does uc require a personal statement

Personal statement

Most uc campuses require a personal statement in addition to a statement of purpose. make yours count..

While the statement of purpose highlights the goals and experiences related to the research area you plan to pursue, your personal statement (also called a history or diversity statement) is an opportunity for the review committee to learn about the unique qualities and perspectives you’ll bring to the program.

Crafting a strong Personal Statement

Simply put, the statement of purpose is about your work, while your personal statement is about you – and how you’ll contribute to the diversity of ideas. Draw on your unique background to present yourself as an ideal candidate for the graduate program to which you are applying.

Tell your story This is your opportunity to expand on your background, highlight unique experiences, challenges and triumphs and give the committee a more compelling reason to accept you. If a personal statement is not requested, consider incorporating this content into your statement of purpose. It is in your best interest to offer supplemental information when given an opportunity.

Describe goals, achievements and challenges

• Describe your academic and career goals and highlight how graduate school will advance them.
• Tell how personal experiences shaped your aspirations, and don’t shy away from discussing poor grades or large time gaps in your resume.
• Address any particular challenges you’ve faced, and how you worked to overcome them.
• Focus on issues that have had an impact on your education, such as being raised in a single parent household, working to help support family, thriving in unsafe environments, persevering with physical or other challenges or coming from an underrepresented minority group.

Showcase experiences related to diversity 

• Mention your engagement in programs that increase diversity in your chosen field, such as participation in undergraduate academic preparation, diversity and equity programs, higher education pathways and summer research opportunities, and mentoring underrepresented students.
• Explain how your experiences have deepened your understanding of the barriers facing ethnic minorities, women, and others underrepresented in higher education or how your experiences have helped advance efforts to improve inclusion of these groups.
• Highlight research you have conducted that addresses underserved populations, such as issues of race, gender, equity and inclusion, disparities in health or educational access, and human rights. Mention artistic and cultural works you have produced that reflect diverse communities and voices not well represented

Remember, write a statement specifically tailored for the program to which you are applying. This allows the admission’s committee an opportunity to see exactly who you are.

Applying to UC? Here’s what’s changing

When the University of California application opens Aug. 1, some students may notice a change: UC has done away with the two personal statement essays that it used to require.

Applicants will now be asked to give short answers to four personal insight questions. It’s the biggest change to the UC application in nearly a decade, but don’t get rattled – the change puts students in the driver’s seat.

Instead of having to answer the same generic essay questions as every other applicant, freshman applicants now choose which four questions they want to answer out of eight options. Transfer applicants answer one required question and choose three others out of a field of seven.

UC made the change to give students more say in the kinds of information they share. Applicants can choose which personal stories they want to tell, and provide answers to the questions that are most relevant to their experience.

“That means admissions officers will get a better sense of each applicant,” said Stephen Handel, associate vice president for undergraduate admissions.

“We want students to treat these questions with the same kind of thought and care they would give to answers during an in-person interview,” Handel said. “There’s no right or wrong answer. It’s about helping us get to know you better.”   Also, don’t stress about which questions to choose. There is no advantage to picking certain questions over others. So choose the ones that let you best express who you are. UC wants to know about your life experiences, interests, ambitions and inspirations.

“These questions are meant to let a student’s unique voice and personality shine through,” Handel said.

See the personal insight questions and find tips on writing: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-quest…

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Answering UC Personal Insight Questions

• by Alexa Carter
• May 18, 2021

For many high school seniors, the college application process can be a scary one. The dreaded writing portion can be especially time-consuming. You have to describe yourself to an application reviewer and hope they get to know you aside from your test scores and course load. Some colleges require long essays; some don’t require them at all. The University of California requires you to respond to four out of eight Personal Insight Questions , and you have a maximum of 350 words for each.

Fear not, though: These are great opportunities to express yourself. The prompts let you describe different aspects of your life instead of feeling confined to writing one impersonal summary. When starting this part of the UC application, I learned a lot along the way.

Prepare in advance: DO!

A rule so simple that it seems obvious. I was in high school once, too, and as a college student, I hate to break it to you, but procrastination still creeps in. The UC application opens on August 1 every year and closes on November 30. That means you have about four months to work on your application. I’m not saying on Aug. 1 you should sit down and knock it all out. In fact, I started looking at my application at the end of October and submitted it in mid-November.

You’re given a large window of time for a reason. This is your college application we’re talking about, so it’s important to take the time to think and pre-plan what exactly you want to write about.

Choose questions based on what you think the reader will like: DON'T!

I'll admit I’m guilty of this one. When I first looked at the Personal Insight Questions I wrote down the four questions I thought would look really good on my application.

