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Ms. Sun's Special Home Made Brag Sheet for Transfer Applicants

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May 25, 2009 | 3:39 pm

I developed this brag sheet to help you think about how to write your UC personal statement. This can be useful for other college essays as well if the essay topics are focused on your personal achievement.

Brag sheet is mandatory if you want me to work with you on your personal statement. For instructions on how to request help, please see my post Application / Personal Statement Service.

Please make sure to verify that you are meeting UC admission requirements (general education/IGETC and major prerequisites). You can list extracurricular activities you did in high school on your transfer application, so you will need to jog your memory on that.

To prepare a Ms. Sun's Special Home Made Brag Sheet for Transfer Applicants, you need to answer the following:
  1. How did you come to choose your field of study (major)?
    • Was it something you always wanted to do?
    • Did someone or some event in your life inspired you to study this field?

  2. What have you done in high school and/or community college to pursuit your interest in your field of study?
    • Did you take lots of classes in that field?
    • Did you participate in clubs or extracurricular activities in that field?
    • Did you get a job in that field?
    • Did you receive any recognition or win any awards in that field?

  3. A list other extracurricular activities you have not already mentioned above; include things like:
    • sports
    • church or temple activities
    • school clubs or student government
    • music/dance/art lessons
    • volunteering or community service
    • competitions of any kind
    • recognition by any organization
    • jobs (even if you work illegally/"under the table")
    • hefty chores (caring for your parents, your family, your kids, etc.)

  4. List and explain the two proudest things you achieved in high school and/or community college and two most disappointing things that happened in high school and/or community college

  5. Any medical/family/personal situations or problems you intend to discuss in your personal statement
    I strongly encourage you to disclose situations such as learning disabilities, deaths in the family (during HS), divorce, working illegally (under the table) and/or abuse in your personal statement as they pertain to your academic performance and/or extracurricular participation

  6. A list of all the colleges you are interested in applying

  7. What do you expect to do with your major when you graduate college?

  8. What legacy do you want to leave behind? What is the one thing you want people to remember about you?

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Comments {4}

Little to No Opportunities

from: Anonymous
date: July 2, 2009 5:05 pm (UTC)
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Dear Ms. Sun,

Will UCLA frown upon the fact that I have not taken any classes/work pertaining to what I wish to pursue? I currently reside in NJ, and there are simply no opportunities to do so. My school doesn't even have a club/organization relating to film.

They have one cinema class during the summer, and I simply can't afford it. The only class I have taken is Screenwriting Fundamentals (I wish to pursue Screenwriting in UCLA as a transfer), and that was in Senior Year of HS.

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

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Ms. Sun

Re: Little to No Opportunities

from: [info]askmssun
date: July 6, 2009 4:43 am (UTC)
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UCLA won't "frown" on the lack of courses/extracurriculars, but it certainly doesn't make you competitive.

How about starting a film club at your school? That's leadership and demonstrated interest all rolled into one.

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Being Active Outside of College - Participation?

from: Anonymous
date: August 20, 2009 10:20 pm (UTC)
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Dear Miss Sun,

A literary guy since Middle School; I am planning on enrolling myself in UCB, UCD or UCLA in the next 2 years. Have been formatting my courses in IGETC and have been actively participating in various writing competitions. However, there were some amusing regulations that came up:
(1.) I took an A1 Bahasa Indonesia course in a Standard Level in an IB curriculum back in Indonesia [I'm an Indonesian]. Is it possible for me to show any other evidences regardless of the absence of my Higher Level A1 Bahasa Indonesia enrollment back in High School? I can speak Indonesian fluently, if it possible, is there any way that I can show that other than documentations?

(2.) Are writing competitions regarded as an "activity" outside college? What of honorable mentions? Or perhaps below honorable mentions? Is it still counted or only the winners can put it as to say it is a recognition in respect for the specific field (in this case, English would be the field)?

(3.) Hefty chores? What are those? Do you mean giving massages to an elderly family member could be recorded as an "activity outside the college"?

(4.) In regards to the IB Curriculum, we have a program called CAS (Creativity, Action and Service); is it compatible to the UC enrollment documentation? As to be informed, the CAS documentations I had in the past 3 years had recorded my High School activities outside of school in which it is STILL a part of the IB program. Is it counted as an outside activity or will it be neglected by the UC committee?

Thank you for your attention.

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Ms. Sun

Re: Being Active Outside of College - Participation?

from: [info]askmssun
date: August 21, 2009 6:05 pm (UTC)
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  1. I don't think I understand your question. Can you clarify?

  2. Honorable mention is an "Award & Honors." Participating in competitions without receiving any recognition doesn't really fall in any extracurricular categories. If you participate in a lot of competitions but never win any, you can list them in Additional Comments or write about your experience in your personal statement.

  3. Examples of hefty chores include caring for your disabled father for 3-5 hours everyday (bathing him, transporting him to doctor's appointments, feeding him, etc.), caring for your mentally challenged sister several hours per day (watching her, playing with her, feed her, etc.), and caring for your children for several hours each day.

  4. UCs do not review your transcript when you apply. The only information reviewed is what you put on your application. So you will have to put on your application whatever extracurriculars you want the UCs to consider.


Edited at 2009-08-21 06:06 pm (UTC)

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