8.

Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes
you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and
demonstrated that talent over time?
1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively
influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.

7)The biggest impact I’ve had on my school was helping to contribute to the legacy of El
Capitan. When I was a freshman, El Cap was in its second year of operation. The new
campus provided excellent facilities, new technology, and an eager faculty. However, the
one thing the school lacked was an identity, and as an athlete I thought this identity was
best gained through sports, and through my sport of choice, football. Ever since I
enrolled at El Cap, the school's motto “Leave a Legacy” had been imprinted in my mind. I
was determined to leave my legacy in the football program and help this program gain an
identity. After 4 years in the football program we’ve finally gained an identity. My first
experiences in the program gave me the desire to make a difference. There are two other
high schools within 15 minutes of El Capitan and as a freshman both of those schools
simply dominated our program at all levels. For the next year I became lost in bettering
myself as an athlete and as a football player, and I got my opportunity as a sophomore to
compete at the varsity level. The coaches took notice of my work ethic, but the truth was
that I wasn’t yet physically ready. It was clear to me after that season that I desperately
needed to become bigger and stronger. As a junior I was athletically ready, but I was
forced into a major role with relatively little actual experience. The resulting season was a
little better, but still a pitiful 3-7 season. My senior year made all of the difference. I had
new teammates with the desire to win, combined with almost an entirely new coaching
staff. This helped us finally make some real progress. I think my legacy and the lasting
impact I’ve left on campus is the expectation of winning in our football program. We’ve
yet to have a winning season, but we now realize our potential and I believe the class
below me will harness their abilities and make a playoff berth next year.

8) I think I would be an excellent UC student for several unusual reasons, but first let me
touch on why I’m academically qualified. My cumulative GPA through grades 9-11 was
3.83. To me, this was fairly average and I know I can do better. I am determined to do so
at the university level by implementing better study habits. I am proud of my SAT score,
1280, which exceeded my goal of 1250. What sets me apart from other students is my
strong desire to finish my education, and my commitment to the degree I am pursuing.
I’ve thought I was ready to join the workforce since I finished my sophomore year, and I
did exactly that. Since then I’ve accumulated a good amount of work experience and
have begun to understand how the work world works. I think the experiences I’ll have at
the junior college during my last semester as a senior will also be of great value. As a
senior, I chose to take only three academic classes in order to allow myself to focus on
other things. Football for the first half of the year, and starting in January I will gain
experience studying at the local Junior College. Studying at the JC will teach me skills
that I never learned in high school, and I think it will be very valuable to help me prepare
for university learning. Finally, I think the work ethic I’ve developed through years of
competition in sports and in the classroom, gives me an edge. I have my eyes set on
getting my degree as quick as possible and I won’t let anything stop me. I believe these
skills and experiences should set me apart from all other applicants and therefore make
me a good choice as a UC student.

3) My greatest talent without a doubt is the determination I develop when I passionately

pursue a goal. Throughout my life this determination has helped me reach all of what I
consider to be my greatest successes. Determination has definitely been instilled in me
ever since I was a kid. As I grew up my dad constantly challenged me with goals to reach
in every aspect of my life. No doubt when I was little, I enjoyed nothing more than to go
and tell him I’d accomplished something. However, I think what created my drive was that
it was never enough. My dad would always congratulate me, but immediately follow up
with a new challenge, teaching me to never settle for one victory. What my dad taught me
was critical to my successes in the classroom, and the rest of my life both as a kid and
as an adult. When I was in elementary school there was a reading comprehension system
called the “AR” program. Basically, you would read a book and take a test in order to
earn AR Points. After my dad challenged me to lead my class, I did just that and
developed excellent reading and comprehension skills. In sports, my dad continuously
challenged me to improve. I’d spend hours practicing drills and developing skills. The
skills I learned allowed me to help lead our old little league football team to a conference
championship. In my adolescent years, my determination has helped me become an elite
athlete. I have also developed skills in the classroom that will allow me to become an
elite student at the university level. In the future, I will use my endless determination to
quickly earn a 4 year degree, obtain an excellent career, and eventually come back and
earn a graduate level education.

1)I think the best opportunities I’ve had in life so far were the opportunities I’ve had to
influence those younger than I am. Some of the opportunities I’ve had were to coach at
football and basketball camps for youth, mentor underclassmen at my school, and be a
role model to my best friend’s younger brother. Coach Hurtado has been making a huge
effort to hold camps and get youth of all ages, from four years old all the way up to 8th
graders, involved and playing basketball. The objectives of the camps were to allow the
kids to have fun, teach some basic fundamentals, and help others polish their skills to
compete at the high school level. At El Capitan, it seems the freshman class gets bigger
each and every year. The freshman class of 2021 is no doubt the biggest yet. Being
involved in their orientation process was definitely something I enjoyed. Getting to show
the freshman our beautiful campus and the opportunities available at the school was far
more of a privilege than I realized. To this day, those freshmen will approach me with
questions about staff or events, and I always enjoy sharing my knowledge. Of the three
examples given, the most important to me is being a role model to Adrian, my best
friend’s little brother. My best friend, Dominique, and I consider each other brothers.
Being able to help lead Adrian through his early high school career has been great.
Whether it’s been academically studying, socially helping him pursue beneficial
friendships and clubs, or in sports training and mentoring him, I hope by the time he
graduates he’ll be the most well rounded student to ever graduate from El Capitan.
Getting to lead others is a gift I’ve received over the last couple years that I never thought
I would enjoy as much as I am today.