It wasn’t until I actually sat down to draft how I wanted to respond to each question that I noticed two were too similar in content. Later in this blog, you’ll see why it’s important to differentiate what you write about. But for the time being, I’ll simply say I went back to the list and picked a question that was a little out of my comfort zone. The new question I chose actually ended up being my favorite response. I felt better making that switch after learning that all of the personal insight questions are viewed equally. Reviewers are looking for thoughtful answers, not necessarily the right answer.

Relate your past experiences to the person you are today: DO!

There are two things to remember when explaining the growth you've experienced facing your challenges:

• If the event happened during your childhood it needs to have had a lasting impact on you.
• If the event happened recently, how have you grown since it happened?

If you're going to talk about a setback you faced — like the time you broke a bone in the second grade — it should describe its lasting impact on you . Either describe its lasting impact or choose another question or instance that aligns better with your current self.

In one of my responses, I wrote about how I fractured my elbow during my junior year and was out for half of the Varsity Tennis season. Through hard work, I was able to place second in the league tournament and made it to CIF with my doubles partner. This was relatively close to when I was applying, and the event had made an impact on my life.

Childhood stories and recent events are great instances where you can show growth. Make sure in either case you make strong connections between the event to how you’ve become the person you are today.

Repeat the same stories: DON'T!

Application reviewers only get 1,400 words to learn about you. This may seem like a lot, but fitting your life into four short responses can be tough. That’s why with so few words, it’s crucial you present diversity in the content. You can do this by picking questions very different from each other or mixing your accomplishments into other prompts. Whatever you choose to do, remember: diversifying is key.

Proofread your work and ask for edits: DO!

When writing my responses I thought they were great, needing not a single revision. I was wrong. When my IB English teacher offered to read my Personal Insight Questions, I thought, “Why not?” I brought her my printed responses and she started marking them up right away. 

At first, I was surprised. Did I really do that bad? When she read her suggestions to me, I agreed with every. single. One.

It’s easy to associate constructive criticism with a pejorative. Sometimes we forget others' suggestions help open our minds to things we don’t always think of on our own. That’s the great thing about being human. We all have our own perspectives. If we embrace it for what it is, we can make our work that much better.

DON’T spend your entire essay talking about an inspirational person

This one seems easy on the surface, but it's really hard to avoid once you get down to writing.

When any of us talk about the most inspirational person in our lives it's hard not to want to include all the context that makes them so great. Again, you only have 1,400 words to give reviewers a peek at what makes up your life, accomplishments, and background.

If you spend 25 percent of that time talking about someone else, it’s even harder for them to get to know you. Inspirational people are huge influences on who we are and it’s hard not to give them the credit they deserve. If you are going to reference them, do it briefly and pivot to how that person’s influence has made you who you are .

Yes, the college application process can be scary to start, but it can also be a fun exercise reconnecting with yourself. You get to share your accomplishments and personality through self-reflection. It might seem awkward sharing it all with a stranger, don’t get me wrong. Think of it more like a written highlights reel. If a friend was describing you to a stranger, what parts of your highlight reel would they want to share?

For information about Personal Insight Questions, check out these resources from the University of California’s website ,  this blog from UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions, and this webpage from UC Davis about Personal Insight Questions.

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The 5 UC Application Tips You Need to Get Into University of California

College Admissions , College Info

If you're applying to one or more of the UC schools, you want to make sure you get the application right. This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the UC application, from the time you decide to apply to a UC school to when you submit the final piece of the application.

Keep reading to learn when the most important UC application deadline is, which documents you need to submit to complete your application, if you need a separate application for each UC school, and how you can make sure every part of your application sets you apart from the crowd.

University of California Drops SAT/ACT Requirement

In May 2020, the University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to stop requiring the ACT and SAT as part of admissions applications. The decision was made in part due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the changes will remain permanent, even after the pandemic is over. The decision has been in the works for years, and it's being done to make the admissions process fairer to all students.

For at least through 2025, all University of California schools will be test blind. This means that, even if you submit SAT or ACT scores, they won't be considered as part of your application. ;However, test scores may still be requested for non-admissions reasons, such as determining which classes a student should enroll in. There is a UC-specific standardized test that's currently in development that may replace ACT and SAT scores after 2025, but that hasn't been confirmed. You can learn more about the decision to ignore SAT/ACT scores for admission here .

Important Info About the University of California Application

It's key to know important information about the UC application early on so that you have enough time to gather and submit all the materials you need before the deadlines.

Where to Find the UC Application: You can find the UC application here. This is the application for all University of California schools, so regardless if you're looking for a UC Berkeley application, UC Davis application, etc., they all use this same application.

How to Submit the Application: When you've completed the application, you can submit it by hitting the "Submit" button at the end of the application.

When to Submit Your Application: It's extremely important to know when the UC application deadlines are because missing one could mean your application won't be looked at. Below are the key University of California application dates.

Looking at the above chart, it's clear that the most important date is November 30th . This is the last day you can submit your UC application. UC states right on the website that they almost never accept late applications, so don't miss this deadline!

