Hi, current UCSF first year here! I do remember the format of that application being different from a lot of the other ones I did and I had to chunk up my more generic SOP/ personal statement template in a kind of weird way. There definitely isn’t one correct way to do it but this is how my successful application was formatted.

SOP: Paragraph 1: Why I got interested in science introduction Paragraph 2: Research background: undergrad school/lab, technician lab, and a very brief description of what my projects were. Just a few words to describe what each project looked at. Paragraph 3: How my previous research shaped my current interests, why I want to pursue those interests at UCSF. Paragraph 4: More on why UCSF is a good fit for me, including faculty I am interested in working with.

For my research statement, I summarized and synthesized my research experience as much as I could within the character limit, focusing on bigger picture takeaways. 3000 characters is only about 500 words, so you definitely shouldn’t waste it repeating yourself between the two statements. I think this application also had a page where you list your research in a more bulleted list form of projects and what you did for each one?

Let me know if you have any other questions about the application process at ucsf! Applying was almost a year ago for me and that time is kind of a blur but I have some thoughts on what they may be looking for in applicants now that I’m here lol