Applying to Cal State Schools
Applications are available online at www.csumentor.edu beginning October 1st. The deadline to apply is November 30th.

Applying to UC Schools
Applications are available online at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply. Beginning October 1st you can access the application but you cannot submit it until November 1st. The deadline to apply is November 30th.

Applying to private and out-of-state colleges and universities
These schools vary in their application procedures and deadlines. Please visit the college website for further information. Most private schools require letters of recommendation and other forms to be completed by teachers and counselors. Please organize your paperwork and give your teacher or counselor a minimum of 2 work weeks to complete them. If you ask less than 2 weeks in advance, you are not guaranteed to get a letter of recommendation. Most private schools also require essays or personal statements. The questions vary from school to school, but the strategies for the UC Personal Statement listed below will help you compose your private school essays as well.

Applying to community colleges
Community colleges begin accepting applications in March. Your counselor will call you in and give you information in the month of February.

The UC Personal Statement
This year the UC Personal Statement requires you to respond to two prompts for a total of 1000 words. Neither response can be less than 250 words.

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.

Suggestions for Prompt #1
• The majority of your response should be the description of your world.
• While describing your world, don’t forget to add how the world has influenced your development as a student, or as a person.

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?

Suggestions for Prompt #2
• Think about answering this prompt first, as it may help set the context you will wish to describe in Prompt #1
• Choose a topic that has not been addressed in detail in another section of the application.
• Keep the information relevant to your personal experiences.

Suggestions for Writing the Personal Statement
1. Answer the question – Take time and think about each prompt before you start writing. Use details and examples. Write to add context and depth, not to fill space.

2. Give yourself time to edit – Start writing to answer each prompt, then go back and consider word count, content, and overall message.

3. Be you – Remember to talk about yourself so that they can get to know you and your potential to succeed at their school. Use plenty of “I” statements.

4. Stick to one topic per response – Making a list of accomplishments will lessen the impact of your words. Expand on a topic by using examples and facts.

5. Think outside the box – Consider including: personal triumphs or challenges (do not forget to explain what you learned from the experience), leadership opportunities, experiences outside the classroom, disabilities, and culture.

6. Stay focused – Avoid common mistakes such as: inappropriate use of humor, creative writing (poems, clichés, scene setting), quotations (they want to know your thoughts and words, not someone else’s), repetition, lists of accomplishments or activities, philosophy (don’t ask questions without answers).

*** The Personal Statement is meant to compliment your application and is your one opportunity to add clarity, richness, and meaning to the information you present in other parts of your application. Use it to help the Admissions Office get to know the real you. ***