· Written using Narrative Structure and adapted for the UC Application Essay could have worked for prompts 1, 5, 8, and perhaps others. At six years old, I stood locked away in the restroom. My dad was being put under arrest for domestic abuse. He’d hurt my mom physically and mentally, and my brother Jose and I had shared the mental strain. It’s what had to be done. For a few years the Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins · Important note: The University of California admissions folks would like me (and you!) to refer to these prompts as “personal insight questions” instead of “essays” or "UC personal statement". Why? Sometimes students associate the word “essay Estimated Reading Time: 8 mins
University of California (UC) Essay Prompt Guide
Regardless of what you typed into that search box, rest easy. But before I share some of my best tips for writing these particular application essays ahem, uc application essay, personal insight questionssome good news and bad news:. The good news: You can write a great UC personal insight question and the resources below will totally help. Writing an amazing UC application essay--or uc application essay application essay for any college-- requires knowing what schools are looking for, some great exercises, and some example essays.
This post covers: What are the 8 UC Personal Insight Questions? What Are Readers Looking For in a UC Application Essay? How To Write A UC Personal Insight Question How to Find Your Four UC PIQ Topics How to Brainstorm Content for Your UC PIQs How to Structure Your UC Personal Insight Question Using The Narrative Structure for Challenges-Based Essays Example of Narrative Structure in uc application essay UC Personal Statement Using the Montage Structure to Write Your UC Essay Tips for Finding a Good Thematic Thread Example of Montage Structure in a UC Personal Statement Essay 5 More Tips for Your UC Personal Insight Questions.
Anyone applying to the UCs will need to answer four of the UC personal insight questions, uc application essay words each. Heads up: these prompts are different from the Common App prompts.
The personal insight questions should admissions readers a glimpse actually, four glimpses! into the skills, qualities, values, interests and life challenges that have made you who you are beyond your grades and test scores. Did you explore your love of drama by starting a theater troupe?
Are you obsessed with Calculus? These are the kinds of things the UC readers want to know. The UC Personal Insight Question Uc application essay. 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. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Beyond what has already been shared in your application, uc application essay, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admission to the University of California? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to choose four of these topics and write words on each.
Grade-point average 2. Test scores 3. Performance in and number of courses beyond minimum a-g requirements 4. UC-approved honors courses and advanced courses 5. Eligibility in the Local Context ELC — CA residents only 6. Quality of senior-year program of study 7. Academic opportunities in California high schools 8, uc application essay.
Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas 9. Achievements in special projects Improvement in academic performance Uc application essay talents, achievements and awards Participation in educational preparation programs Academic accomplishments in light of life experiences Geographic location.
Note: No single factor determines admission, as your application is evaluated holistically. your structure.
Start by listing out all your extracurricular activities. Feeling stuck and want some ideas on what to list as your activities? Check out this bunch of example extracurricular activities.
So maybe your GIANT LIST OF POSSIBLE UC TOPICS starts off looking something like this:. But wait--are there any other possible topics you can think of? Look again at the UC personal insight question prompts above and see what else you could potentially write about. And did you consider academic subjects you love and have explored outside school? That could work uc application essay prompt 6. Keep going. Calculus watch YouTube videos on it, took a summer course, connects to my future career.
Took all the science classes at my school, so I had to take extra classes at a nearby community college. ask yourself:. Which of these possible topics uc application essay show four different sides of me?
Spend minutes seeing if you can come up with four different topics. Aim for variety! Get this: If done correctly in other words, if you spend at least min. per activity and really think about the questions listed at the link aboveuc application essay, the BEABIES exercise will basically write your essay for you.
Do it and see. The next question is:. If you are writing about a challenge, I recommend the Narrative Structure, uc application essay.
If you are not writing about a challenge, I recommend the Montage Structure. I find the Narrative structure works best for prompts: 1 Leadership 4 Educational opportunity or educational barrier overcome 5 Significant challenge overcome 7 Improving community example, uc application essay. more challenges-based than other prompts. So how do you use the Narrative Structure for the UC insight questions? Click here for the Elon Musk Exercise.
Complete that exercise and you should be able to map out a personal insight question describing a challenge you overcame related to an extracurricular activity or community service project. Approach 2: The Feelings and Needs Exercise.
Click here for the Feelings and Needs Exercise. Complete that exercise and you should be able to map out a personal insight question describing a challenge you overcame related to a family or personal issue. But because the UC personal insight responses are so short, it can be useful to use this simpler structure:. What challenge s did you face and what impact did they have on you?
Important: the readers will be more interested in what you did about it and what you learned than the challenge itself. So consider devoting one paragraph to answering each of the three questions above.
The Feelings and Needs exercise will help you develop your ideas. Written using Narrative Structure and adapted for the UC Application Essay could have worked for prompts 1, 5, 8, and perhaps others. At six years old, I stood locked away in the restroom.
My dad was being put under arrest for domestic abuse. For a few years the quality of our lives started to uc application essay as our soon-to-be step-dad became part of our family. I cooked, Jose cleaned, I uc application essay Fernando, Jose put him to bed.
We did what we had to do. I grew determined to improve the quality of life for my family and myself. Without a father figure to teach me the things a father could, I became my own teacher. I learned how to fix bikes, how to swim, and even how to talk to girls. I found a job to help pay bills. I became as independent as I could to lessen the time and money mom had to spend raising me. I tutored kids, teens, and adults on a variety of subjects ranging from basic English to home improvement and even Calculus, uc application essay.
And I have yet to see how Fernando will grow. Not because I have to. Did you spot the elements of the Feelings and Needs Exercise? If not, here they are:. Effects: Author and his brother shared the mental strain, father was arrested, funds were tight, mom worked two jobs, brothers took care of one another, kept to themselves when dealing with financial and medical issues, avoided going on certain school trips, at times author was discouraged from meeting new people, grades started to slip, uc application essay.
Feelings: Confused, Anxious, Worried, Relieved, uc application essay, Alone, Lost, uc application essay, Vulnerable, Lonely, Disconnected, Alone, Heartbroken, Ashamed, Disillusioned. Needs: Order, Autonomy, Reassurance, Growth, Safety, Understanding, Empathy, Hope, Support, uc application essay, Self-Acceptance. With just minutes of focused work, you can map out your whole story.
I find the Montage structure works particularly well for these prompts: 1 Leadership 2 Creativity 3 A talent or skill 6 Favorite academic subject 7 Improving community example 8 What sets you apart? Montage is a technique that involves creating a new whole from separate fragments.
How to Write the UC Essays - Top MISTAKES to Avoid When Writing the UC Personal Insight Questions
, time: 5:2217 UC Essay Examples AKA Personal Insight Questions
· Written using Narrative Structure and adapted for the UC Application Essay could have worked for prompts 1, 5, 8, and perhaps others. At six years old, I stood locked away in the restroom. My dad was being put under arrest for domestic abuse. He’d hurt my mom physically and mentally, and my brother Jose and I had shared the mental strain. It’s what had to be done. For a few years the Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins · Important note: The University of California admissions folks would like me (and you!) to refer to these prompts as “personal insight questions” instead of “essays” or "UC personal statement". Why? Sometimes students associate the word “essay Estimated Reading Time: 8 mins
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