions essays to get in.

If you are trying to write a college essay for the University of California’s Prompt #1, you should drop everything and read this super helpful post on how to answer it. Make sure to read the comments under that post, since students have asked questions about possible topics and I gave them specific advice and tips–which you might find helpful, too.

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Describe the World You Come From…

UPDATE: The University of California announced NEW essay prompts for 2016-17. Read about how to answer them HERE.

This post is now outdated. The information is no longer relevant!!

College Admissions Essays

 

How to Answer Prompt #1 for the College Application Essay 

for the University of California:

“Describe the World You Come From”

Only read this if you are applying to a UC (University of California school, such as UCLA, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Irvine, Santa Cruz, etc.).

There are two college essay prompts for their required personal statements for incoming freshmen.

Here is some advice regarding the first one:

Prompt #1 (freshman applicants)

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.

Read this closely. Note that it asks you to describe one thing and then tell about another–so there are two points you need to address in your essay.

When you describe the world you come from, think of this in a figurative sense.

Do not just write about your hometown.

Instead of the word “world,” try substituting it for the word “community” or “background.”

As a “community,” almost anything can be your world (a mini-community of shared activities, people, passions or places), from your yoga class to your bedroom to your job washing dishes to your grandmother’s kitchen making tortilla soup to your two moms.

It’s wide open. Just pick a topic.

Also, the examples they give, “family, community or school” are just that, examples.

Do not write a little about each of these.

And do not just write about “my family” or “my school.” Way too broad.

Write about your uncle’s magic shop in an underprivileged neighborhood, or the Scrabble club you started at your school even though you are the world’s worst speller, or the old movie theater in your town where you first fell in love with cinema and the power of a visual story.

(Check out the link at bottom of this post to my Tumbler blog with images and quotes to spark ideas for what makes your world.)

Quickie World-As-A-Community-Finder: What do you like/love to do? Where do you do it? Who do you do it with? Bingo! You have just landed on one of your worlds!

Another way to think about your world would be to show how your background has been challenging on some level–and how that has shaped and defined who you are.

In a way, your world is your life with its unique set of issues, obstacles or challenges.

Think of the saying: “Welcome to my world.”

If you have one piece of your life that shapes your “world” in a major way—something from your personal, cultural, educational, etc. background—and that colleges would understand you better if they knew what that was like, consider writing about it.

Examples:

The world of living with two gay dads.

The world of living with an autistic sister.

The world of living with a bi-polar mom.

The world of living with immigrant grandparents.

The world of living on food stamps.

The world of living with perfectionists/slobs/religious nuts/alcoholics/seven siblings/foster home/military parents/home-schooling/white parents and you are asian/constant moving/famous mom, etc.

To write this type of “world” essay, pick a real-life example of a “time” in your life/world when that issue affected you, start your essay describing that specific incident or moment, then go into how dealing with that reality has affected you.

You might be surprised what comes out of you–and how it makes you feel.

I have had students who have written about almost all of these “life” issues.

Their essays have been intense and often soul-searching, but also memorable and meaningful.

Although I think the bulk of your college application essay should focus on this world, and how it has affected you, also address the second part about your dreams and aspirations.

This has the potential to be general and boring, so make sure to talk specifically about how you will apply the lessons (values, skills, ideas, insights, etc.) you have learned in your world to your future.

(Hint: It wouldn’t hurt if you can show how these dreams and aspirations link to your specific college goals. For example, if your “world” is hanging out in your parent’s garage fixing an old truck, mention how the problem-solving skills you learned there will help your aspirations to be some type of engineer one day.)

If you are one of those A-type overachievers (hey, it’s OK, these UCs are insanely competitive!) who still feels insecure about understanding the UC prompts, check out this 50-minute video of a counselor guru spelling it all out at a convention for college admissions folks.

Just don’t let her freak you out too much. Definitely good info here, but I say overkill.

It’s also from 2007, though prompts are the same. Your choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zo6NI4wHf4&feature=related

 

Here are some more helpful posts for answering UC Prompt #1:

See if this video from the UC Admissions Department helps.

I think it might give you an idea of what they want from the two personal statements, but not a lot on how to deliver it. That part is left up to you, as far as I can tell.

(Tips from video: “Be thoughtful, clear, succinct and provide depth.” “Just be honest.” “Focus on a strength.” “Write about what makes you different.” “I wrote from my heart.” All great stuff—the only thing missing is any direction, instruction or support for students on how to do all this in 500 words.)

 

*Also, if you are still looking for a “world” to write about, there are lots of ideas in the comments.  Definitely worth scrolling through to see what others are thinking of writing about. Thanks for sharing all your ideas!

I believe you can write these UC essays on your own. But if you feel like you would like my personal help with them or other college application essays, find details on my Services page.

 

Best of luck! Janine Robinson

Help with College Admissions Essays at EssayHell.com