uc davis supplemental essays

UC Davis Graduate Studies

Admissions essays.

UC Davis requires that applicants to all graduate programs submit both a Statement of Purpose and a Personal History and Diversity Statement. Each essay can be no longer than 4,000 characters (including spaces). To allow prospective applicants the opportunity to prepare these essays before starting the application, the prompts for each essay are listed below.

Statement of Purpose

Please highlight your academic preparation and motivation; interests, specializations and career goals; and fit for pursuing graduate study at UC Davis.

• preparation and motivation may include your academic and research experiences that prepare you for this graduate program (for example: coursework, employment, exhibitions, fieldwork, foreign language proficiency, independent study, internships, laboratory activities, presentations, publications, studio projects, teaching, and travel or study abroad) and motivation or passion for graduate study.
• interests, specializations, and career goals may include your research interests, disciplinary subfields, area/s of specialization, and professional objectives.
• fit may include how your preparation, experiences, and interests match the specific resources and characteristics of your graduate program at UC Davis. Please identify specific faculty within your desired graduate program with whom you would like to work and how their interests match your own.

Personal History and Diversity Statement

The University of California Davis, a public institution, is committed to supporting the diversity of the graduate student body and promoting equal opportunity in higher education. This commitment furthers the educational mission to serve the increasingly diverse population and educational needs of California and the nation. Both the Vice Provost of Graduate Education/Dean of Graduate Studies and the University of California affirm that diversity is critical to promoting lively intellectual exchange and the variety of ideas and perspectives essential to advancing higher education and research. Our graduate students contribute to the global pool of future scholars and academic leaders, thus high value is placed on achieving a diverse graduate student body to support the University of California’s academic excellence. We invite you to include in this statement how you may contribute to the diversification of graduate education and the UC Davis community.

The purpose of this essay is to get to know you as an individual and potential graduate student. Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. You may include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, community service, outreach activities, residency and citizenship, first-generation college status, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field; or how you might serve educationally underrepresented and underserved segments of society with your graduate education. This essay should complement but not duplicate the content in the Statement of Purpose.

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University of California, Davis | UC Davis’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt short responses.

Please respond to any 4 of the 8 questions below.We realize that not all questions apply to all applicants, so be sure to select the 4 questions that you believe give us the best information about you.All 8 questions are given equal consideration in the application review process. Responses to each question should be between 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 stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

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How to Write the University of California Essays 2023-2024

The University of California (UC) school system is the most prestigious state university system in the United States and includes nine undergraduate universities: UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Merced, and UC Irvine.

The University of California system has its own application portal, as well as its own deadline of November 30th—a full month before the Common Application is due. All nine universities use one application, so it is easy to apply to multiple UCs at the same time. 

The application requires you to answer four of eight personal insight questions, with a 350-word limit on each prompt. This may seem daunting at first, but we provide this guide to make the prompts more approachable and to help you effectively tackle them! 

University of California Application Essay Prompts

Note: There is only one application for all the UC schools, so your responses will be sent to every University of California school that you apply to. You should avoid making essays school-specific (unless you are applying to only one school).

You might want to start by deciding which four of the eight prompts you plan on answering. The eight prompts are:

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. think about an academic subject that inspires you. describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom., 7. what have you done to make your school or your community a better place, 8. beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the university of california.

As you begin selecting prompts, keep the purpose of college essays at the forefront of your mind. College essays are the place to humanize yourself and transform your test scores, GPA, and extracurriculars into a living, breathing human with values, ambitions, and a backstory. If a specific prompt will allow you to show a part of who you are that is not showcased in the rest of your application, start there. 

If nothing immediately jumps out at you, try dividing the prompts into three categories: “definites,” “possibilities,” and “avoids at all costs.” “Definites” will be prompts that quickly spark up a specific idea in you. “Possibilities” might elicit a few loose concepts, anecdotes, or structures. And “avoids” are prompts where you honestly cannot see yourself writing a convincing essay. Next, take your “definites” and “possibilities” and jot down your initial thoughts about them. Finally, look at all of your ideas together and decide which combination would produce the most well-rounded essay profile that shows who you are as an individual.