You'll learn if you've been accepted as early as March 1st, and you'll have until May 1st to decide which school to attend.

How to Apply to the UC Schools

There are four main steps to applying to UC schools. The earlier you begin your application (as early as August 1st) the more time you'll have to complete all the steps and the less pressure you'll be under to meet the deadline. The steps are the same regardless of which UC school(s) you're applying to since all UC schools use the same application (and you only need to submit one application, even if you apply to multiple UC schools).

Step 1: Create an Account

Your step to applying to UC schools is to create an applicant account. This step will only take about a few minutes since you just need to fill out basic information like your email, name, which semester you want to start school, and if you're applying as a freshman or as a transfer student.

Step 2: Complete the UC Application

After creating your account, you'll be immediately sent to the beginning of the application. The University of California application contains eight sections:

You'll answer background and demographic questions, such as your birth date and contact information, which language(s) you grew up speaking, what your family's income is, if you qualify as a resident of California.

Campuses & Majors

You choose which school(s) you want to apply to. There are nine UC schools, listed below, and you can choose to apply to as many as you want, including all nine. Be aware though that each UC school you apply to requires its own $70 application fee ($80 for international students).  If you have a fee waiver, you can apply to up to four UC schools for free.

Here are the UC schools:

• UC Berkeley
• UC Los Angeles
• UC Riverside
• UC Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Cruz
• UC San Diego

You'll next select your major. If you're applying to multiple UC schools, you'll need to do this separately for each school since they all have slightly different majors. Some schools also offer the option of selecting an "alternate major" which is your second choice of major if you can't be placed in that campus in your top major.

Academic History

This is a lengthy section where you'll need to enter in information about the high school(s) you attended, all the classes you took in high school, if they were honors or AP, and the grade you got. It's basically like entering all the information on your transcript . (You don't need to submit your official transcript until the summer, after you've been accepted and have decided to attend a UC school.)

Test Scores

Here is where you'll enter information about the standardized test(s) you've taken. Again, SAT and ACT scores won't be looked at during the admissions process, even if you submit them. However, there are other test scores you can submit.

You'll be asked about AP exams, IB exams, TOEFL exams, and IELTS exams on separate pages in the test score section of your application. According to the UC system's application website , "You’ll need to report your scores if you’ve already taken an exam or indicate if you’re planning on taking an exam in the future." None of these exams are required (unless you're an international student needing to show English proficiency), but high AP or IB scores can help strengthen your application.

Activities & Awards

In this section, you'll discuss all the activities you participated in outside of the classroom. There are six categories:

• Award or honor
• Educational preparation programs
• Extracurricular activities
• Other coursework (classes outside UC's "a-g" core subject areas )
• Volunteering/community service
• Work experience

The application explains which activities fall into which category, and there's no need to feel like you need to have activities to put in all the categories, or even most of them. For each category, you can add up to five separate classes/activities/jobs/awards/etc.

Scholarships & Programs

In this section you'll select your eligibility for different scholarship categories, such as ethnicity, career plans, and work experience. There are ten categories, each with multiple characteristics you can select. You'll only select these characteristics once, regardless of how many UC schools you're applying to. This is also the section where you can apply for the Educational Opportunity Program, which is explained in the application.

Personal Insight

This is the section where you'll answer the personal statement questions. There are eight personal statement questions, and you'll need to answer four of them. Each response should be 250-350 words. We recommend that you write your essays in a word document first to make it easier to review them, then paste each essay into the application once you're done editing it.

Below are the eight essay prompts.

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? 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? 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 is 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? 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 you are today? 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? 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?

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? 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 chance. 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.

If you want tips on writing your personal statements, we have a guide on how to write a perfect UC essay for every prompt.

Step 3: Pay Admission Fees and Submit Your Application

Once you've finished each section your application, you can submit it, as long as it's between October 1 and November 30. When you submit your application, first you'll enter in some final demographic information as well as your state of legal residence. Then you'll review all the information you entered to make sure it's correct.

Once everything is set, you'll pay the necessary fees. The application fee is $70 ($80 if you're an international student) for each UC school you apply to. Then you'll click submit, and your application will officially be sent to the UC schools you're applying to!

Step 4: (Optional) Complete Additional Materials

Most students applying to UC schools won't need to submit additional materials, but some will. This will depend on both which schools you're applying to and what you plan on majoring in.

For example, some students planning to major in a fine arts discipline are requested to submit a portfolio. These additional materials are typically only recommended, not required, but doing these extra steps can help give your application a boost.

If you do need to complete additional materials, you will either get a notification in the application or receive an email outlining what you need to do, but it's also a good idea to research your intended major at each UC school you're applying to in order to make sure you're not missing any important recommendations.

