how many essays do you write for uc

University of California (UC) 2024-25 Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision:

Regular Decision Deadline: Nov 30

You Have:

The Requirements: 4 out of 8 essays, 350 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball , Community , Activity

How to Write UC Personal Insight Questions

The UC application sounds like a riddle. Every student must write four essays, but choose from eight prompts. The rules may be unfamiliar, but the game is the same: tell admissions something they don’t know – and then do it three more times! The instructions counsel you to “select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances,” and frankly, we couldn’t agree more. A strategic applicant will choose a constellation of the UC essay prompts that highlight vastly different aspects of their lives and personalities, leaving an admissions officer with a deep and complete picture of who they are. Don’t get hung up on trying to divine the questions admissions wants you to answer. In the end, they just want to get to know the real you, plus the application swears that “there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.” So follow your heart (!) and don’t let the fatigue get to you. Avoid robotically starting every answer by restating the question and be as anecdotal as possible. With each essay, your goal isn’t just to answer the question, but to tell a very short story about yourself. So, keep reading to get expert tips on how to write your UC essays!

UC Essay Prompts Breakdown

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. , things to consider: a leadership role can mean more than just a title. it can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. what were your responsibilities, did you lead a team how did your experience change your perspective on leading others did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization and your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. for example, do you help out or take care of your family.

When answering this UC personal insight question, avoid the siren song of your resume. This question isn’t asking you for a list! Remember: it’s your job, as an applicant, to use every essay as an opportunity to reveal something new about yourself. Think of a moment when you were in a position where you worked really hard to help a group of people. Maybe you are always the one helping your younger siblings with their homework, and you struggled to find ways to engage your dyslexic younger brother with math. Maybe, as a camp counselor or church volunteer, you were in charge of choreographing and instructing a number for a group of seven-year-old hip hop dancers to perform. Perhaps, on a Habitat for Humanity school trip, you became the head cook, whipping up everything from pancakes to chicken fajitas while galvanizing a team of sous chefs to pitch in.

The point is, try to isolate a single leadership moment, and bring it to life with vivid details. Describe where you were, what was happening around you, and what you were feeling. Discuss what challenges you faced, and what you ultimately learned from the experience. Don’t shy away from challenges or even failures, since these are exactly the sorts of character-building experiences that can demonstrate resilience and quick thinking.

2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

Things to consider: what does creativity mean to you do you have a creative skill that is important to you what have you been able to do with that skill if you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution what are the steps you took to solve the problem, how does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom does your creativity relate to your major or a future career.

You may think that this UC personal insight question was geared towards the artistically inclined, but take a closer look. The wording offers many potential definitions that veer away from traditional conceptions of creativity (and actually, it asks you for your personal definition!). Creativity lies in your outlook: seeing the opportunity to use one of your skills in a novel situation; looking at a problem from a new angle to find the solution that no one else could see. This question is, in reality, ideal for the more scientifically oriented to create a more well-rounded profile. Creative types, on the other hand, might want to proceed with caution since, really, every question is an opportunity to show off your talents and describe your artistic endeavors.

No matter who you are, though, remember this classic writing advice: show don’t tell. So, you claim that gardening, or Calculus, or painting is how you show your creative side. Okay. So, then immerse the reader in this activity with you . If you enjoy gardening, describe the plants, their qualities, and how you make your horticultural choices; are you drawn to the aesthetics or are you botanically inquisitive? Similarly, if your subject is Calculus, show the reader how you sat in your dad’s office for six hours straight trying to calculate Pi on a three dozen sheets of paper using red crayon. If you love to paint, show the reader where you paint, what you paint, and why you paint, describing the colors, textures, materials—the essential process behind your art. Write descriptively so that the reader can feel as if he or she were experiencing your creative passion with you.

3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

Things to consider: if there’s a talent or skill that you’re proud of, this is the time to share it. you don’t necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about it, feel free to do so). why is this talent or skill meaningful to you, does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom if so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule.

If question 3 reminds you of question 2, you’re not alone. Often, when we talk about a talent or skill that we have honed over the course of a lifetime, we’re inclined to describe it as an art — a creative extension of who we are. So if you choose to respond to both of these UC personal insight questions, make sure to highlight distinct skills in each.

The good news is: finding your subject should be easy! You just need to answer this question: what makes you proud? Think about the stories that your friends and family like to share about you. Think about moments when your hard work paid off. When you can zero in on an experience that makes your heart swell, you’ll be able to pinpoint your essential subject. If the memory of your first swim meet victory still makes you smile, draw us into your rigorous training schedule; describe the aspects of the sport that motivate you to wake up early and push yourself. What were your challenges? What has this experience taught you? This narrative should have a clear timeline that traces your growth from the past to the present and into the future. How do you plan to further develop your talent in college and/or after college? Show not only that you have grown, but that you will continue to grow as you take your first steps into adulthood.

