HTML Preview University Personal Statement Format page number 1.
THE PERSONAL STATEMENT
What is the Personal Statement?
The Personal Statement consists of the essay(s) that one must write in order to get into the institution
of higher education of their choice.
●
For the University of California, there are two prompts that Freshmyn and Transfer Applicants
must answer.
●
For the Cal State University system, there is no Personal Statement prompt to be completed.
●
Private Universities vary and have their own individual admissions processes. Do research on
the ones you are interested in and look up their specific admissions guidelines and prompts.
Why is it important?
The Personal Statement is your opportunity to tell the university about yourself -- your hopes,
ambitions, life experiences, inspirations. This is an opportunity for you to explain circumstances within
your life that have affected you, your education, and your future.
The University of California system reviews your application under Comprehensive Review. Under
this policy, applicants are looked at holistically, accounting for factors such as life circumstances, life
experiences, educational performance in relation to opportunities available, and leadership experiences
(example: Student Government, Captain of Team, taking care of siblings after school, work, etc).
For the full policy and variations among campuses, please visit:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/freshman/comprehensive-
review/index.html
Cause
Example: I play
basketball.
Effect
Example: l learned
that persistence
pays off.
Result
Example: l have
applied this to
my education and
I do not give up.
Structure
Use this simple structure to follow to fully get your message across to the readers.
1
University at California, Berkeley | 515 Eshleman Hall | Berkeley, CA 94720
[email protected].edu | http://pass.berkeley.edu