A critical response essay presents a reader’s reaction to the content of an article or any other piece of writing and the author’s strategy of achieving his or her intended purpose. Basically, a critical response to a piece of text demands an analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of a reading May 31, · Welcome! The University of California school system covers 10 universities across the state. The UC system does things its own way—they have a separate application and (you guessed it) a separate list of essays to write. For example, outside of the PIQs, the UC system asks you to write an activities list and provides space for additional information, both of which we can help you with too Aug 08, · A personal response essay is a type of essay that asks students to think critically about a piece of writing (or sometimes another form of media like a movie, television show or article) and respond based on a critical analysis of the writing’s content in comparison to their own beliefs and personal experiences
How to Write a Critical Response Essay With Examples and Tips
Every applicant to one of the University of California campuses must write four short essays in response to the UC application's Personal Insight questions. The UC essay examples below reveal how two different students approached the prompts. Both essays are accompanied by an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses.
The strongest UC essays present information that isn't available elsewhere in the application, and they paint the portrait of someone who will play a positive role in the campus community. Let your kindness, humor, talent, and creativity shine, but also make sure each of personal response essay examples four essays is substantive.
As you figure out your strategy for responding to the UC Personal Insight questionskeep in mind that it's not just the individual essays that matter, but also the full portrait of yourself that you create through the combination of all four essays. Ideally, each essay should present a different dimension of your personality, interests, and talents so that the admissions folks get to know you as a three-dimensional individual who has a lot to contribute to the campus community. For one of her Personal Insight essays, Angie responded to question 2: Every person has a creative side, personal response essay examples, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few.
Describe how you express your creative side. Angie's essay comes in at words, a little below the word limit. The essay does a good job showing the reader a dimension of Angie that probably isn't apparent anywhere else in her application, personal response essay examples. Her love of creating cartoons wouldn't appear in her academic record or list of extracurricular activities. Thus, it's a good choice for one of her Personal Insight essays after all, it's providing new insight into her person.
We learn that Angie isn't just a good student who is involved in some school activities. She also has a hobby she is passionate about. Crucially, Angie explains why cartooning is important to her, personal response essay examples.
The tone of Angie's essay is also a plus. She has not written a typical "look how great I am" essay. Instead, personal response essay examples, Angie clearly tells us that her artistic skills are rather weak.
Personal response essay examples honesty is refreshing, and at the same time, the essay does convey much to admire about Angie: she is funny, self-deprecating, and caring. This latter point, personal response essay examples, in fact, is the true strength of the essay. By explaining that she enjoys this hobby because of the happiness it brings other people, Angie comes across as someone who is genuine, considerate, and kind.
Overall, the essay is quite strong. It is clearly written, uses an engaging styleand is free of any major grammatical errors. It presents a dimension of Angie's character that should appeal to the admissions staff who read her essay. If there is one weakness, it would be that the third paragraph focuses on Angie's early childhood. Colleges are much more interested in what you have done in recent years than your activities as a child. That said, the childhood information connects to Angie's current interests in clear, relevant ways, so it does not detract too much from the overall essay.
For one of his University of California Personal Insight essays, Terrance responded to option 6: Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you. Personal response essay examples Angie's essay, Terrance's essay comes in at a little over words.
This length is perfectly appropriate assuming all of the words add substance to the narrative. When it comes to the features of a good application essayTerrance does well and avoids common pitfalls. For Terrance, the choice of question 6 makes sense—he fell in love with composing music, and he is entering college knowing what his major will be. If you are like many college applicants and have a wide range of interests and possible college majors, you may want to steer clear of this question.
Terrance's essay does a good job balancing humor with substance. The personal response essay examples paragraph presents an entertaining vignette in which he chooses to study music based on nothing more than peer pressure. By paragraph three, we learn how that rather serendipitous introduction to music has led to something very meaningful. The final paragraph also establishes a pleasing tone with its emphasis on music as a "unifying force" and something that Terrance wants to share with others.
He comes across as a passionate and generous person who will contribute to the campus community in a meaningful way. Unlike the California State University systemthe University of California schools have a holistic admissions process.
The admissions officers are evaluating you as a personal response essay examples person, not just as numerical data related personal response essay examples test scores and grades although both are important.
The Personal Insight questions are one of the primary ways the admissions officers get to know you, your personality, personal response essay examples, and your interests.
Think of each essay as an independent entity, as well as one piece of a four-essay application. Each essay should present an engaging narrative that reveals an important aspect of your life as well personal response essay examples explain why the topic you've chosen is important to personal response essay examples. When you consider all four essays in combination, personal response essay examples, they should work together to reveal the true breadth and depth of your character and interests.
Share Flipboard Email. Allen Grove. College Admissions Expert. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. our editorial process. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated December 01, Features of a Winning UC Personal Insight Essay The strongest UC essays present information that isn't available elsewhere in the application, and they paint the portrait of someone who will play a positive role in the campus community.
Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Grove, Allen. UC Essay Examples for the Personal Insight Questions. copy citation. The Common Application Essay Prompts. Sample Supplemental Essay for College Admissions: Why This College? Common Application Essay Option 4—Gratitude. Sample Common Application Essay for Option 5. Tips for the 8 University of California Personal Insight Questions. Common Application Essay, Option 1: Share Your Story.
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Analyzing the Example Summary Response essay
, time: 11:0817 UC Essay Examples - Personal Insight Questions | College Essay Guy
Jul 01, · These personal statement essay examples were all written by real students. Read through them to get some inspiration for your essays! We’ll also share the revision process for the first essay and some resources for improving your essay at the end. Essay 1: Exchange Program Dec 01, · Every applicant to one of the University of California campuses must write four short essays in response to the UC application's Personal Insight questions. The UC essay examples below reveal how two different students approached the prompts. Both essays are accompanied by an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses 2 days ago · Essay the internet, research paper topics for esl students examples of a good written essay essay on communication types. Small essay on world population day a response alberta to write How essay personal. Argumentative essay topics about environmental issues. Parts of an extended essay essay with introduction examples
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