“It was crazy, I didn’t think there was going to be so much essays, so much revising..especially with Covid [...] I felt very much alone [...] I didn't think it would be anything like this”, Mia Martinez, a Pioneer senior, expresses her thoughts on navigating the personal essay during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mia Martinez and Manuel Bermudez discuss the college application essay and how to stand out from thousands of others. Break down the process of writing a personal statement by understanding yourself and how the last 17 years have shaped you. In this episode, Mia recounts her exploration in tackling the UC prompts and connecting with a Berkley student who went through the same process.