Writing Tips! Applying to the University of California colleges?

 

Three Things You Must Know to Write Your UC Personal Insight Questions

Students from across the country are finishing up their applications to the colleges in the University of California system, known as “The UCs” for short.

If you are planning to submit a UC application, or thinking of doing so down the road, here are three key things to know about how these essays are different from everything else you write in the college admissions process:

The UC system is comprised of 9 undergraduate campuses:

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UCLA

UC Merced

UC Riverside

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Cruz

UC San Diego

Each of these campuses has its own admission review process, and acceptance rate, but they all use the same application system-wide. The UCs are one of a handful of systems in the country where a student cannot apply with the Common App. Because the application is demanding, it makes sense for applicants to apply to at least a few of the campuses if they are committed to the application.

Read on for our advice to tackle the UC application essays, called Personal Insight Questions (PIQs):

1. Understand how applications are evaluated.

The UCs are transparent about the criteria they use when evaluating applications. So transparent, in fact, that you can readily access the list of the 13 points of comprehensive review on the UC website. Carefully review these criteria, as the UC admissions office is telling you exactly what they are looking for when evaluating your application.

2. Choose Your Prompts Carefully & Think Differently.

The UCs offer applicants eight writing prompts called Personal Insight Questions or PIQs. Students are asked to choose four of the eight prompts to respond to in 350 words or less. Review all the options, and choose your PIQs thoughtfully. These are not like other college personal essays or supplements, where your reader may be looking for you to write the most nuanced, attention-grabbing, artful, or deeply vulnerable response. Instead, UC application readers are looking for evidence of the 13 criteria they use in evaluating applications.

Note that the UCs expressly state that the PIQs are a chance to showcase your “accomplishments, talents, interests, and experiences.” Choose the PIQs that enable you to best bring to light evidence of your experiences and accomplishments that align to the 13 points of comprehensive review.

3. Gather Your Evidence & Review for Alignment to the 13 Points of Review.

As you write your responses, refer to the 13 points of comprehensive review. Your response should showcase examples, evidence, and details that align to these 13 points. This might include how you have engaged your interests inside and outside the classroom, special projects you have taken initiative to pursue, evidence of your contributions as a leader, or detailed examples of ways you have faced and overcome challenges. They are not looking for you to share your best stories or reflections, to tell them about your hopes for the future, or to describe why you love certain UC campuses. Once you have drafted, give yourself a review or ask a trusted person to review your essays. If you can highlight evidence that aligns to and provides examples of the 13 points of review, you know you are hitting the mark. No student will have alignment to all 13 points, but look to maximize the evidence you are sharing that supports the points of comprehensive review that you can highlight.

BONUS:

Need help with other college supplemental essays?

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Watch our webinar: Decoding Supplemental Essays, download our Guided Reflection Tool and College Writing Document right in your TBU Member Resource Library.

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