University of California - Riverside Application Essays

Describe the world you come from – for example, your family, community or school – and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. I am a ‘them’. In the ‘us vs. them’ mentality, I have been the ‘them’ to most people…

I was invincible until I found myself in a dimly lit, white-walled hospital room in the endocrinology department of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. February 19, 2013 will be engraved in the deepest part of my brain forever; I underwent a life-changing experience at the tender…

This was it, the moment of truth. All that was going through my head was, “Please don’t forget your lines, please don’t sing a wrong note, please don’t mess up; so many people are watching you.” I felt like my heart was going to pop…

Date of birth: eleven seven eighty eight. Sex: male. Grade: eleven. Social security number: 606261790… “No, that’s not right,” I mumbled to myself. How could I forget my social security number? “I’m just nervous for the SAT,” was my first thought. I tried to convince…

The animated clip flashes by and for a few seconds she rises, facing a creature several times her size that she has no chance of defeating. But still she stands. Something about her position tells the viewer that, despite her fear, she will win. It…

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? I stood at the edge of the small wooden pier…