Scuff, scuff, scuff. Another half hour of swinging my trusty pickax at the hard, dry dirt and I need a break. Breathing a frosty cloud into the Saturday morning air, I peer at the net and imagine a perfect play - pass, set, kill - as a smile illuminates my face. Schlip. A sip from a thermos of warm ginger tea fuels a mental review of the day's schedule: studying, volunteering at the old nun's home, then lion dance practice,...

UC Prompt I attend the Developing Virtue Boys School (DVBS) on the grounds of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, a large Buddhist monastery in rural Northern California, where rubbing elbows with monks, devoted laypeople and peacocks is the norm. Yes, my next door neighbors are monks. Transitioning from public school to this private religious institution in tenth grade wasn't easy. As a freshman in public high school, I had a rich social life and enjoyed the freedom of a...

Also included in the application is an additional comments section, where you can address a variety of topics. I was milking this section for all it had to add in extra stuff that might help my application or explain away any discrepancies within my application. Here is what I wrote: My freshman year grades aren't too hot and there is a reason for that, aside from the mere adjustment period from sneeze-and-get-an-A middle school classes to actual higher-level courses in...

Above, I put one of two essays that I wrote for my UC App. My profile is geared towards people applying to UC Berkeley or any UC, so this is helpful for that type of student. The first essay is, in my opinion, the better of the two. However, the two essays work in tandem to describe me as a person and college applicant.

START EARLY! I waited til the last minute and got lucky with my UC App,...

I recommend working one summer, volunteering two summers,...

Be polite, and pick a teacher who you really feel knows you as a person. Don't just pick a teacher just...

I felt at home. This is obviously difficult to describe but I will say this: I loved the...