@goldencub I suggest you start with a story. You should always throw micro-stories in, only if it’s a line or two here or there. Basically you show (story) and tell (explain growth or motivation). Always go from point A to B by the end; in other words a situation (A) that leads to a result (B): growth, leadership, learning something new, mistake resolved, etc. Every action has a reaction. Essentially the UCs want to see B. Lots of times students forget about the resolution.
The first sentence is one of the most important sentences in the essay. It’s where you hook the reader. I would start your PS by telling a micro-story. Put the reader inside the event: “It was in fourth grade when I was looking at the constellation Orion that I realized I wanted to know what it all meant.” I wrote that fast but you get the gist.
From there on you talk about why you love philosophy. Maybe there’s another micro-story that reaffirms this. Then, of course, what you hope the future brings.
If a person is writing entirely about an event and how it changed them (say for prompt 2) consider the entire story – then start in the MIDDLE. Don’t belabor it point by point. Starting in the middle, or even the end and back-pedaling, is a nice hook that keeps the reader interested.
Also, as @boxandwhiskers noted, with a high GPA the essay is not so important - although a good one that ties in with major, career focus, and related ECs can help a lot with scholarships.
FYI, Berkeley, especially, loves multi discipline - not only shown by their superb interdisciplinary major, but also the Threads Program, which encourages students to combine selected courses from different disciplines that have the same thematic focus. If you research Berkeley enough, you see this multi-discipline focus is almost a guiding principle.
Philosophy is a perfect discipline to tie in astronomy, history, English, math, etc. I’m not saying bring all those majors up specifically, but think about ways your interest in philosophy also connects to a bigger picture.