University of California Application Checklist

To recap, below is everything you need to submit when you apply to a UC school. Your application won't be considered until the schools receive all the pieces below.

• UC Application
• Application Fee of $70 for each school you apply to
• (Optional) Supplemental Materials

5 Things UC Schools Look at in Applications and How to Impress Them

The UC schools are pretty open about what they look for in applicants and what an applicant needs to have to be accepted. They've listed the qualities they look for in every application , and we've organized those qualities into five categories. Below, we explain what you need to do to excel in each category to create a standout UC application.

#1: Classes You Took

When UC admissions officers look at the classes you took, they're looking at two things: the actual courses you took and how difficult they were.

For the first category, UC schools want to make sure you've taken the classes you need to succeed as a college student at one of their schools. Their minimum requirements are:

• History: 2 years
• English: 4 years
• Mathematics: 3 years
• Laboratory science: 2 years
• Language other than English: 2 years
• Visual and performing arts: 1 year
• College-preparatory elective: 1 year

(These courses are sometimes referred to as the "A-G subjects").

Note that this is the minimum UC schools require; most applicants will have gone well beyond these requirements. Some majors, especially those in math or science fields, require additional classes, so make sure to research the major you plan to take to make sure you're on track.

In general, it's best to take more classes in the fields you plan on majoring in. For example, if you want to major in biology, you should take four years of science and four years of math. If you want to be a history major, you should take four years of history. Doing this shows UC schools that you're committed to the subject and can handle higher-level classes on it.

UC also looks at the difficulty of the classes you took. They're specifically looking for honors, AP, or IB courses since these are more difficult than regular-level classes. If your school offers these classes, you should take as many as you can without overloading yourself and still maintaining a high GPA. Taking difficult classes shows UC schools that you're focused on your studies and can handle the challenge and workload of college classes.

Also, UC specifically mentions the "quality of your senior-year program" as one of the qualifications it looks at, so don't be tempted to slack off senior year with a bunch of easy classes!

It's not enough just to take the classes UC schools want; you also need to do well in them. Your grades and overall GPA are another critical component of your UC application. For all UC schools, you need to have at least a 3.0 GPA in your A-G classes if you're a California resident, or a 3.4 GPA if you're a non-resident. Additionally, you can't have gotten below a "C" in any of those classes.

There is no requirement for classes outside the A-G subjects, but you should still aim to do well in all your classes. UC states that "the strength of your high school record is the most important component in our review" so you want your transcript to be as strong as it can be with a high GPA and record of challenging classes.

Below is a table showing the middle 50% of weighted GPAs of accepted students for each of the UC schools during the 2023 admissions cycle:

To give yourself the best chance of getting in, you'll want to aim for the higher end of the GPA range for whichever school(s) you're applying to. For example, if you're applying to UC Davis, your goal should be to have a weighted GPA of 4.30. You can definitely still get in with a lower GPA (since that's the 75% marker, ¾ of students are getting in with a GPA lower than that), but if you reach that goal you'll have a great shot at being accepted.

#3: Standardized Test Scores

With UC schools becoming test blind, test scores are now less important than they were before. Again, even if you submit your SAT or ACT scores, they won't be reviewed, so they can't help or hurt your application. However, other test scores, such as AP or IB exams, can still give your application a boost, especially if your GPA isn't as high as you'd like it to be. Strong test scores show a mastery of course material and give UC schools further proof that you'd be a strong student.

#4: Extracurriculars

Your extracurriculars are another important part of your UC application. The key to strong extracurriculars is to emphasize your passion and leadership skills. You can do this by pursuing extracurriculars in a field related to your future major, sticking with them, and achieving leadership roles in them.

Some things UC states that are looking for in extracurriculars include:

• Special talents, awards, or achievements
• Leadership experience
• Significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.

They list the following examples of "strong" extracurriculars:

• Special talent in visual and performing arts, communication or sports
• Intensive study and exploration of other cultures
• Significant community service
• Significant participation in student government

Don't feel like you need to have all or even any of these experiences; they're just given so you can get an idea of what UC schools are looking for. Basically, any extracurricular that you're passionate about, skilled in, and have shown some leadership potential for is a great extracurricular to include on your UC application.

#5: Personal Statements

Your UC essays should show three main things:

• Who you are
• Why you want to attend a UC school
• What's important to you

Maybe you're a lifelong nature lover who wants to attend UC San Diego to take advantage of all the different ecosystems nearby that biology students can study. Perhaps you've always been obsessed with space and want to attend UC Berkeley and major in aeronautical engineering.

Whatever your story is, this is the place for UC to hear it, and it's the best place in your application to show them who you really are as a person. For a more in-depth look, read our guide on how to write outstanding UC essays.

Automatic Admission for California Residents

If you're a California resident, who meets at least one of the following two requirements, you will have a guaranteed spot at a UC school.