4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Things to consider: an educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. for example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that’s geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you — just to name a few. , if you choose to write about educational barriers you’ve faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them what personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge how did overcoming this barrier help shape who are you today.

This question is tricky because it has two parts. So first break the question down: You can write about either A.) How you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity OR B.) How you have worked to overcome an educational barrier. The “or” is key. You are not being asked to write about both parts of this question. Just write about one.

If you have participated in an afterschool program, internship, honors program, or a special class that was meaningful or inspiring to you, you will want to think about choosing option A. Maybe it was an afterschool program for young, aspiring lawyers, or an advanced history class that you took at your local community college. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your ambition and highlight the kinds of challenges that engage and excite you. Beyond underscoring an academic interest, reflect on the personal qualities required for you to succeed. And remember to show, not tell! It will save you from accidentally humble-bragging your way through this assignment.

Now, for option B. If you have worked to overcome a disability, struggled in school because you have a different background than your peers, suffered financial hardship, or something along those lines, you can choose to write about option B. To nail this tricky task, you will need to highlight not only the ways you struggled, but also the qualities that helped you succeed. How would you define yourself? Resilient? Hardworking? Brave? Zero in on a quality that resonates with you, and write targeted descriptions that bring it to life. (No one is going to believe you if you just write, “I am resilient,” and leave it at that.) Lastly, reflect on how this barrier shaped who you are today, and what skills you gained through facing this educational barrier.

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Things to consider: a challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. why was the challenge significant to you this is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone, if you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life for example, ask yourself, “how has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family”.

If you skipped question 4 or chose to write about option A, this question is a gift: a second chance to showcase your resilience in the face of obstacles. On the other hand, if you chose to write about option B in question 4, this might feel redundant. You are free to write about both, but again, proceed with caution and be sure to select a totally different challenge.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: questions that ask you to describe a struggle or failure are really probing for stories about success. What pro-active steps did you take to address the problem at hand? Even if your solution didn’t work out perfectly, what did you learn? In facing this challenge, did you discover a courageous, creative, or hard-working side of yourself? Did you learn something valuable about yourself or others? Highlight the upside. How did this challenge shape who you are today? And how will the skills that you gained dealing with this challenge will help you in college and beyond?

6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

Things to consider: many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can’t get enough of. if that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom — such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs — and what you have gained from your involvement., has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, ap, ib, college or university work) are you inspired to pursue this subject further at uc, and how might you do that.

If you’ve ever referred to yourself as a “nerd” or “geek”, this question is probably for you. To nail down a topic for this bad boy, you can work in two directions: (1) think about how your favorite academic subject has impacted your extracurricular pursuits, or (2) trace one of your favorite hobbies back to its origins in the classroom. Maybe your love of languages led you to take a job at a coffee shop frequented by multilingual tourists. Or perhaps your now-extensive coin collection was resurrected when you did a research project on ancient Roman currency. Whichever way you go about it, building a bridge between the scholarly and the personal lies at the heart of answering this prompt.

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

Things to consider: think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place —like your high school, hometown or home. you can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community, why were you inspired to act what did you learn from your effort how did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community.

Some backwards advice: When writing about community service, you should always start with yourself. Community service essays are cliché minefields. To avoid drifting into platitudes, you need to ground your writing in the specificity of your life. Don’t start with the action and end with what you learned. Instead, dig into your motivations. If you spent weeks petitioning your school community to raise the hourly wage for custodial staff, what prompted you to act? What assumptions did you have about income inequality and what did you learn about your community in the process? Or, maybe you weren’t too enthused about your community service. Maybe you participated in a soccer-team-mandated day of coaching a pee-wee team. What caused your skepticism? How did you turn the experience around?

Also, don’t just choose a topic that sounds impressive. “This year I acted as the co-chair of the Honors Society, presiding over twenty different cases.” If you didn’t, in fact, really enjoy Honors Society, write about a topic that means something to you instead. Think of a moment where you felt like you made a change in your local community. It can be something small; it does not have to be monumental, but it should mean a great deal to you. Describe the moment, using detail to bring it to life, and then reflect on what that experience taught you, and how you hope to continue these activities in the future.

8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Things to consider: if there’s anything you want us to know about you, but didn’t find a question or place in the application to tell us, now’s your change. what have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better, from your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for uc don’t be afraid to brag a little..

