reading the essays that got me into UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCI, UCSC, UCR + some PIQ tips!

this is mainly for the rising seniors out there since i heard college apps (including the UC application) just opened and i've already gotten some questions/DMs about essays. feel free to reach out if you have any other questions and best of luck to y'all :D
0:00 - intro
1:36 - first essay
3:54- second essay
6:24 - third essay
8:44 - fourth essay
11:20 - conclusion
my stats, extracurriculars, and other (non-UC) college decisions: • college decisions 2020...
UPDATE AS OF 7/26/21: hey guys! i know i said i wouldn't charge money to look over essays in the video, but this video got a LOOOOT more attention than i was expecting and over the past admissions cycle, i've gotten an overwhelming number of requests. i get back to every person who asks for a review, so it's become a significant time sink for me unfortunately :( (tb to staying up late many nights to read y'alls essays lol.)
to that end, i will now be charging $25 for a review of up to all FOUR of the UC essays. i chose this price so that it's still much lower than what people usually charge (since i don't like the idea of overcharging when i'm not an admissions expert) - however, it's to help manage the load of requests and also because i am putting in a nontrivial amount of time into reading, editing, and giving detailed feedback as well as repeating the process after someone revises their essay and wants further advice.
if you'd still like to request an essay review, i accept payment thru venmo (@annie_liu) - just shoot me a DM on insta and send me $25 on venmo, and i guarantee i'll get back to you!! thank you for understanding ❤️
instagram - / anniexliuu
outro:
music by Fiji Blue - I Should've Told You - thmatc.co/?l=EDEBFE89

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

UPDATE AS OF 7/26/21: hey guys! i know i said i wouldn't charge money to look over essays in the video, but this video got a LOOOOT more attention than i was expecting and over the past admissions cycle, i've gotten an overwhelming number of requests. i get back to every person who asks for a review, so it's become a significant time sink for me unfortunately :( (tb to staying up late many nights to read y'alls essays lol. i did not expect my schedule after college started to be THIIIS crazy) to that end, i will now be charging $25 for a review of up to all FOUR of the UC essays. i chose this price so that it's still much lower than what people usually charge (since i don't like the idea of overcharging when i'm not an admissions expert) - however, it's to help manage the load of requests and also because i *am* putting in a nontrivial amount of time into reading, editing, and giving detailed feedback as well as repeating the process after someone revises their essay and wants further advice. if you'd still like to request an essay review, i accept payment thru venmo (@annie_liu) - just shoot me a DM on insta and send me $25 on venmo, and i guarantee i'll get back to you!! thank you for understanding ❤️ btw not obligatory but if you request a review i'd really appreciate if you subscribe to my channel 👉👈🥺

[@ludielizsilaya7207]

Omg can I sign up fir this???

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

@@ludielizsilaya7207 yes shoot me a dm on instagram!

[@ludielizsilaya7207]

@@AnnieLiuMusic hi ok I’m DM’d you on Instagram! Hopefully you get it because I know sometimes it blocks senders if you aren’t following them. I could pay you $50. I really need the help!

[@seanthompson4907]

@@AnnieLiuMusic Hello Annie, can I please also sign up to have you read my essays within the next few days? I do not have an Instagram or any social media accounts to DM you, can I possibly communicate with you through email or another way?

[@seanthompson4907]

@@AnnieLiuMusic Hello Annie, can I please also sign up to have you read my essays within the next few days? I do not have an Instagram or any social media accounts to DM you, can I possibly communicate with you through email or another way?

[@itdobesunnydoe3474]

not me watching this video two days before the deadline 😭😭 thank you so much for this

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

good luck you got this!!

[@nancysegovia531]

Literally meee😭

[@PedroHernandez-yg1dr]

We love being procrastinators, that’s what we do best 😗✌️

[@LaBerry02]

ME

[@Karlaisamess]

me rn a day before the EXTENDED date

[@kenny4053]

thank you so much, i needed some motivation to finish my last two piq's and you've given me exactly that.

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

GOOD LUCK!!

[@tammyoneill6128]

2 years later and this important information is still relevant. Cheers to your successes

[@user-dj7ov4pm5f]

The essays were really good and really told good stories!

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

Thank you!!

[@13____20]

Thanks for the 2010s playlist on spotify! Good luck in college :)

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

aw thank you so much!! :)

[@izzy8142]

I'm finishing up my UC app right now, and this video was super insightful! Your 4th essay was something that really resonated with me, all of your answers were so well put together. I've already scrapped so many drafts lol but hopefully I get it done soon.

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

aw thank you i’m glad this could help!! best of luck on finishing those essays up, you got this! :)

[@imagine_8681]

How do u sign up for the applications and where do u do the applications?

[@thisperson2505]

Thank you so much for this awesome video. I don’t know why but I guess since my dream was to go to UCLA, I had a mental block when it came to writing my essays. I kept procrastinating and doubting myself because I would see super smart people get in and I felt way less confident. After one of my teachers said I would be a shoe in, and because of your awesome essays, I feel like I have a chance. Good luck everyone applying, and stay motivated!

