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The Personal The Personal Statement:Statement:

Strategies for Supporting Strategies for Supporting StudentsStudents

UC Counselor Conference 2007UC Counselor Conference 2007

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OverviewOverview• Purpose of the personal statement in UC

admissions

• Case study (two parts)

• New instructions and questions

• Writing strategies for students

• Feedback strategies for educators

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Purpose of the Personal Purpose of the Personal StatementStatement

• Part of UC’s comprehensive review Part of UC’s comprehensive review processprocess

• Opportunity to provide information that Opportunity to provide information that supports and augments the review supports and augments the review processprocess

• Helps readers know and understand Helps readers know and understand applicantsapplicants

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• Adds clarity, depth and meaning to Adds clarity, depth and meaning to information collected in other parts of the information collected in other parts of the UC applicationUC application

• Completes the application for admissionCompletes the application for admission

• An admission decision will never be based An admission decision will never be based on the content of a personal statement on the content of a personal statement alonealone

Purpose of the Personal Purpose of the Personal StatementStatement

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A Message From UC A Message From UC FacultyFaculty

• While it is acceptable to receive feedback or While it is acceptable to receive feedback or helpful suggestions, applicants’ personal helpful suggestions, applicants’ personal statements statements should reflect their own ideas should reflect their own ideas andand be written by them alone.be written by them alone.

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Case Study: Part ICase Study: Part I• Read the personal statement in your binder.Read the personal statement in your binder.

• Think about these questions:Think about these questions: What’s important to this applicant?What’s important to this applicant?

What qualities/characteristics define this What qualities/characteristics define this applicant?applicant?

Which of these qualities/characteristics is most Which of these qualities/characteristics is most prominent?prominent?

Do these qualities appeal to you? Why?Do these qualities appeal to you? Why?

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Instructions and Instructions and PromptsPrompts

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InstructionsInstructions• Two questionsTwo questions

• Students respond to both questions.Students respond to both questions. A maximum of 1,000 words totalA maximum of 1,000 words total Students should stay within the word limit as Students should stay within the word limit as

closely as they can. A little over—1,012 closely as they can. A little over—1,012 words, for example—is fine.words, for example—is fine.

• Students choose length of each response.Students choose length of each response. If they choose to respond to one prompt at If they choose to respond to one prompt at

greater length, we suggest the shorter answer greater length, we suggest the shorter answer be no less than 250 words. be no less than 250 words.

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[Freshman Applicants][Freshman Applicants] Describe the world you Describe the world you come from come from —— for example, your family, for example, your family, community or school community or school —— and tell us how your and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.  world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.  

[Transfer Applicants][Transfer Applicants] What is your intended What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the field major? Discuss how your interest in the field developed and describe any experience you developed and describe any experience you have had in the field — such as volunteer work, have had in the field — such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities — and what student organizations and activities — and what you have gained from your involvement.you have gained from your involvement.

Prompt #1Prompt #1

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Prompt #2Prompt #2 [All Applicants][All Applicants]

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?does it relate to the person you are?

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Additional CommentsAdditional Comments• Use Additional Comments box for Use Additional Comments box for

clarification, expansion on important clarification, expansion on important details:details: Additional namesAdditional names Visa issuesVisa issues Additional IB examsAdditional IB exams

• ((NewNew) Describe anything else that you ) Describe anything else that you have not had the opportunity to include have not had the opportunity to include elsewhere in your application. elsewhere in your application. 500-word limit500-word limit

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Writing Strategies Writing Strategies for Studentsfor Students

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Steps to Writing an Steps to Writing an Effective Personal Effective Personal

StatementStatement

Gather InformationGather Information

Read CriticallyRead Critically

Develop Topic and ThesisDevelop Topic and Thesis

Draft, Get Feedback, ReviseDraft, Get Feedback, Revise

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Personal Statement: Writing Personal Statement: Writing for Collegefor College

CollegeCollege• Unknown audienceUnknown audience: :

Students write for a Students write for a community of scholars.community of scholars.

• Writer-determined Writer-determined topicstopics: Students choose : Students choose the topics. the topics.

• Dig deepDig deep: Analysis and : Analysis and reflection are key.reflection are key.

Personal StatementPersonal Statement

• Unknown audienceUnknown audience

• Writer-determined topicsWriter-determined topics

• Analytical and reflective Analytical and reflective responseresponse

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Important StrategiesImportant Strategies• Students are encouraged to write about special

circumstances that have influenced their educational experience: Re-entry Small or alternative learning environments Learning and/or physical challenges Veterans

• Read critically and write analytically.Read critically and write analytically. Think like an admissions reader by capitalizing on the Think like an admissions reader by capitalizing on the

relationship between readers and writers.relationship between readers and writers.

• Use a writing process.Use a writing process.

• Get good feedback.Get good feedback.

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Think Like an Admissions Think Like an Admissions ReaderReader

• All readers have expectations of writers, All readers have expectations of writers, revealed in readers’ questions, revealed in readers’ questions, observations and interpretations of the observations and interpretations of the application.application.

• Writers fulfill readers’ expectations by Writers fulfill readers’ expectations by addressing these questions, observations addressing these questions, observations and interpretations in the personal and interpretations in the personal statement. statement.

• Writers can anticipate readers’ Writers can anticipate readers’ expectations by expectations by completing and completing and critically readingcritically reading their applications their applications prior prior toto writing a personal statement. writing a personal statement.

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Critical Reading and Critical Reading and Analytical WritingAnalytical Writing

• Level one: FactsLevel one: Facts

• Level two: Level two: InterpretationInterpretation

• Level three: Level three: Meaning and Meaning and significancesignificance

• Answers to L1 Answers to L1 questions provide questions provide details in paragraphs.details in paragraphs.

• Answers to L2 Answers to L2 questions are topic questions are topic sentences of sentences of paragraphs.paragraphs.

• Answers to L3 Answers to L3 questions are thesis questions are thesis statements of essays.statements of essays.

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Case Study: Part IICase Study: Part II• Student Profile: Use the Levels of Questions Student Profile: Use the Levels of Questions

strategy with this profile.strategy with this profile. What data do you find?What data do you find? What patterns do you see?What patterns do you see? What questions would you ask?What questions would you ask? What inferences would you draw?What inferences would you draw? How well does the essay align with the profile?How well does the essay align with the profile?

• How would you advise this student to How would you advise this student to proceed?proceed?

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Writing ProcessWriting Process• Read the application critically using levels of Read the application critically using levels of

questions.questions.

• Draft.Draft.

• Get feedback — give readers at least a Get feedback — give readers at least a week to respond.week to respond.

• Revise for organization,Revise for organization, clarity and meaning.clarity and meaning.

• Proofread.Proofread.

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The Educators’ RoleThe Educators’ RoleHelp students:Help students:

• Understand the role of the personal statement in Understand the role of the personal statement in the admissions processthe admissions process

• Recognize the relationship between reader and Recognize the relationship between reader and writer writer

• Understand the reading and writing tasks of the Understand the reading and writing tasks of the personal statementpersonal statement

• Use a writing processUse a writing process

• Obtain appropriate feedbackObtain appropriate feedback

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How to Give Feedback to How to Give Feedback to StudentsStudents

• Request the application and the personal Request the application and the personal statement, not just the statement.statement, not just the statement.

• Ask students to provide you with a list of Ask students to provide you with a list of questions they would like you to answer.questions they would like you to answer.

• Comment on ideas and the level of Comment on ideas and the level of persuasiveness, not grammar.persuasiveness, not grammar.

• Help students find readers who resemble Help students find readers who resemble their target audience.their target audience.