This question is really just what it says it is—an open-ended, choose-your-own-adventure question. Is there something that you really, really want to tell the UC admissions team that you feel makes you a strong and unique candidate that is not showcased in the other three personal insight questions? As with the other questions, whatever topic you choose, please use detail and description to bring this topic to life for the reader, and include thoughtful reflection on why this topic matters to you. Also, be sure to explain why your chosen topic makes you stand out as a strong candidate for the UC schools, since the question specifically asks you to do that!

Common Mistakes to Avoid in UC Essays

We have been reading UC personal insight essays for over twenty years now, so we know a thing or two about the most common mistakes students make. The most common mistakes to avoid in your UC essays are repeating the prompt in your essay (don’t waste your words), trying to sound like an academic (admissions wants to hear your authentic voice!), and using cliches (they’re ineffective and—let’s face it—lazy).

Why Choose College Essay Advisors for UC Essays

We at College Essay Advisors have been guiding students one-on-one through the writing process for the UC personal insight essays for over twenty years. We take a holistic approach to these essays, considering each student’s application package as a whole and identifying their strengths to highlight. Our Advisors accommodate each student’s scheduling needs to virtually brainstorm, draft, and revise winning essays. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful UC essays that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants. For more information, submit a contact form below or review our one-on-one advising services or list of student acceptances .

We hope you enjoyed our UC application essay tips! Don’t hesitate to submit a contact form below if you’d like to work with an experienced College Essay Advisor on your drafts!

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

We're here to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants must respond to four (4) out of the eight (8) Personal Insight Questions.

Each UC Personal Insight Question asks for a response of 350 words.

We recommend reading each prompt and jotting down a few ideas that come to mind. Next, review your notes and elaborate on each story. You’ll be able to tell rather quickly which of your stories have the most potential to transform into 350-word essays and reveal new, interesting information to admissions regarding your candidacy!

As with all application essays, admissions is hoping to read essays that help them to get to know the person behind the application data. They even say on their website , “There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions. It’s about getting to know your personality, background, interests and achievements in your own unique voice.”

No! You need to write a total of four (4) essays. These essays should have very little (if any) overlap.

The UC essays are quite important! They’re your only opportunity to speak to admissions in your own voice. The admissions committee will be reviewing dozens of applications each day, which means they are assessing a lot of data. These essays present an opportunity for you to humanize your application and stand out from the crowd.

Applicants will want to avoid silly grammar mistakes , repeating the prompt in their response, and telling rather than showing (e.g., saying you are determined without giving an example of a time you displayed determination).

"We definitely credit our work with you all at CEA for helping our daughter secure an acceptance from UC Berkeley. You helped her improve her writing overall, as well. Count us as fans. I've already let others at work with high school kids know that we worked with you all!"

– CEA Parent, UC Berkeley, Class of 2027

"Thank you so much for all your help! You helped me get through a difficult and stressful process and I’ve come out of it with four essays that I’m really proud of. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help."

– CEA Student, UCLA, Class of 2026

Contact us for information on rates and more!

I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
Name * First Last
Phone Type Mobile Landline
Street Address
Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
How did you find CEA? Internet Search Podcast New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Perks at Work Other
Common App and Coalition Essays
Supplemental Essays
University of California Essays
University of Texas Essays
Resume Review
Post-Grad Essays
Specialized Services
Waitlist Letters
Private School Essays
General College Counseling
School list with priorities noted:
Anything else we should know?
Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

School Stats:

Agnes Scott College
Alvernia University
American University
Amherst College
Babson College
Bard College
Barnard College
Baylor University
Bennington College
Bentley University
Berry College
Bethany College
Bishop’s University
Boston College
Boston University (BU)
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
Butler University
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
California Lutheran University
Capitol Technology University
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
Catawba College
Centre College
Chapman University
Claremont McKenna College
Clark University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
College of William and Mary
College of Wooster
Colorado College
Colorado School of Mines
Columbia University
Cornell University
Culver-Stockton College
D'Youville University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Dickinson College
Drexel University
Duke University
Earlham College
Elon University
Emerson College
Emory University
Flagler College
Fordham University
George Mason University
The George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia State University
Georgia Tech
Gonzaga University
Hamilton College
Hampshire College
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
Hillsdale College
Hofstra University
Howard University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Wesleyan University
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University
Kalamazoo College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Lewis and Clark College
Linfield University
Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
Lynn University
Macalester College
Manchester University
Marist College
Mary Baldwin University
Meredith College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Monmouth College
Moravian University
Morehouse College
Mount Holyoke College
New York University (NYU)
North Carolina State
North Park University
Northwestern University
Occidental College
Oklahoma City University
Olin College of Engineering
Pepperdine University
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Princeton University
Providence College
Purdue University
Reed College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
Roger Williams University
Saint Anselm College
Saint Elizabeth University
Santa Clara University
Sarah Lawrence College
Scripps College
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle University
Siena College
Smith College
Soka University of America
Southern Methodist University
Spelman College
St. John’s College
Stanford University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stonehill College
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University (TCU)
The College of Idaho
The New School
Trinity College
Tufts University
Tulane University
UNC Wilmington
University of California
University of Central Florida (UCF)
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Florida
University of Georgia (UGA)
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
College of Mount Saint Vincent
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California (USC)
University of Texas at Austin
University of Tulsa
University of Vermont
University of Virginia (UVA)
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

