UMD-College Park: 5. Write your own question and respond to it. Please be sure to tell us why you think this essay represents you well.

312-word version

What regrets have obliged you to have change of heart or mind?

In middle school, I excelled in both athletics and academics without much effort. Thus, I was careless to bear in mind the advice of coaches and teachers that I should begin putting real effort in all my enterprises if I wanted to keep them up...

Common Application: Personal Statement
Please write an essay (250 words minimum 500 words maximum) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below. This personal essay helps us to become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.
1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6. Topic of your choice.

499-word version
Sitting in front of my laptop trying to write my college application essays, I realized why I disliked the “Spell Check” tool of the “Word” program: one, its inefficiency in discerning microscopic grammatical errors...; two, its name that reminds me of the reason to my inefficiency in trying to snap out of my slump...

UC-Berkeley: Respond to both prompts, using a maximum of 1,000 words total.
You may allocate the word count as you wish. If you choose to respond to one prompt at greater length, we suggest your shorter answer be no less than 250 words.
Stay within the word limit as closely as you can. A little over — 1,012 words, for example — is fine.
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.

UW-Seattle: A. Personal Statement (required)
The Personal Statement is our best means of getting to know you and your best means of creating a context for your academic performance. When you write your personal statement, tell us about those aspects of your life that are not apparent from your academic record:
- a character-defining moment
- the cultural awareness you`ve developed
- a challenge faced
- a personal hardship or barrier overcome
Directions: Choose either 1 or 2. Recommended length: 2 pages. (500-650 words)
1. Discuss how your family`s experience or cultural history enriched you or presented you with opportunities or challenges in pursuing your educational goals.
- OR –
2. Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

562-word version
Sitting in front of my laptop trying to write my college application essays, I realized why I disliked the “Spell Check” tool of the “Word” program: one, its inefficiency in discerning microscopic grammatical errors...; two, its name that reminds me of the reason to my inefficiency in trying to snap out of my slump not only in athletics but also in academics...

UIUC: Is there any additional information that you feel we should be aware of while reviewing your application, including extenuating circumstances that affected your academic record?

UW-Madison: Statement
Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why it`s important to you.

UT-Austin and A&M: Topic B: REQUIRED
Choose an issue of importance to you—the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope—and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

607-word version
Sitting in front of my laptop trying to write my college application essays, I realized why I disliked the “Spell Check” tool of the “Word” program: one, its inefficiency in discerning microscopic grammatical errors...; two, its name that reminds me of the reason to my inefficiency in trying to snap out of my slump not only in athletics but also in academics...

UM-Twin Cities: Special Circumstances (optional)
Any circumstances that may have affected your academic performance in high school (e.g., family, work, personal, economic) may be included below. (Maximum 4,000 characters.)

610-word version
Sitting in front of my laptop writing my college application essays a year ago, I realized why I disliked the Spell Check tool of the Word program so much: one, its inefficiency in discerning microscopic grammatical errors...; two, its name that reminded me of the reason to my inefficiency...in trying to snap out of my slump not only in athletics but also in academics...

624-word version
Sitting in front of my laptop trying to write my college application essays, I realized why I disliked the Spell Check tool of the Word program: one, its inefficiency in discerning microscopic grammatical errors...; two, its name that reminds me of the reason to my inefficiency...in trying to snap out of my slump not only in athletics but also in academics...