Essay: The personal statements are a very important part of your application. They assist the university in knowing you as an individual, independent of test scores and other objective data. We ask that you respond to two of the topics below. Your personal statement should be no longer than a total of 500 words or 7000 characters for both statements combined. The best personal statements are not necessarily the longest ones.
2. How has your family history, culture or environment influenced who you are?
3. Why did you choose to apply to UCF?
2. Hi, I'm Sama Ilyas and I'm a third-culture kid. A third-culture kid is one who has lived in another country other than their national country for the majority of their life, thereby integrating their own culture with other cultures, creating a third culture. I was born in England and lived in Australia and Pakistan before finally settling down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where I attended the American International School of Riyadh. The environment I grew up in has shaped who I am today. The most valuable aspect of my school is the diversity. I have met so many different types of people, each holding different beliefs, values, and religions. Learning to accept and respect everyone became part of my foundation skills. As we grew older together, we celebrated each other's differences, and even tried to learn each other's cultures. I know how to say a variety of Turkish words, can frequently use colloquial Arab phrases, and have tasted so many different cultural foods that I don't even recall where they've come from. Everything has blended inside of me to essentially form me into a diverse, open-minded individual with a love for cultures. Next year, I wish to attend UCF and bring my diversity with me. The values I've learned from each of the communities, like integrity, discipline, and respect, have formed many of my core values.
3. As fate would have it, I stumbled upon University of Central Florida by chance. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and this is no exception. While I was taking my SAT reasoning test, something came over me to make me check the box that allowed universities to contact me based on my score. I achieved a 2020 on the SAT, and soon after received an influx of messages from different colleges, most of which were no use to me. Luckily, I received half a dozen emails from UCF and decided to investigate further, despite my skepticism. What I found was an up-and-coming university at a prime location, somewhere I'd always dreamed of going. I cannot explain how glad I am to have stumbled upon this university, for I really feel like it could be a perfect fit for me and I could in turn contribute a lot of my personal traits and international experiences to it. I love Orlando and the thought of living there excites me. The weather, the genuinely nice people, and the great academic programs of UCF are some of the many reasons I have chosen it as one of my top colleges. Additionally, I have heard various recommendations about UCF based on its diversity, which next year, I hope to contribute to. They say that everyone has a "perfect" university, which fits who they are well. Perhaps some never find their perfect university, but I am lucky, as I have stumbled upon mine by chance.
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Thanks in advance for feedback!
2. How has your family history, culture or environment influenced who you are?
3. Why did you choose to apply to UCF?
2. Hi, I'm Sama Ilyas and I'm a third-culture kid. A third-culture kid is one who has lived in another country other than their national country for the majority of their life, thereby integrating their own culture with other cultures, creating a third culture. I was born in England and lived in Australia and Pakistan before finally settling down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where I attended the American International School of Riyadh. The environment I grew up in has shaped who I am today. The most valuable aspect of my school is the diversity. I have met so many different types of people, each holding different beliefs, values, and religions. Learning to accept and respect everyone became part of my foundation skills. As we grew older together, we celebrated each other's differences, and even tried to learn each other's cultures. I know how to say a variety of Turkish words, can frequently use colloquial Arab phrases, and have tasted so many different cultural foods that I don't even recall where they've come from. Everything has blended inside of me to essentially form me into a diverse, open-minded individual with a love for cultures. Next year, I wish to attend UCF and bring my diversity with me. The values I've learned from each of the communities, like integrity, discipline, and respect, have formed many of my core values.
3. As fate would have it, I stumbled upon University of Central Florida by chance. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and this is no exception. While I was taking my SAT reasoning test, something came over me to make me check the box that allowed universities to contact me based on my score. I achieved a 2020 on the SAT, and soon after received an influx of messages from different colleges, most of which were no use to me. Luckily, I received half a dozen emails from UCF and decided to investigate further, despite my skepticism. What I found was an up-and-coming university at a prime location, somewhere I'd always dreamed of going. I cannot explain how glad I am to have stumbled upon this university, for I really feel like it could be a perfect fit for me and I could in turn contribute a lot of my personal traits and international experiences to it. I love Orlando and the thought of living there excites me. The weather, the genuinely nice people, and the great academic programs of UCF are some of the many reasons I have chosen it as one of my top colleges. Additionally, I have heard various recommendations about UCF based on its diversity, which next year, I hope to contribute to. They say that everyone has a "perfect" university, which fits who they are well. Perhaps some never find their perfect university, but I am lucky, as I have stumbled upon mine by chance.
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Thanks in advance for feedback!