YouTube Tutorials
Our Approach
Meet The Founder
Meet the Team
Undergraduate Testimonials
Postgraduate Testimonials
Where Our Students Get In
CEA Gives Back
Undergraduate Admissions
Graduate Admissions
Private School Admissions
International Student Admissions
Common App Essay Guide
Supplemental Essay Guide
UC Essay Guide
Coalition App Guide
The CEA Podcast
Admissions Stats
Notification Trackers
Deadline Databases
College Essay Examples
Academy and Worksheets
Deferral Guides
Get Started

How to Write the UC Essays 2024–2025

Subscribe to our newsletter for college app advice!

The ten University of California (UC) schools are prestigious public universities scattered across the state of California. From the northern UC Davis to the southern UC San Diego, these institutions are dream schools for in-state and out-of-state students. In fact, the top 5 most popular schools to apply to in the US are all UC schools. In the fall of 2022, UCLA received 174, 914 applications . That’s greater than the population of Jackson, Mississippi!

Nine of these schools (the exception is UC San Francisco) offer undergraduate degrees. These schools share an application portal and don’t use the Common App or the Coalition App. As a result, their essay prompts are unique. At the same time, once you’ve applied to one UC school, it’s simple to apply to the rest. In this blog post, we’ll break down the UC essay prompts so that you have the tools to nail your application.

UC 2024-2025 Prompts

Personal insight questions (250-350 words).

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

We’ll review your essay

Receive edits in as little as 24 hours

General Tips

There are eight UC essay prompts , known as the Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). Although each question requires a response of 250-350 words, you don’t need to answer every question. In fact, you’re required to select four prompts to answer. The UC admissions officers understand that some prompts will resonate with some students more than others, and they consider each prompt equally.

It’s important to note that some of the prompts have overlapping qualities. For instance, you could write about an education barrier you have overcome when answering prompt 4, and that educational barrier might have been the most significant challenge you have faced, making it a great response to prompt 5 as well. Therefore, you may want to come up with a few topics that are important to you before even deciding which prompts you would like to answer. Consider the topics which make you who you are. Your background, interests, struggles, and accomplishments might all be topics on your list, with added specificity to make them your own.

Then, once you’ve determined what you would like to write about, you can peruse the prompts to see which might best align with your listed topics. Of course, if one of the topics does not align with any of the prompts, you’ll need to take a step back and reassess what the UC admissions officers might be looking for that you weren’t prepared to deliver. Is it vulnerability? Humility? Growth? Confidence? Intellectuality? Ambition? These are all qualities admissions officers might look for in applicants. Consider whether your topics demonstrate these qualities, and if not, how you could incorporate them into your topics and/or responses, however subtly.

UC’s Personal Insight Questions

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. (250-350 words).

This essay prompt allows you to show the UC admissions officer your leadership style and conflict response . In addition, you can demonstrate your abilities as a leader beyond including it on an activities list or resume. Many students hold leadership positions in high school which are functionally meaningless, but others achieve important impacts through their positive influence and trailblazing energy. If you are in the latter category of students, this is a great prompt for you to describe your leadership experience.

The prompt specifically asks you to provide an example of your leadership experience. This response should not be a list. It should be ONE anecdote, narrative, concept, accomplishment, or event. If possible, you should show through this singular example how you have grown as a leader or as an individual. Lastly, try to use concrete details to flesh out your example and make it feel real and memorable to the reader, avoiding clichés when possible.

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. (250-350 words)

If your creative side is a meaningful aspect of who you are, this is a great prompt for you to choose! Many STEM-oriented students choose this prompt in order to demonstrate that they are well-rounded individuals. If the rest of your application discusses your skills in trigonometry and your summer coding internship, then shedding light on your poetry hobby will help the admissions officers see you as a whole person, full of life and dimension.