Of course, this is just one way to approach choosing prompts if you are stuck. Some students might prefer writing out a list of their values, identifying the most important ones in their life, then figuring out how to showcase those through the prompts. Other students select prompts based on what they are excited by or through freewriting on every prompt first. Do not feel constrained by any one method. Just remember:

• Do not rush into prompts at first glance (though trial writing can be very valuable!).
• Make sure that you consider potential ideas for many prompts before making final decisions, and ultimately write about the one with the most substance.
• The prompts you select should allow you to highlight what is most important to you.

Check out our video to learn more about how to write the UC essays!

The 8 UC Personal Insight Questions

“Leadership Experience” is often a subheading on student resumes, but that is not what admissions officers are asking about here. They are asking for you to tell them a specific story of a time when your leadership truly mattered. This could include discussing the policies you enacted as president of a school club or the social ties you helped establish as captain of a sports team, but this prompt also gives you the freedom to go past that.

Leaders are individuals with strong values, who mentor, inspire, correct, and assist those around them. If you don’t feel like you’ve ever been a leader, consider the following questions:

• Have you ever mentored anyone? Is there anyone younger than you who would not be the person they are today without you?
• Have you ever taken the initiative? When and why did it matter?
• Have you ever been fundamental to positive change in the world—whether it be on the small scale of positively impacting a family member’s life or on the large scale of trying to change the status of specific communities/identities in this world?
• Have you ever stood up for what’s right or what you believe in?

Leadership is a concept that can be stretched, bent, and played with, but at the end of the day, the central theme of your essay must be leadership. Keeping this in mind, after your first draft, it can be helpful to identify the definition of leadership that you are working with, to keep your essay cohesive. This definition doesn’t need to appear within the essay (though, if you take on a more reflective structure, it might). Some examples of this include “being a positive role model as leadership,” “encouraging others to take risks as leadership,” and “embracing my identities as leadership.”

Here are some examples of how a leadership essay might look:

• You’ve always loved learning and challenging yourself, but when you got to high school it was clear that only a certain type of student was recommended to take AP classes and you didn’t fit into that type. You presented a strong case to the school counselors that you were just as prepared for AP classes as anyone else, enrolled in your desired classes, and excelled. Since then, AP classes have become more diversified at your school and there has even been a new inclusion training introduced for your district’s school counselors. 
• When you were working as a camp counselor, the art teacher brought you two of your campers who were refusing to get along. To mediate the conflict, you spent long hours before bed talking to them individually, learning about their personal lives and family situation. By understanding where each camper came from, you were better equipped to help them reach a compromise and became a role model for both campers.
• As a member of your school’s Chinese organization, you were driven by your ethnic heritage to devote your lunch breaks to ensuring the smooth presentation of the Chinese culture show. You coordinated the performers, prepared refreshments, and collected tickets. You got through a great performance, even though a performer didn’t show and some of the food was delivered late. You weren’t on the leadership board or anything, but exhibited serious leadership, as both nights of the culture show sold out and hundreds of both Chinese and non-Chinese people were able to come together and celebrate your culture.

Like the last prompt, this prompt asks about a specific topic—creativity—but gives you wiggle room to expand your definition of that topic. By defining creativity as problem-solving, novel thinking, and artistic expression, this prompt basically says “get creative in how you define creativity!” 

Additionally, this broad conception of creativity lets you choose if you want to write about your personal life or your academic life. A robotics student could write about their love of baking on the weekends or their quick thinking during a technical interview. A dance student could write about their love of adapting choreography from famous ballets or their innovative solution to their dance team’s lack of funds for their showcase. You have space to do what you want!

That said, because this prompt is so open, it is important to establish a focus early on. Try thinking about what is missing from your application. If you are worried that your application makes you seem hyper-academic, use this prompt to show how you have fun. If you are worried that you might be appearing like one of those students who just gets good grades because they have a good memory, use this prompt to show off your problem-solving skills.

Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to describe any skill in creative pursuits as you answer this prompt. The prompt asks you how you express your “creative side,” alluding to creative instinct, not creative talent. You could write about how you use painting to let out your emotions—but your paintings aren’t very good. You could write about dancing in the shower to get excited for your day—but one time you slipped and fell and hurt your elbow. Experiences like these could make for a great reflective essay, where you explore the human drive towards creative expression and your acceptance that you personally don’t have to be creatively inclined to let out creative energy.