• You rank in the top 9% of California high school students, according to the UC admissions index .
• You rank in the top 9% of your graduating class at a participating high school. This is known as "Eligible in the Local Context" ( ELC ).

Be aware that this doesn't mean you'll get into every UC school; it just means you'll get into at least one, as long as space is available (which there typically is). If you're a California resident who has met the above requirements and aren't admitted to any of the UC schools you applied to, you'll be offered a spot at another campus as long as space is available.

Summary: UC Schools Application

If you're applying to a UC school, you want to make sure you know every application step you need to complete. The most important UC application deadline to be aware of is November 30th (or December 1st if you started your application by November 30th) . This is the last day you can submit your application.

In addition to completing the application, you also need to submit your transcript and any additional materials your specific school and major require. UC schools are test blind currently, so they won't review SAT or ACT scores, even if you do submit them. You only need to submit one application regardless of how many UC schools you're applying to, but you'll need to pay a $70 application fee for every school.

Regardless of whether you're working on a UC Davis application, UC San Diego application, UC Berkeley application, etc. all UC schools look for similar qualities in students. You'll need to complete the A-G courses, take difficult classes, have good grades, participate in extracurriculars, and have strong personal statements.

Work to make your application as strong as you can across each of these areas to give yourself the best shot of getting into your dream UC school.

What's Next?

Want to learn more about the University of California schools? We have an in-depth guide to the UC schools to make it easy for you to compare the schools and see which is best for you.

Working on your UC essays? Check out our guide on how to answer every UC essay prompt to get great writing ideas.

Want to know how to make your extracurriculars stand out even more? Check out this guide to four amazing extracurricular activities and learn why they're so impressive to colleges.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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• College Application

UC Personal Statement Examples

Use our UC personal statement samples to learn how to write a college essay for these prestigious institutions. The UC application system has eight prompts that they refer to as “personal insight questions.” Not unlike other college essays , the UC prompts cover very common college essay topics familiar to all applicants, including background, family, strengths, weaknesses, hobbies, and so on. You can go through UC personal statement samples if you are finding it hard to write supplemental college essays of your own. Practicing the writing of supplemental essays will give you the confidence to easily overcome that obstacle when the time comes to submit your application to the university. Read on to learn how to write the best UC essay for your application.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 9 min read

Uc personal statement requirements.

Before we go ahead and have a look at each prompt and the UC personal statement samples, let us go over the UC personal statement requirements.

According to the UC application requirements, prospective candidates must choose to respond to four out of the eight available questions. Each essay has a word limit of 350 words.

UC also offers a piece of advice by suggesting that while the questions you choose are up to you, you should choose the prompts that are “most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.” Keep in mind that the prompts are quite open-ended, so you have a lot of creative freedom when it comes to writing your essays. Try to choose prompts where you can showcase the qualities valued by the UC schools, such as leadership, creativity, diversity, academic prowess, and so on.

Learn how to write your college essays:

Now, let’s review expertly written UC personal statement samples. Below are essays that were written in response to four out of the eight prompts, as is required by UC. The fifth one is a bonus.

Prompt 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.

In my junior year of high school, I set a goal for myself: I would start a jazz club. Although we had several music clubs, including acapella, classical, and rock – there were none for the music I loved: jazz. To me, jazz is a genre that transcends race and nationalities. It is the music of “understanding.” By my junior year, I’d been playing the saxophone for five years, mostly at home, and wanted to continue to play with others. I also wanted to expose my peers to the music that meant so much to me. 

However, I also understood that jazz is the kind of music that attracted a distinct following. One must be exposed to live jazz before one can appreciate the beauty of this genre. I, therefore, knew I had to start by creating a buzz before considering forming a club, or it would be a club of one. And to create this buzz, I had to expose my schoolmates to live jazz and, therefore, create a jazz band.

I started looking for band members among my classmates. Not only did I ask my school to advertise my search in the school newspaper, but I also put up flyers at the entrance of the school to attract musicians. 

Slowly, over three months, I found four musicians to form our jazz quintet. Once we had set up our rehearsal schedules and practiced a few songs, we were confident enough to perform our first gig at the upcoming “Culture Day” hosted by our school.

After enthusiastic ovations for our last song, we took the opportunity to announce our intention to form a school jazz club and welcome everyone to join us in appreciation of this eclectic genre.

Shortly after our performance, we had our club. Over the last year, the club has grown exponentially. I continued to practice with my band and other club members, and we even began to invite local jazz musicians to play with us. Today, the club is growing strong and I hope will remain a part of the X high school for years to come.  (350 words)

As you can see from the UC personal statement samples and prompts, the UC schools are trying to understand what kinds of experiences you will bring to the college community. Remember, research each UC school to strategically choose experiences and skills to highlight in your essay.

The UC personal statements are submitted using the UC application system, so you will simply be banned from submitting your work.