That said, creativity comes in many flavors , and this prompt encourages you to think broadly about your creative side. Maybe your creativity comes through in how you approach a chess game or compose a speech for MUN. Maybe your creativity flourishes when you’re under pressure, trying to negotiate the soccer ball away from your opponent. Or maybe you’re most creative when you’re trying to entertain your younger siblings.

However your creativity manifests, be as authentic in your presentation of it as possible. You don’t need to be a concert pianist to discuss your musical endeavors, and you don’t need to have a portfolio to back up the joy you find in photography. As long as you provide genuine details about your life, your creative side is valid.

What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? (250-350 words)

This essay prompt is especially tricky to tackle. Some students have a prodigal talent in a particular area, whether athletic, academic, interpersonal, or otherwise. Other students, however, excel more broadly and are more well-rounded than pointy. Even if you don’t have a special talent, you might still be able to answer this prompt. You might just answer it more creatively, focusing on “soft skills” like communication, time management, empathy, and so on—or whatever feels authentic to you. However, if it feels like a stretch, perhaps try a different prompt.

Regardless of your talent, you will need to answer this prompt with modesty —and no false modesty, either. Instead of listing your accolades, describe the struggles that have shaped you. Describe your training, your failures, your mentors, and your doubts. Painting a picture of how far you’ve come and how hard you worked will be much more memorable and inspiring than implying you woke up a genius. After all, even if you have a natural aptitude for something, no great skill comes without hard work, and this essay prompt is an opportunity for you to show that work.

Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. (250-350 words)

This essay prompt seeks to understand how you will function as a student in a UC school. When you’re offered opportunities, how will you take advantage of them? When you face obstacles, how will you surmount them? Of course, you can’t answer these questions just yet, because whatever obstacles you might face and opportunities you might receive in college are probably going to be surprises. Still, through this essay, you can hint at your future responses to opportunities and obstacles by describing your past responses.

Note that the prompt provides two options: you could write about a significant educational opportunity OR an educational barrier. Both topics are focused on your educational history, though. Consider the most formative moments in your personal educational history, and after settling on the most formative one, you’ll want to clearly spin it in your essay as either an opportunity or an obstacle. In both cases, you should express how you grew from the experience. How did you make the most of the opportunity, and how could you have better maximized that opportunity? How did you overcome that obstacle, and what did you gain from the experience? Considering your continued areas for growth will demonstrate your maturity and continued commitment to self-development.

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? (250-350 words)

This essay prompt asks you to look back over your life experiences to date and consider your resilience within the lens of your academic achievement . If an event in your life impacted your academic achievement, then this prompt is a great opportunity for you to discuss that challenge. After you’ve identified the most significant challenge you have faced, you may want to free-write about all the steps you took to overcome this challenge. These steps could include anything—studying, forgiving, going to therapy, praying, working, asking questions, and so on.

This prompt requests vulnerability, and vulnerability demands details. Don’t be shy to share your missteps, but be purposeful in showing your current stability, strength, and achievements despite or even because of this challenge you have faced. After describing this challenge as specifically and concretely as possible, indicate how you have changed, and be sure to include at least 1-2 sentences regarding the impact (or lack thereof) which this challenge had on your academic achievement (for better or for worse).

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. (250-350 words)

Admissions officers often look for curiosity in applicants, and if you are a curious person, then this essay prompt is for you. In this essay, you can demonstrate how your curiosity for an academic subject has driven you to pursue research, projects, or other activities. Be sure to discuss ONE academic interest, even if you relate multiple ways you have deepened your relationship with this interest.

Don’t spread yourself too thin when discussing how you have furthered your interest. Focus on 1-3 ways you have furthered your interest, even if you choose to list a few more ways. For instance, if you’re interested in English literature, maybe you have furthered this interest by reading certain books outside of school, participating in an essay competition, and writing short stories. Perhaps each of these topics could receive one paragraph, with the essay framed by a brief introduction and conclusion. Of course, you can get more creative, but that’s a totally valid way to set up your essay if you’re feeling stuck.

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? (250-350 words)

If you’re the kind of student for whom community service is really important, or you’ve had a big impact on your high school, then this is a great prompt for you. Similarly, if you’ve engaged in activism, youth advocacy, or similar endeavors, then you should consider answering this prompt. Clearly explain what “a better place” means to you within your response so that the reader understands your motivations.

