New UC Essay Prompts & Requirements

The new UC essay prompts for freshmen and transfer students will become effective beginning fall 2017. The new UC essay prompts are listed here with any requirements. In the meanwhile, you can review the new essay prompts and begin thinking about possible topics.

FRESHMEN: 350 word maximum per question

Answer any 4 of the following 8 questions:

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.
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.
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
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?
6. Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.
7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
8. What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?

Transfer Applicants: Personal Insight Questions

What do you want UC to know about you? Here’s your chance to tell us in your own word

Directions

• There is one required question you must answer

• You must also answer 3 out of 7 additional questions

• Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.

• Which three questions you choose to answer are up to you: But you should select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.

Required question

Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.

You will also need to select 3 out of the following 7 questions to answer:

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.
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.
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
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?
6. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
7. What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?

Keep in mind:

• All questions are equal: All questions are given equal consideration in the application review process, which means there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.

• 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.

We hope you can let us know how you like working with these new UC essay prompts.