Some examples:

• A math student writing about a time they devised a non-textbook method to proving theorems 
• A creative writer describing how they close-read the ups-and-downs of classical music as an attempt to combat writers’ block and think of emotional trajectories for new stories
• An engineering student writing about cooking as a creative release where numbers don’t matter and intuition supersedes reason
• A psychology student writing about the limitations of quantitative data and describing a future approach to psychology that merges humanism and empiricism.

This is the kind of prompt where an answer either pops into your head or it doesn’t. The good news is that you can write a convincing essay either way. We all have great talents and skills—you just might have to dig a bit to identify the name of the talent/skill and figure out how to best describe it.

Some students have more obvious talents and skills than others. For example, if you are intending to be a college athlete, it makes sense to see your skill at your sport as your greatest talent or skill. Similarly, if you are being accepted into a highly-selective fine arts program, painting might feel like your greatest talent. These are completely reasonable to write about because, while obvious, they are also authentic! 

The key to writing a convincing essay about an obvious skill is to use that skill to explore your personality, values, motivations, and ambitions. Start by considering what first drew you to your specialization. Was there a specific person? Something your life was missing that painting, hockey, or film satisfied? Were you brought up playing your sport or doing your craft because your parents wanted you to and you had to learn to love it? Or choose to love it? What was that process like? What do these experiences say about you? Next, consider how your relationship with your talent has evolved. Have you doubted your devotion at times? Have you wondered if you are good enough? Why do you keep going? On the other hand, is your talent your solace? The stable element in your life? Why do you need that?

The key is to elucidate why this activity is worth putting all your time into, and how your personality strengths are exhibited through your relationship to the activity. 

Do not be put off by this prompt if you have not won any big awards or shown immense talent in something specific. All the prompt asks for is what you think is your greatest talent or skill. Some avenues of consideration for other students include:

• Think about aspects of your personality that might be considered a talent or skill. This might include being a peacemaker, being able to make people laugh during hard times, or having organization skills.
• Think about unique skills that you have developed through unique situations. These would be things like being really good at reading out loud because you spend summers with your grandfather who can no longer read, knowing traffic patterns because you volunteer as a crossing guard at the elementary school across the street that starts 45 minutes before the high school, or making really good pierogi because your babysitter as a child was Polish.
• Think about lessons you have learned through life experiences. A military baby might have a great skill for making new friends at new schools, a child of divorce might reflect on their ability to establish boundaries in what they are willing to communicate about with different people, and a student who has had to have multiple jobs in high school might be talented at multitasking and scheduling. 

Make sure to also address how you have developed and demonstrated your selected talent. Do you put in small amounts of practice every day, or strenuous hours for a couple of short periods each year? Did a specific period of your life lead to the development of your talent or are you still developing it daily? 

The purpose of college essays is to show your values and personality to admissions officers, which often includes exploring your past and how it informs your present and future. With a bit of creativity in how you define a “talent or skill,” this prompt can provide a great avenue for that exploration. 

This prompt offers you two potential paths—discussing an educational opportunity or barrier. It is important that you limit yourself to one of these paths of exploration to keep your essay focused and cohesive. 

Starting with the first option, you should think of an educational opportunity as anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for life and your career. Some examples could include:

• participation in an honors program
• enrollment in an academy geared toward your future profession
• a particularly enlightening conversation with a professional or teacher
• joining a cultural- or interest-based student coalition
• plenty of other opportunities

The phrasing “taken advantage of” implies the admissions committee’s desire for students who take the initiative. Admissions officers are more interested in students who sought out opportunities and who fought to engage with opportunities than students who were handed things. For example, a student who joined a career-advancement afterschool program in middle school could write about why they were initially interested in the program—perhaps they were struggling in a specific subject and didn’t want to fall behind because they had their sights set on getting into National Junior Honor Society, or their friend mentioned that the program facilitated internship opportunities and they thought they wanted to explore therapy as a potential career path.

