The University of California's application is open. Although I remember how thrilling this time of year was for me last year, drafting a college app can be an emotional rollercoaster.
Society’s pressures, the feeling of having to be the “best” and everything in between caused me to feel forced to present a perfect version of myself on my college application to earn acceptance. In the midst of this, I received guidance on how to write an application with a different outlook.
I gained the important insight that achieving academic success entails more than earning perfect scores and enrolling in advanced courses. Colleges want to get to know the applicant, not as the ideal university student but as a human being with integrity.
As someone who has gone through the college application process, I advise approaching the application with the understanding that you are your greatest critic, not the admission staff. You should strive to present the most authentic version of yourself. There truly is no such thing as a perfect student. At the end of the day, both our successes and failures shaped us into the individuals we are today.