Specificity is key here —many students will respond generically to this prompt. Less is more when it comes to discussing your accomplishments: providing deep insight regarding one initiative you pursued on behalf of your community is far better than listing all of your achievements. In your response, focus more on how you made your school or community a better place than the awards or recognition you might have received for doing so. Stay humble!

Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? (250-350 words)

This prompt is a great choice for you if there are aspects of your character, history, background, academics, or otherwise which haven’t naturally fit into the rest of your application but which feel crucial to your self-representation to the UC schools. Do not use this essay response as an opportunity to list your activities, list the prizes you’ve won, or discuss your impressive grades or test scores. These factors are all extremely important, but they’ll appear elsewhere in your application, so to discuss them here would be redundant.

Instead, this essay response is a place to tie your unique qualities and/or experiences to the values and expectations of a UC admissions officer. Before answering this question, thoroughly research the admission criteria for the UC schools, and consider touching upon (subtly if possible, and definitely with humility) how you fit these criteria, highlighting aspects of yourself which are not otherwise seen in your application. And most importantly, be yourself! Admissions officers don’t want to accept robots with a 36 on their ACT. Rather, they seek nuanced, intelligent, driven individuals with three-dimensional personalities. So bring your authentic self to the page.

If you need help polishing up your UC essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.

Sign Up for More College App Tips

Subscribe to the Next Admit newsletter, a weekly newsletter where you'll receive our best college essay and college app advice. You can unsubscribe at any time!

Students Also Read

How to Write the Brandeis Supplemental Essays 2024–2025

Blog > Applications

How to Write the UC Essays (2024-2025)

Madeleine Karydes

August 30, 2024

Everyone loves a good deal, right? When it comes to getting the best return on your college investment, the University of California (UC) system consistently outshines the competition. Of course, there are plenty of other reasons that UC schools earn high ranks! Nonetheless, with UCs ranking among the top in the nation for financial return, it’s clear that your path to a brighter financial future could start with a compelling UC application.

And the first step?

Mastering the UC essays. Your words have the power to unlock not just admission, but a lifetime of opportunities. So, how do you make your UC essays stand out in the 2024-2025 cycle? We’re here to guide you through each prompt and help you craft winning essays.

The University of California Application

The University of California has its own unique application system , with a deadline of November 30th—a full month ahead of the Common Application. This means you’ll need to start early. Fortunately, the UC system allows you to apply to all nine campuses through a single application, making it easier to target multiple schools at once.

But what really sets the UC application apart?

The Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). These are the heart of your application, where you’ll choose and respond to four out of eight prompts, each with a 350-word limit.

The PIQs are designed to dig deep into your experiences, aspirations, and personal qualities—what makes you, you. Your answers to these questions are a crucial factor in UC admissions decisions, so it’s essential to approach them thoughtfully.

Why are the PIQs so important?

The UC system receives tens of thousands of applications each year, and the PIQs are your opportunity to stand out. They provide a platform for you to showcase your character, leadership, creativity, and resilience—qualities that aren’t always evident in grades or test scores. The PIQs allow the admissions committee to see beyond the numbers and understand who you are as a person.

How to Answer UC’s Personal Insight Questions

Choosing which four prompts to answer is a strategic decision. While all questions are weighted equally, it’s vital to select the ones that resonate most with your experiences and strengths. Consider which stories best highlight your unique qualities and align with the values of the UC system.

UC Values: Student Characteristics to Focus On

These are the student characteristics that admissions officers at the University of California look for when reading applications. Read this list thoroughly and reflect on how it applies to your life!

Excellence : The UC system is committed to academic excellence and innovation. This includes a strong emphasis on rigorous academic standards, research, and a commitment to advancing knowledge in various fields.
Diversity and Inclusion : The UC system values a diverse and inclusive community. This means fostering an environment where people of different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives can thrive and contribute to the university community.
Equity and Access : UC is dedicated to providing access to higher education for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. This includes efforts to support underrepresented and first-generation college students, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent qualified students from attending.
Public Service : A strong commitment to public service is central to the UC mission. The university encourages students, faculty, and staff to engage in activities that benefit society, including community service, civic engagement, and addressing social issues.
Sustainability : The UC system places a high value on sustainability and environmental stewardship. The university is committed to reducing its environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices on campus and beyond.
Integrity and Accountability : UC values integrity, ethical behavior, and accountability. This includes a commitment to transparency, honesty, and responsibility in all aspects of university life.
Collaboration and Interdisciplinarity : The UC system encourages collaboration across disciplines and institutions. This includes fostering partnerships that bring together diverse perspectives to address complex challenges and advance knowledge.
Global Citizenship : UC values the development of global citizens who are prepared to engage with and contribute to the world beyond their immediate lives.