On the other hand, if an opportunity was handed to you through family connections or a fortuitous introduction, explore what you did with that opportunity. For example, if a family member introduced you to an important producer because they knew you were interested in film, you could write about the notes you took during that meeting and how you have revisited the producer’s advice and used it since the meeting to find cheap equipment rentals and practice your craft.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you have faced, consider the personal characteristics and skills you called upon to overcome the challenge. How did the process of overcoming your educational barrier shape you as a person? What did you learn about yourself or the world? An added plus would be talking about passing it forward and helping those in your purview obtain the knowledge you did from your experiences.

Some examples of educational barriers could include:

• limited access to resources, materials, technology, or classes
• lacking educational role models
• struggles with deciding on a passion or career path
• financial struggles

One example of an interesting essay about educational barriers:

As a student at a school that did not offer any honors classes, you enrolled in online lectures to learn the subject you were passionate about — Human Geography. Afterward, you spoke to your school administrators about high-achieving students needing higher-level courses, and they agreed to talk to the local community college to start a pipeline for students like you.

Either way that you take this prompt, it can be used to position yourself as motivated and driven—exactly the type of student admissions officers are looking for!

This prompt is three-pronged. You must 1) identify a challenge 2) describe the steps you have taken to overcome the challenge and 3) connect the challenge to your academic achievement.

When approaching this prompt, it is best to consider these first and third aspects together so that you identify a challenge that connects to your academic life. If you simply pick any challenge you have experienced, when you get to the third part of the prompt, you may have to stretch your essay in ways that are unconvincing or feel inauthentic.

That said, remember that “academic achievement” reaches far beyond grades and exams. It can include things like:

• Deciding your career goals
• Balancing homework, jobs, and social/familial relationships
• Having enough time to devote to self-care
• Figuring out how you study/learn best
• Feeling comfortable asking for help when you need it

You should begin brainstorming challenges and hardships that you have experienced and overcome. These could include financial hardships, familial circumstances, personal illness, or learning disabilities. Challenges could also be less structural—things like feeling like you are living in a sibling’s shadow, struggles with body image, or insecurity. While it is important that your challenge was significant, it matters much more that you discuss your challenge with thoughtful reflection and maturity.

Some ways to take this prompt include:

• Writing about how overcoming a challenge taught you a skill that led to academic success — for example, a high-achieving student who struggles with anxiety was forced to take time off from school after an anxiety attack and learned the importance of giving oneself a break
• Writing about a challenge that temporarily hindered your academic success and reflecting on it — for example, a student who experienced a death in the family could have had a semester where they almost failed English because reading led to negative thought spirals instead of plot retention
• Writing about how a challenge humbled you and gave you a new perspective on your academics — for example, a student with a part-time job who helps support her family missed a shift because she was studying for a test and realized that she needed to ask her teachers for help and explain her home situation

As you describe the steps you have taken to overcome your selected challenge, you will want to include both tangible and intangible steps. This means that you will need to discuss your emotions, growth, and development, as well as what you learned through overcoming the challenge. Was your challenge easy to overcome or did it take a few tries? Do you feel you have fully overcome your challenge or is it a work in progress? If you have fully overcome the challenge, what do you do differently now? Or do you just see things differently now? If you were to experience the same challenge again, what would you have learned from before?

Here are some detailed examples:

• Your parents underwent a bitter, drawn-out divorce that deeply scarred you and your siblings, especially your little brother who was attending elementary school at the time. He was constantly distraught and melancholy and seemed to be falling further and further behind in his schoolwork. You took care of him, but at the cost of your grades plummeting. However, through this trial, you committed yourself to protecting your family at all costs. You focused on computer science in high school, hoping to major in it and save up enough money for his college tuition by the time he applies. Through this mission, your resolve strengthened and reflected in your more efficient and excellent performance in class later on.
• Your race was the most significant challenge you faced growing up. In school, teachers did not value your opinion nor did they believe in you, as evidenced by their preferential treatment of students of other races. To fight back against this discrimination, you talked to other students of the same race and established an association, pooling together resources and providing a supportive network of people to others in need of counseling regarding this issue.

The first step for approaching this prompt is fun and easy—think about an academic subject that inspires you. This part of the essay is about emotional resonance, so go with your gut and don’t overthink it. What is your favorite subject? What subject do you engage with in the media in your free time? What subject seeps into your conversations with friends and family on the weekends?

