Presenting Yourself on the UC Freshman Application &

Personal Statement Fall 2013

Overview

•  Tips for Counselors •  Student Preparation •  Comprehensive Review of the Application •  Filling Out the Application Basics •  The Importance of Accurate Details •  The Personal Statement •  Submitting the Application

Tips for Counselors

•  Create your own application •  Yearly improvements to the online application

make it easier to complete •  Application questions are intuitive:

•  Only asks questions applicable to the student (may be based on answers from previous parts of the application)

•  On the UC Application, record grades earned exactly as reported on your transcript, including D and F grades

Student Preparation

•  Prepare early •  Research campuses:

www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/campuses •  Gather materials

•  Use the checklist in the Apply Online to UC brochure: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/files/

ApplyOnline_13-14_Freshman.pdf •  Email communication is important! •  Apply broadly •  Brainstorm specific concrete examples that you are proud of

throughout high school •  Get reviews of your personal statement and revise, revise,

revise

Application Timeline

Date/Deadline Task October 1-31 UC Application Opens November 1-30 Submit online UC Application Late January Update December Test Results March Notification of Admission May 1 SIR (Statement of Intent to Register)

Deadline – Freshman

To access the UC online application, visit: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply

Requirements vs. Selection

•  Every UC campus gets the same application •  Every UC campus you apply to will evaluate if you

have met minimum admissions requirements with the same GPA and test scores

•  Each UC campus will review your application for admission individually using the information in the application

Comprehensive Review of the Application

•  What do the UC campuses look for? •  Good grades & test scores •  Well-rounded students •  Assess the student within his/her context •  Not just the personal statement; the full applicant

and the full application are important •  Take the time to fill out all of the application

completely and accurately

Comprehensive Review

•  Grade-Point Average •  Test Scores •  Courses Completed/Planned •  Honors Courses •  Eligibility in the Local Context

(ELC) •  Quality of Senior-Year Program

of Study •  Academic Opportunities in

California High Schools •  Performance in Academic Subject

Areas •  Achievements in Special Projects

•  Improvement in Academic Performance

•  Special Talents, Achievements, and Awards

•  Participation in Educational Preparation Programs

•  Academic Accomplishment Within Life Experiences

•  Geographic Location

Filling Out the Application Basics

•  Contact information – so campuses can communicate with you

•  Campus selection •  Major selection •  There is a 30 minute time limit for each

page of the application; click “next” or “log out” to save

ALL first-time applicants start here!

Getting Started…

The filing deadline for fall 2013 is 11:59 p.m. PST Nov. 30, 2012.

Returning users sign in

Use the progress bar to navigate to different sections of the application

Navigating

Read commonly asked questions for helpful information

Update your e-mail or other account information using “my UC application”

Learn what is in each section

Use the buttons on the bottom to move from page to page

Save/Logout at any time

Start Application

All applicants are required to disclose their social security number if they have one.

Choosing a Major

Select a major, alternate major or no alternate major

Click on a college to expand the list of majors available and make your selection

Ranking San Diego Colleges

Rank the San Diego colleges in order of preference This will NOT affect your chances of admission to UC San Diego

You must click on this link before ranking SD colleges

Scholarships

Be sure to open and review each category of scholarships! Select scholarships that match your interests or characteristics (up to 16 total).

Biographical

Students applying for EOP will be required to provide information on parent education, income and family size in the next steps of the Biographical section.

Biographical

Biographical

The Importance of Accurate Details

•  Personal information •  Academic history •  Examination scores •  Activities outside of school

Academic History 7th & 8th Grade

Academic History

The application will search for your high school as you type

You MUST list every school you’ve attended since ninth grade.

Academic History (high school)

Easy-to-fix errors

Academic History (coursework)

Self-enter “a-g” courses not on the UC-approved course list

Academic History

Remember to list community colleges – even if you took only one class.

Academic History

UC transferable courses are pulled from the ASSIST database

CA community college nontransferable courses can be self-entered

Test Results

Make sure OFFICIAL scores are sent to at least one UC campus

Fall applicants must complete ALL required exams by the December test date

Activities and Awards

•  Other categories include Educational Preparation Programs, Work Experience, Awards & Honors, and Extracurricular Activities

•  Applicants are limited to five entries for each, so select the ones that are most meaningful

The Personal Statement

•  2  Prompts,  students  must  address  both •  1,000  words  total  or  less •  View  as  personal  interview  on  paper

www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/how-­‐to-­‐apply/personal-­‐statement/index.html  

Click on the “Tips” box

Statement #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.  Statement #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?

The Personal Statement

Additional Comments: Use this space to tell us anything else you want us to know about you and your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in the application. Limit your response to 550 words or less.

The Personal Statement: Final Thoughts

•  Start early, get feedback, and REVISE! •  Define your motivation/momentum in

topics you are passionate about •  Decisions are never made on the personal

statement alone •  Avoid some common mistakes

Submitting the application and next steps

•  Include additional comments where appropriate

•  Don’t forget to hit “Submit” •  Go back into the application when you

have updates

Review and Submit

Before starting submit process, carefully review information on summary page

Review and Submit

Release and Application Integrity Statement

After You Submit

Update your account information

Update your test scores

UC Home Page: www.universityofcalifornia.edu

Admission Requirements:

www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions

Online Application: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply

UC Application Center (800) 207-1710 (within the U.S.) or (661) 336-5723 (outside the U.S.) ucinfo@applyucsupport.net

Questions & Contacts