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

aw I'm glad I could help! UCLA was my dream school as well and I relate so so hard to what you're saying (I went thru the exact same thoughts), but you got this!! Best of luck with application decisions :))

[@thisperson2505]

@@AnnieLiuMusic I just submitted my app last night, I’m super nervous right now and feel like I failed, but I know I’m just worrying

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

you're going to be fine! you tried your best and it's going to pay off - i hope i'll see you around campus next year :)

[@thisperson2505]

@@AnnieLiuMusic thank you!

[@lyonelle_]

@@thisperson2505hey did you make it in? i relate so much to this comment and it made me kinda curious

[@jessicalin2029]

DAMN THESE TIPS ARE TOO GOOD

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

can you go away

[@jessicalin2029]

@@AnnieLiuMusic me and my sub will go away SMH

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

@@jessicalin2029 no please don’t 😢

[@reina7464]

HI! I feel so behind since so many of my friends and peers already started on all of their apps and I've barely set up my accounts... Just the thought of college apps is so stressful I didn't even know how to approach the essays but this def gave me a good idea of what the UC ones are supposed to sound like. Thanks :)

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

aw glad i could help! you got this, you still have plenty of time :) best of luck!!

[@ajz013]

if ur behind where am i….

[@user-ii6yq9jn1q]

@@ajz013 aye fr

[@DonutsWithSprinkles3]

@@user-ii6yq9jn1q frrr

[@josephpress.]

@@DonutsWithSprinkles3 fr

[@Utopia-rm9cr]

Watching this 4 days before the deadline 😢

[@sararamirez6409]

The app is due in 2 days and because of your video I am not as stressed Thank you

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

glad i could help!! good luck :)

[@bryanbarrera1561]

Hey there! Looking pretty as always

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

haha thanks!!

[@anthonyc4340]

very helpful

[@jungwonyoon8552]

Hi!! I’m also applying to UCs this year, and this video has been super helpful! Just wanted to ask you if you ever included a link to your web design course to the activities section or no? I’m trying to decide if I should include links or not.

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

i didn’t put any links but i think it could be helpful if you wanted to put them!

[@gerardoortega323]

0:44 honesty is the best policy 😂

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

you know it 🤣

[@mdebrahimchowdhury8061]

Great job on essay writing..

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

thank you!

[@shreyaramachandran261]

Annie!! we miss u at AHS :D

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

ahh Shreya I hope you're doing well!! Miss y'all too :')

[@strollas]

wow you are good at writing

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

aw thanks!

[@olivia7660]

I always heard that the "overcoming shyness" PIQ was a bad idea, but it seems like it worked for you so now I don't know what to think. I was going to write about my struggle with social anxiety and how I improved by exposing myself to uncomfortable situations (MUN) and stepping out of my comfort zone. I realize that this is cliche but it really is something that significantly impacted me throughout highschool (and still today) and I feel that my application would be incomplete without talking about it. Should I try to find something else to write about, or do you think it's okay? I am running out of other ideas so I don't know if I can come up with something else. All opinions welcome if anyone sees this.

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

there really is no right answer to this but it sounds like this was a very significant part of your high school experience, so i would definitely factor that into your consideration. mainly think about if this offers important insight about what kind of person you are and if that is what you want to show admissions officers. i think cliches are not necessarily bad AS LONG as you can write it in a way that is personal to you rather than generic. good luck!

[@place7916]

Thanks for the great video! I am a high school senior and I used the UC GPA calculator to check my gpa (bc UC has their own gpa system yk) and it says I have 4.05 weighted and 3.68 unweighted GPA. (I am not sure my my unweighted is so low) does anyone know or think if this is a good enough or safe GPA for UCSD or UCI? You guys can be very honest. I am going through college apps rn and I really need serious advice or feedback not a sweet comment :') (oh bty I am a California resident)

[@solomonlee4608]

Hoping to transfer to ucsc for 2021. I must get in

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

best of luck!!

[@chocken4867]

Why didn't you use the #5 Challenge prompt for your shyness?

[@edwardliu8318]

shep is first! hurrah

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

LOL imagine if this gets a bunch of random likes again

[@ancellery6430]

are you still reviewing essays/applications?

[@utacca]

I got this after turning it in, but have the view and ad revenue idk how KZbin algorithm works

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

ayyy haha thank you! good luck with college decisions :)

[@schenschen-li5me]

Hello! Could you please tell me if you can help me editing my essays?

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

hey! if you wanna dm me a link to your essays on insta i can look them over! my @ is @anniexliuu

[@444fawn]

could I send you my essay to review?

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

for sure! dm me on insta @anniexliuu

[@anuminocha3382]

Do you also read essays and give feedback? Thanks

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

i do for $15!

[@Mooksie]

Hey, nice youtube channel and I am going to be a sophomore at American. Any tips on how you grew so much on youtube?

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

hey! i recommend posting consistently and frequently (at least once per week) and engaging with your viewers/commenters whenever possible! the more you post, the more chances you have for a video to blow up (i mostly grew from a few videos that went viral). good luck!!

[@Mooksie]

Annie Liu Thank you. Your videos are amazing 👍

[@comaxunited]

do u wanna help me write my college essays 😂

[@AnnieLiuMusic]

😂 good luck!! if you ever want me to review it i’m down haha

[@m.c.n.8738]

You must have had a 5.0 GPA.