UC Essay Prompts:

Next, let’s read over each of the short answer prompts provided by the University of California. Every student who wishes to apply for admission will need to choose four of these eight topics to write. According to the UC website , these are the prompts for 2024-2025:

Leadership Experience: Describe an example of your leadership experience where you’ve positively influenced others, resolved disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
Creative Side: Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways—problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically. Describe how you express your creative side.
Greatest Talent or Skill: What is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
Educational Opportunity or Barrier: Describe how you’ve taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you’ve faced.
Significant Challenge: Describe the most significant challenge you’ve faced and the steps you’ve taken to overcome it. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Inspiring Academic Subject: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you’ve furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
Betterment of School or Community: What have you done to make your school or community a better place?
Additional Information: Beyond what you’ve already shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admission to the University of California?

Brainstorming:

If you’ve identified the prompts that resonate with you, it’s time to brainstorm. Start by reflecting on moments in your life that showcase your unique qualities—leadership, creativity, resilience, and more. Think beyond surface-level achievements; delve into challenges you’ve overcome, lessons learned, or moments of insight that have had a lasting impact on your life. In the PIQs, you’ll want to avoid just listing or repeating your resume. Instead, talk about unusual moments that illustrate your growth through action.

A compelling essay topic allows you to tell a story that’s both authentic and revealing, giving the admissions committee a window into who you are and what drives you.

Great essay topics often come from personal experiences that have shaped your perspective or inspired change. What core memories have shaped who you are today? Remember, the best essays often come from deeply personal topics, so don’t be afraid to explore the experiences that have truly defined you. Beginning your brainstorming session with deep personal reflection can help flush out stories that align with your PIQ prompts.

Ready to get started? Next, we’ll go through each of these prompts to break down what they’re asking and discuss what sort of ideas can become strong essays.

Prompt 1, Leadership Experience:

For this essay, share an example where your leadership made a positive impact. This could involve influencing others, resolving conflicts, or contributing to a team’s success—and you don’t have to be club president for it to count! Your essay should narrate a specific anecdote, detailing the positive outcomes and reflecting on how this experience contributed to your personal growth and future aspirations. Remember that leadership comes in many forms: have you ever been a secondary leader, in a role where you took the initiative to change something, or taken charge of a difficult situation? Introverted students often have more leadership experience than they first expect.

Emphasize the Impact: Illustrate a particular leadership role where your actions led to a beneficial result. Use details if possible, like overall attendees, dollars raised, or individuals helped.
Address Challenges: Describe any difficulties you encountered and how you overcame them, highlighting your problem-solving abilities and perseverance. College admissions officers are looking for resilient students who can handle the challenges of higher education.

Prompt 2, Creative Side:

This prompt invites you to showcase your creativity, which can manifest in various forms—be it artistic expression, innovative problem-solving, or unique thinking. Provide a specific example of how you’ve demonstrated creativity and discuss your thought process behind it.

Showcase Your Creativity: Detail a project or activity that highlights your creative abilities, and why. It doesn’t have to be traditional art; all kinds of self-expression can work extremely well for this question.
Reflect on Its Significance: Explain what creativity means to you and how this particular example has influenced your perspective or future goals. The personalization aspect is key.

Prompt 3, Greatest Talent or Skill:

With this prompt, be sure to describe your most significant talent or skill and how it has evolved over time. Provide concrete examples that illustrate your growth and development. Connect this talent or skill to your future goals and how it will aid you in your academic and professional journey.

Detail Your Growth: Explain how you have honed this talent or skill over the years. For this prompt, you’ll only want to answer if you have an interest or hobby that you’ve continued participating in for a number of years.
Link to Future Goals: Discuss how this ability will support your success at the University of California and beyond. It’s important to draw the connections between your past accomplishments and your future aspirations.

Prompt 4, Educational Opportunity or Barrier:

In this essay, reflect on a significant educational opportunity you seized or a barrier you overcame. Craft a narrative that sets the context, describes your approach to the situation, and concludes with the growth and insights you gained. It’s important to convey how this experience has prepared you for future academic challenges.

Narrate Your Experience: Outline the educational challenge or opportunity and your response to it. Instead of focusing on how unfair the circumstances may have been, use this space to highlight how you responded to the obstacles in your way in a positive and constructive manner.
Highlight Personal Growth: Discuss what you learned and how it has equipped you for university life. Ultimately, admissions officers want to know how you plan to move forward.

