Personal Statement Tutoring Appointment

The English/Humanities Tutoring Center is offering special one-to-one workshops to Santa Monica College students for writing the personal statement for the University of California admission application.  Tutors can help you brainstorm, can give you feedback on your content and organization, can guide you in fulfilling the requirements of the prompt, and can answer your grammar questions.

Please be advised that tutors do not correct your grammar or spelling and do not do the grammar check for you.

Sessions are 30 (thirty) minutes long. Because of the high demand and limited supply, you will be allowed only one appointment.

Tutoring for the personal statement is offered only through these special workshops. To schedule an appointment, please come in person to the English/Humanities Tutoring Center in Drescher Hall Room 313.

A few tips to ensure you and other students get the best guidance:

1. Be sure to arrive on time. If you are more than ten minutes late, another student gets your appointment time and you will be able to seek assistance only on a walk-in basis (not by appointment) if a personal statement tutor is available.

2. If you have to cancel your appointment, please give as much advanced notice as you can so that another student can have an opportunity for help.

3. Come prepared with a rough draft that is word processed and double-spaced so that you can add notes.

4. Email yourself a copy of your rough draft.

Times of the one-to-one sessions:

• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 24, 2009
• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, November 3, 2009
• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, November 17, 2009
• 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, November 23, 2009

Respond to both prompts with a total maximum of 1,000 words.  Prompts for transfer students:

1. What is your intended major? Discuss how your interests in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field--such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities--and what you have gained from your involvement.

2. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to  you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Helpful sources for tips on writing the UC personal statement:

California Colleges.edu

University of California

http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement

To find other sites, Google "writing the UC personal statement."

Return to the English/Humanities Tutoring Center website.