Your essays should be stories. Tell the admissions committee who you are and what got you to where you are today.

Don’t forget to spell check and make sure there are no grammatical errors.

UC schools are some of the best universities in the world. This means, the competition for admission each year is cutthroat.

Focus on ways you can increase your chances by creating exceptional personal statements and essays.

You can only join a UC school if you have a minimum 3.0 GPA as a California resident and a 3.4 GPA if you are a non-resident.

Not everyone is good at writing personal statements. But, you can go ahead and work with college essay advisors to get some pointers on how to write a competent personal statement.

It really doesn’t matter if the UC prompts change every year or not. The point is that you learn to write the best essays that you can and succeed in getting admitted to the university – regardless of the prompt.

The first thing you need to remember is that the personal statement is like a story about you. If you look at the prompts for the UC personal statements, you can see that they ask about you and how you affect – or are affected by – your community, your background, your experiences, and so on.

To make your personal statement stand out, you need to tell a compelling story when answering the prompts.

Since you’re talking about your life and experiences, you can go with a semi-casual tone. Avoid vulgar terms, stay away from controversial topics, and never write about current hot topics in politics.

Remember: you want to leave a good impression with the admissions committee – so don’t shoot yourself in the foot by inadvertently offending them.

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The UC Personal Statements and Essays: Best Practices

• September 29, 2015

With UC applicants polishing their essays, better known as personal statements, before the November application window opens, I’ve included an excerpt from my book,  How to Transfer to a UC from a California Community College: The Unofficial Guide to help hone the writing process.

UPDATE March 2016: For all Fall 2017 applicants, the Personal Statements have been changed to the  Personal Insights questions. Click here for more information . No matter the actual topic, the University of California admissions office has quite a few things to say about the personal statement, and these stay consistent:

They are looking for personal statements that pair with the application, giving a fuller picture of the applicant. On the surface this seems especially daunting, but it isn’t. On the application this is what they see: GPA and a possible series of activities. There is no semblance of an actual living person. That’s why the essay questions are deliberately broad and cover the same material no matter how they may be configured year to year:  “Tell us about an experience or situation and how you reacted to it.”  “Tell us why you like your major.” They just want to read something that tells a story about you. It could be a fifteen-minute event that happened after school, but when they finish reading, they will have a hint of your personality and how you think.  If you list a series of extra-curricular activities in your application, don’t just repeat them laundry list fashion. They already know all that from your application.

Choose wisely. Even though they don’t want repetition, this does not mean you cannot single out something you alluded to in your application and go into greater depth. Feel free to repeat if it’s providing deeper insight into you and the event. The key is that when the admissions officer reads the essay they come away knowing more about you and your thought processes than when they started.

They want you to show AND tell. Berkeley says they look for stories. Writing that you helped at the Special Olympics and from it you learned humility, or it made you feel good, or it aligned with your theory on diversity are pretty standard cliches. Anyone can say that and it doesn’t explain how it affected you. You need a combination of telling and showing the process that led to the impact or change. Write about an actual story while working for the Special Olympics that had a profound affect on you, maybe working one day with a single athlete.  Show via a tiny story, but follow up with telling how it led to a change of perspective.

The UCs do not want a list of hardships. They really don’t. Hardships are over-rated. Use them sparingly.

They want you to single out an event or theme. Don’t tell them your whole life. Pick one segment or one issue that defines you. This does not mean it has to be one small story come hell or high water, because a lot of students can’t think of one. And when it comes to talking about your major, a story may be harder to come by. But it does mean picking a general theme, and making sure there is a micro-story somewhere within that theme (meaning a sentence or two describing a complementary situation). Remember, they are looking for quality of experience, not quantity.

Show growth, learning, or passion.   Whether it’s leadership, a physical or emotional problem, strong moral fiber, not giving up in the face of adversity, uniqueness, whatever it is— show your growth. Don’t be afraid to talk about a mistake or a failure.  

Don’t write about the same thing in both essays. If you write at length about something in the additional comments, don’t write about it all over again. Everything you write should be adding something new to the application package.

Think small. Some of the best essays have a small story, the little kernel that led to a powerful observation, or an emotional epiphany. Whether you’re incorporating an instance involving helping the family business, living with your extended family, living without a family, moving a lot, winning an award, helping a sick relative, creating a project, volunteering in the ‘hood, think about how these principles may be applied to enlarge the small kernel that is you.

Conflict vs resolution. One big question  to keep in mind as you develop your personal statements is how is tension being created? By tension, I don’t mean Terminator-level, I mean, rather, did you set up a dilemma or obstacle that was finally resolved? That is the key to a great personal statement. There must be forward movement from point A to point B. Think about the stories in your life that get repeated by your friends or just filed away as an everyday occurrence.  Almost every action or thought contains small resolutions:  

• Dilemma :  I found out my boy friend, who I thought I could trust, was stepping out on me. Resolution : I tossed him to the curb, and actually felt empowered.  
• Dilemma : I left a candle burning in my bedroom and the curtains caught on fire. Resolution :  Never doing that again. Always in the room when a candle is burning.
• Dilemma : I didn’t study hard enough for the mid-term and got a D. Resolution : Next two tests, I studied and got an A.    