Prompt 5, Significant Challenge:

When responding to this question, describe a major challenge you’ve faced, how you addressed it, and its impact on your academic performance. Ensure your story is focused on what you learned and demonstrate your resilience and the lessons learned from overcoming the challenge.

Describe the Challenge: Provide details about the challenge you encountered. It’s important to give context for this challenge, for it to make sense—and have proper significance—to the casual reader.
Showcase Resilience: Explain how you managed it and what you learned, highlighting your perseverance and determination.

Prompt 6, Inspiring Academic Subject:

This prompt asks you to discuss an academic subject that deeply inspires you and how you have pursued this interest both inside and outside the classroom. Include personal projects, competitions, or additional coursework that highlight your passion for the subject and explain how this interest aligns with your future goals.

Express Your Passion: Share what excites you about this subject. For instance, are there specific aspects or unusual angles of the topic that excite you?
Link to Future Goals: Describe how your enthusiasm for this subject ties into your academic and career objectives at the University of California.

Prompt 7, Betterment of School or Community:

For this question, you can describe your contributions to improving your school or community. Whether through community service or personal initiatives, detail the direct impact of your efforts. It’s crucial to demonstrate how your actions benefited the community and reflect on what you learned from the experience.

Detail Your Involvement: Explain your role in a community enhancement activity.
Reflect on Impact: Discuss how this experience has shaped your view on community service and your commitment to making a difference.

Prompt 8, Additional Information (Free Choice):

Finally, this open-ended prompt allows you to share anything else that defines you as a strong applicant, that doesn’t fit into the previous prompts. However, because of the flexibility, there’s also a lot of responsibility!

Firstly, ensure that your essay is unique and not a repurposed response from other prompts. Use this opportunity to highlight something distinctive about your background or perspective. Secondly, only use this prompt if you have a compelling reason to skip the other seven. With those out of the way, you’ll stay on the right track.

Highlight Your Unique Background: Share an aspect of your background or viewpoint that sets you apart.
Discuss Your Contribution: Explain how your unique perspective will enrich the University of California community. For instance, what three things are you most looking forward to when you attend a UC? Share your excitement!

Summary: Quick Tips for Crafting Your Best UC Essays

Be You: Admissions officers can spot a generic essay from a mile away. Be genuine and let your personality shine through your writing. Share specific anecdotes that highlight your character and what drives you.
Remember Concrete Details: In other words, “Show, don’t tell!” Use vivid examples to illustrate your points. Instead of saying you’re a leader, describe a situation where you led a team through a challenging project or initiative. Your values will show through your actions.
Reflect and Connect: Reflect on what you’ve learned from your experiences and how they’ve shaped your aspirations. Connect your past experiences to your future goals and explain how a UC education will help you achieve them.
Go Beyond the Resume: The UC essays are an opportunity to showcase aspects of yourself that aren’t reflected in your academic achievements or extracurricular activities. Share stories that reveal your personal growth and leadership in unexpected ways.
Don’t Repeat Yourself: As you are choosing topics, make sure that each PIQ reflects a different part of you. Instead of focusing three of your essays on how much you love Physics, expand on the different aspects of your personality beyond the one-dimensional! You may be academically smart in the classroom, but you can also use these essays to show how you’re a great artist and creative thinker. Thinking about your UC application as a whole will help you with a big-picture strategy.

Leverage Your Resources:

Don’t forget to explore the UC application website for the most updated information and guidelines on the PIQs. This is where you’ll find the official word on what the UC admissions team is looking for, as well as tips directly from the source. Understanding their expectations can help you tailor your responses to their criteria.

Additionally, you can reach out to experts like Empowerly. We have years of experience and former admissions officers from the University of California system on staff. If you’re wondering what your chances of getting into a great California university are, we can help.

Over 98% of our students earn admission to their top-choice universities: you can, too!

Final Thoughts: Ace the UC Essays

Crafting your UC essays is a journey of self-discovery and storytelling. By choosing the right prompts, being authentic, and reflecting deeply on your experiences, you can create essays that not only resonate with the admissions committee but also set you on the path to success. Remember, these essays are your chance to stand out and show why you’re a perfect fit for the UC system.

Good luck, and remember you are not alone!

Share this post

University of Michigan vs. Ohio State University

Usc vs. ucla: the battle of southern california, top 10 scholarships for science and engineering majors, empowerly is a member of:.

Success Stories

Become a Counselor
Refer a Friend
Book a Consult
[email protected]
800 491 6920
empowerly.com

Terms & conditions, privacy policy, partnering with us, empowerly for employers, ai scholar program, research scholar program, startup internship program, empowerly score®.