Sample UC Personal Statement

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With convention comes conformity; with conformity comes the fall of the individual. Individual beliefs and ideals, however, are vital to the very basis of the society we as humans thrive in. Simply conforming leads to a backwards society in which a few hold power and the rest are subjugated, but people hate being subjugated: they just want to be free. This is the reason that people search for meaning in their lives; it is the reason that people are diverse in both intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics. It is this very diversity that not only defines us but also allows us to find a place in the world. Where am I in all of this? I am an individual who is defined by my experiences in both the eastern and western worlds.

The eastern world is a mysterious world that has opened my eyes to a plethora of knowledge regarding the world, life, and so much more. I have been training in Shotokan karate, a form of Japanese martial arts, since 1999. In this discipline, I have been taught that the sensei, the teacher, was the master of all knowledge. There was always a sense of the passage of knowledge from the sensei to the student with every day of training, with every drop of sweat, with every kick, with every punch. It was this initial spark that led me to the Japanese culture. I was fascinated by the blind obedience, intrigued by bushid, the way of the warrior: the sense of purpose in each individual who lived by it to protect and live with honor until death.

Countercurrent to this experience are my experiences in the western world. It was in the western world where the crusades began, where Martin Luther blatantly defied an authority, where Galileo Galilei was excommunicated for refuting the theocracy, where new nations formed that would eventually influence the course of humanity. It is in this western world that I have been educated and have been led to think on an individual basis rather than a utilitarian one that is common in eastern cultures. During my rigors in European History AP, I interpreted the works of philosophers. From Plato to Aquinas, from Ockham to Descartes, from Kant to Nietzsche, I absorbed and integrated these philosophies to my own being, and also developed a bad habit of reading philosophy.

It was in my pursuit of knowledge and experience that I began to learn about the virtues and follies of humanity, the reason behind wars, and the impetus to live. I have realized that only by mixing the cultures of the eastern and western worlds can true harmony of diversity be achieved. Similar to what William G. Ouchi attempted to do in regard with business management of mixing eastern and western management practices into a hybrid management system, I am doing by assimilating from the cultures of both the eastern and western worlds. In tangibility, I am an adolescent of Bengali descent, but beyond that I am an individual shaped by the constant clash of different cultures and influences. It is in a chaotic system I was born into, and in this chaotic system, I thrive.

Here are some tips for writing the UC personal statment:

Be Personal- Your essay should reveal things about your character or values

Be Specific- Give specific examples in your essay to show the reader who you are

Be Engaging- Create an interesting story for the reader

Be Careful- Avoid clichs and Proofread

Be Clear- Make sure to answer the question and keep a narrow focus