Keep in mind that high school subjects are often rather limited. The span of “academic subjects” at the university level is much less limited. Some examples of academic subjects include eighteenth-century literature, political diplomacy, astronomy, Italian film and television, botany, Jewish culture and history, mobile robotics, musical theater, race and class in urban environments, gender and sexuality, and much more.

Once you’ve decided what subject you are most interested in and inspired by, think about a tangible example of how you have furthered your interest in the subject. Some common ways students further their interests include:

• Reading about your interest
• Engaging with media (television, film, social media) about your interest
• Volunteering with organizations related to your interest
• Founding organizations related to your interest
• Reaching out to professionals with your academic interest
• Using your interest in interdisciplinary ways
• Research in your field of interest
• Internships in your field of interest

While you should include these kinds of tangible examples, do not forget to explain how your love for the subject drives the work you do, because, with an essay like this, the why can easily get lost in describing the what . Admissions officers need both.

A few examples:

• You found your US government class fascinatingly complex, so you decided to campaign for a Congressional candidate who was challenging the incumbent in your district. You canvassed in your local community, worked at the campaign headquarters, and gathered voter data whilst performing various administrative duties. Though the work was difficult, you enjoyed a sense of fulfillment that came from being part of history.
• Last year you fell in love with the play Suddenly Last Summer and decided to see what career paths were available for dramatic writing. You reached out to the contact on your local theater’s website, were invited to start attending their guest lecturer series, and introduced yourself to a lecturer one week who ended up helping you score a spot in a Young Dramatic Writers group downtown.
• The regenerative power of cells amazed you, so you decided to take AP Biology to learn more. Eventually, you mustered up the courage to email a cohort of biology professors at your local university. One professor responded, and agreed to let you assist his research for the next few months on the microorganism C. Elegans.
• You continued to develop apps and games even after AP Computer Science concluded for the year. Eventually, you became good enough to land an internship at a local startup due to your self-taught knowledge of various programming languages.

With regards to structure, you might try thinking about this essay in a past/present/future manner where you consider your past engagement with your interest and how it will affect your future at a UC school or as an adult in society. This essay could also become an anecdotal/narrative essay that centers around the story of you discovering your academic interest, or a reflective essay that dives deep into the details of why you are drawn to your particular academic subject.

Whatever way you take it, try to make your essay unique—either through your subject matter, your structure, or your writing style!

College essay prompts often engage with the word “community.” As an essay writer, it is important to recognize that your community can be as large, small, formal, or informal as you want it to be. Your school is obviously a community you belong to, but your local grocery store, the nearby pet adoption center you volunteer at, your apartment building, or an internet group can also be communities. Even larger social groups that you are a part of, like your country or your ethnicity, can be a community. 

The important part of your response here is not the community you identify with but rather the way you describe your role in that community. What do you bring to your community that is special? What would be missing without you?

Some responses could include describing how you serve as a role model in your community, how you advocate for change in your community, how you are a support system for other community members, or how you correct the community when it is veering away from its values and principles.

Here are some fleshed-out examples of how this essay could take shape, using the earlier referenced communities:

• A student writes about the local grocery store in his neighborhood. Each Sunday, he picks up his family’s groceries and then goes to the pharmacy in the back to get his grandmother’s medication. The pharmacist was a close friend of his grandmother’s when she was young, so the student routinely gives the pharmacist a detailed update about his grandmother’s life. The student recognizes the value in his serving as a link to connect these two individuals who, due to aging, cannot be together physically.
• An animal-loving student volunteers one Saturday each month at the pet adoption center in their city’s downtown district. They have always been an extremely compassionate person and view the young kittens as a community that deserves to be cared for. This caring instinct also contributes to their interactions with their peers and their desire to make large-scale positive social change in the world.

Your response to this prompt will be convincing if you discuss your underlying motives for the service you have done, and in turn, demonstrate the positive influence you have made. That said, do not be afraid to talk about your actions even if they did not produce a sweeping change; as long as the effort was genuine, change is change, no matter the scale. This essay is more about values and reflection than it is about the effects of your efforts.

