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Common App personal statements, UC PIQs, supplements and why-us essays: drafts, topics and what readers notice.
the optional box on the common app. my school switched to block scheduling junior year and i couldn't take AP bio because of it. worth mentioning? i don't want it to look like i'm making excuses
Not trying to have AI write it, I promise. But can I use it to brainstorm topics, fix grammar, or tell me if my essay is boring? My English teacher says any AI use is cheating. My friend says everyone uses it for everything and nobody can tell. I just want to know what's actually allowed so I don't accidentally get in trouble. Right now I've only used it once, to ask for essay topic ideas, and honestly the ideas were pretty bad. But Grammarly is AI too right? Is that also not allowed? And what about Google Docs suggestions? At this point I don't know what counts.
writing why tufts and why northeastern rn. that's literally all i have for both. how specific is specific?? like do i need to name professors or is that cringe
everyone says death essays are overdone. that's it that's the post
Senior in CA applying to UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD, UCI and UCSB. I have to pick 4 of the 8 prompts and I have no idea if certain ones look better. My plan was leadership, creativity, talent and community. But my actual best story is about working at my dad's restaurant every weekend since I was 12, and I don't know which prompt that even goes under. Probably not "talent"? Maybe it's an "obstacle" thing? It's not sad though, I like it. Also do the PIQs get scored individually or as a set? My counselor said readers prefer you avoid the "academic subject" one but I'm not sure that's true.
My cousin got into Duke last year and sent me her Common App essay. It's about moving schools a lot, which I also did (4 schools in 6 years, military family). I'd change names, places, some details and make it fit me. My parents think it's fine since it's family and the experiences are basically the same. Is it actually a problem? It's a really good essay and I've been stuck on mine for 2 months. I've started like five drafts and they all sound like a list of places I lived. Hers actually makes you feel something.
She's a junior at a good school and a way better writer than me. The plan would be I tell her the story and she writes it. It's still my story, so is that even cheating?
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