What you want to do in your personal statement is show a situation, conflict, or dilemma (big or small) and what changed in you because of it. Follow these above suggestions and you should ace your essays and make the readers very happy.

“How to Transfer to a UC from a California Community College: The Unofficial Guide” is available on Amazon and iTunes .

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Lindy is an independent UC admissions consultant, who works with both transfers and freshmen. She also has just completed her first novel, a supernatural thriller set in San Francisco.

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One-on-one UC Personal Insights Non-UC application essays Common App

Writing the Personal Statement

Helpful tips and advice for drafting a compelling personal statement when applying for graduate admission.

Make sure to check the appropriate program website to find out if your statement should include additional or specific information.

What does this statement need to accomplish?

The personal statement should give concrete evidence of your promise as a member of the academic community, giving the committee an image of you as a person.

This is also where you represent your potential to bring to your academic career a critical perspective rooted in a non-traditional educational background, or your understanding of the experiences of groups historically under-represented in higher education and your commitment to increase participation by a diverse population in higher education.

What kinds of content belongs here?

Anything that can give reviewers a sense of you as a person belongs here; you can repeat information about your experiences in your research statement, but any experiences that show your promise, initiative, and ability to persevere despite obstacles belongs here. This is also a good place to display your communication skills and discuss your ability to maximize effective collaboration with a diverse cross-section of the academic community. If you have faced any obstacles or barriers in your education, sharing those experiences serves both for the selection process, and for your nomination for fellowships. If one part of your academic record is not ideal, due to challenges you faced in that particular area, this is where you can explain that, and direct reviewers’ attention to the evidence of your promise for higher education.

The basic message: your academic achievement despite challenges

It is especially helpful for admissions committees considering nominating you for fellowships for diversity if you discuss any or all of the following:

• Demonstrated significant academic achievement by overcoming barriers such as economic, social, or educational disadvantage;
• attendance at a minority serving institution;
• ability to articulate the barriers facing women and minorities in science and engineering fields;
• participation in higher education pipeline programs such as, UC Leads, or McNair Scholars;
• Academic service advancing equitable access to higher education for women and racial minorities in fields where they are underrepresented;
• Leadership experience among students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education;
• research that addresses issues such as race, gender, diversity, and inclusion;
• research that addresses health disparities, educational access and achievement, political engagement, economic justice, social mobility, civil and human rights, and other questions of interest to historically underrepresented groups;
• artistic expression and cultural production that reflects culturally diverse communities or voices not well represented in the arts and humanities.

Yes, You Can Use Your Common App Essay for UC Applications. Here’s How:

By Lucas McAdams, ESM College Coach and Mentor

Essay writing during college application season can be a very time-consuming and draining process. Knowing that, we try to organize the process for our students as well as possible, ensuring that excellent essays are written, but also minimizing the amount of time and energy our students have to spend while doing so. One of the main ways this can be done is by re-purposing previously written essays for multiple essay prompts.

Here is a step-by-step process on re-purposing the personal statement for the Common App (CA) for use on the University of California application (UC). Of course, many of these recommendations can be applied to other applications, as well:

1) Finish your Common App personal statement . In all but a few scenarios, the personal statement for the CA should be the first piece of writing that you complete during your college application process. It’s the one essay that nearly every student will be required to write, and the prompts are broad enough to allow virtually any topic, making it a gentle introduction to the essay writing process.

2) Examine the UC Essay Prompts. Here are the two this year: (1) “Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations”, and (2) “Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?”. The first essay I will call the “community” essay, and the second I’ll refer to as the “talent” essay.

3) Decide which UC prompt is more closely aligned with the topic of your personal statement. The “community” essay works well for personal statements that discuss topics relating to a student’s upbringing or environment. The “talent” essay works well for personal statements that discuss topics relating to a student’s hobbies, passions, and extracurricular activities. Of course, it’s possible that your CA personal statement may not align well with either prompt; in that case, it’s usually best to start from scratch on both prompts rather than try to force the issue.

4) Make a plan for what you will write on the other UC prompt. This ensures that your two essays will complement each other well. You don’t want them to be redundant or contradictory.

5) Write the other essay first. Again, this ensures that the two essays will complement each other, but also it will give you a sense of how much you’ll need to cut from your CA personal statement for use on the UC prompt. The CA essay maximum length is 650 words, and most students usually run right up to that limit. The UC essays cannot add up to more than 1,000 words, and it’s typically best for the breakdown between the two UC essays to be between 500/500 and 600/400, so usually it is necessary for students to cut from their CA essay in order to apply it to the UC.

