Should the UC Essays convey a common theme?Answered
Hi, I am applying to UC Berkeley for EECS (one of the most competitive majors). I was wondering whether it would suffice to have one essay that reflects my interest in EECS or whether all four of my essays should follow a common theme on my engineering prowess. Right now, my general topics are 1. my interest in EE (due to me applying for all UC campuses) 2. a personal struggle that has nothing to do with engineering, 3. creative outlet in mapmaking and 4. leadership in the household.
Any help would be appreciated.
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I think those topics sound great! Considering how competitive this major is at an already selective school, it is beneficial to show dimension to your character. I’m assuming you have extracurriculars relating to engineering and a course load with advanced math and science classes, as many people interested in this major would. At that point, the admissions officers would have to make a decision: all of these applicants have proven their abilities within the STEM field, but who stands out and has demonstrated that they can contribute more to the school than just studying engineering/computer science? Since essays are qualitative, this topics would show other elements of who you are, compared to just being a future EECC student. It would also prevent your essays from getting repetitive. Hope this helps and best of luck!
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Agreed! As someone who got into MET at Cal (<3% acceptance rate) I only had one essay about Mechanical Engineering... the rest were about other stuff. @adri has great topics I feel