6) Once you’ve finished the other essay, or at least have a draft completed, begin to alter your CA essay. Ensure that the essay fits the UC prompt very closely. If it doesn’t, admissions officers will suspect that you simply copy and pasted another essay. That isn’t what we’re doing here; we’re adapting your original work for use in answering a related question. Let me emphasize this point: I have never seen a situation in which it was appropriate to use the exact same essay for two different applications. You should always make at least some minor changes to your previous work before using it again.

7) As always, have a mentor or essay editor review your work before submitting. The worst case scenario: you accidentally mention “CU Boulder” on your “UC Davis” application. Don’t be that guy.

Following these steps can ensure that you write high-quality essays in an efficient manner. Pay attention to the details; your future self will thank you for it!

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First-year requirements

• Subject requirement (A-G)
• GPA requirement
• Admission by exception
• English language proficiency
• UC graduation requirements

Additional information for

• California residents
• Out-of-state students
• Home-schooled students

Transfer requirements

• Understanding UC transfer
• Preparing to transfer
• UC transfer programs
• Transfer planning tools

International applicants

• Applying for admission
• English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS)
• Passports & visas
• Living accommodations
• Health care & insurance

AP & Exam credits

Applying as a first year

• Filling out the application
• Dates & deadlines
• Personal insight questions

How applications are reviewed

• After you apply

Applying as a transfer

Types of aid

• Grants & scholarships
• Jobs & work-study
• California DREAM Loan Program
• Middle Class Scholarship Program
• Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan
• Native American Opportunity Plan  
• Who can get financial aid
• How aid works
• Estimate your aid

Apply for financial aid

• Tuition & cost of attendance
• Glossary & resources
• Santa Barbara
• Campus program & support services
• Check majors
• Freshman admit data
• Transfer admit data
• Native American Opportunity Plan
• Apply for aid

We spend time evaluating your academic achievements in light of the opportunities available to you and your demonstrated capacity to contribute to the intellectual life at UC. Some factors we may consider are:

• Academic grade point average in all completed A-G courses, including additional points for completed UC-certified honors courses.
• Number of, content of and performance in all A-G subject areas beyond the minimum requirements.
• Number of and performance in UC-approved honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate Higher Level and transferable college courses.
• Identification by UC as being ranked in the top 9 percent of your high school class at the end of your junior year ( Eligible in the Local Context , or ELC).
• Quality of your senior-year program as measured by the type and number of academic courses in any A-G subject area in progress or planned.
• Quality of your academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in your high school.
• Outstanding performance in one or more specific subject areas.
• Outstanding work in one or more special projects in any academic field of study.
• Recent, marked improvement in academic performance as demonstrated by academic GPA and the quality of coursework completed or in progress.
• Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, communication or athletic endeavors; special skills, such as demonstrated written and oral proficiency in other languages; special interests, such as intensive study and exploration of other cultures; experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service or significant participation in student government; or other significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.
• Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of your high school curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs.
• Academic accomplishments in light of your life experiences and special circumstances, including but not limited to: disabilities, low family income, first generation to attend college, need to work, disadvantaged social or educational environment, difficult personal and family situations or circumstances, refugee status or veteran status.
• Location of your secondary school and residence.

Selection process by campus

While all UC campuses use the same factors to evaluate applications, they often apply these factors differently. Be sure to review the selection process of each campus:

• Los Angeles

Do campuses make their admissions decisions independently from other UC campuses?

Each UC campus evaluates each application without knowing the status of the same application at another campus. In making admission decisions, campuses do not consider where you've applied or your admission status to other campuses. All campuses consider your application simultaneously, yet independently of all other campuses you applied to.

Good to know

Because the pool of students who apply to UC is different every year, the level of academic performance necessary for admission to a particular campus or major is different, too.

Acceptance rates depend on the number of applicants, their academic qualifications and the spaces we have available.

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UC's personal statement

So sorry if this question has been on here a million times... BUT do UC's take personal statements or do they just take the 4 out of 8 questions? Thanks!!

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Application Writing Prompts

For the purpose of your Cincinnati application, writing ability is demonstrated in both The Common Application essay and University of Cincinnati personal statement. It is important to put your best foot forward through these responses in order for the admissions staff to draw a full picture of why you would be a good fit at the University of Cincinnati. Therefore, as you prepare your application, spend time on these components of the application and don't be afraid to have family, teachers, or counselors weigh in and provide feedback.

Students must choose one of the following topics to complete an essay of no more than 650 words:

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 
• Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. 

Personal Statement

Students must also submit a personal statement in response to the following prompt in approximately 500 words:

• Why did you apply to each of the academic programs listed on your application? This personal statement should provide additional information not already referenced in your application.