Lastly, if you are discussing a specific service you did for your community, you might want to touch on what you learned through your service action or initiative, and how you will continue to learn in the future. Here are a few examples:

• Passionate about classical music, you created a club that taught classical and instrumental music at local elementary schools. You knew that the kids did not have access to such resources, so you wanted to broaden their exposure as a high school senior had done for you when you were in middle school. You encouraged these elementary schoolers to fiddle with the instruments and lobbied for a music program to be implemented at the school. Whether the proposal gets approved or not, the kids have now known something they might never have known otherwise.
• Working at your local library was mundane at times, but in the long run, you realized that you were facilitating the exchange of knowledge and protecting the intellectual property of eminent scholars. Over time, you found ways to liven up the spirit of the library by leading arts and crafts time and booking puppet shows for little kids whose parents were still at work. The deep relationships you forged with the kids eventually blossomed into a bond of mentorship and mutual respect.

Be authentic and humble in your response to this essay! Make sure it feels like you made your community a better place because community is a value of yours, not just so that you could write about it in a college essay.

This is the most open-ended any question can get. You have the freedom to write about anything you want! That said, make sure that, no matter what you do with this prompt, your focus can be summarized into two sentences that describe the uniqueness of your candidacy.

The process we recommend for responding to open-ended prompts with clarity involves the following steps:

1. On a blank piece of paper, jot down any and every idea — feelings, phrases, and keywords — that pop into your head after reading this prompt. Why are you unique?

2. Narrow your ideas down to one topic. The two examples we will use are a student writing about how her habit of pausing at least five seconds before she responds to someone else’s opinion is emblematic of her thoughtfulness and a student whose interest in researching the history of colonialism in the Caribbean is emblematic of their commitment to justice.

3. Outline the structure of your essay, and plan out content for an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

4. Before you start writing your essay, write one or two sentences that summarize how you would like the admissions officers to perceive you based on this essay. These sentences will not be in your final product, but will help you to maintain a focus. For our examples, this would be something like “Natalie’s habit of gathering her thoughts before responding to other people’s opinions allows her to avoid undesired complications and miscommunications in her social interactions. This has not only helped her maintain strong relationships with all the staff members of the clubs she leads, but will also help her navigate the social environments that she will face in the professional world.” A summary for the student writing about their interest in the history of colonialism could be “Jonathan has always been highly compassionate and sympathetic by nature. When they found out about the historical injustices of colonialism in the Caribbean through the book The Black Jacobins , they realized that compassion is what is missing from politics. Now, they are inspired to pursue a political science degree to ultimately have a political career guided by compassion.”

5. Finally, write an essay dedicated to constructing the image you devised in step 4. This can be achieved through a number of different structures! For example, Natalie could use an anecdote of a time when she spoke too soon and caused someone else pain, then could reflect on how she learned the lesson to take at least five seconds before responding and how that decision has affected her life. Jonathan could create an image of the future where they are enacting local policies based on compassion. It is important to keep in mind that you do not want to be repetitive, but you must stay on topic so that admissions officers do not get distracted and forget the image that you are attempting to convey.

As exemplified by the examples we provided, a good way to approach this prompt is to think of a quality, value, or personality trait of yours that is fundamental to who you are and appealing to admissions officers, then connect it to a specific activity, habit, pet peeve, anecdote, or another tangible example that you can use to ground your essay in reality. Use the tangible to describe the abstract, and convince admissions officers that you would be a valuable asset to their UC school!

Where to Get Your UC Essays Edited

With hundreds of thousands of applicants each year, many receiving top scores and grades, getting into top UC schools is no small feat. This is why excelling in the personal-insight questions is key to presenting yourself as a worthwhile candidate. Answering these prompts can be difficult, but ultimately very rewarding, and CollegeVine is committed to helping you along that journey. Check out these UC essay examples for more writing inspiration.

If you want to get your essays edited, we also have free peer essay review , where you can get feedback from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by editing other students’ essays.

You can also receive expert essay review by advisors who have helped students get into their dream schools. You can book a review with an expert to receive notes on your topic, grammar, and essay structure to make your essay stand out to admissions officers. Haven’t started writing your essay yet? Advisors on CollegeVine also offer  expert college counseling packages . You can purchase a package to get one-on-one guidance on any aspect of the college application process, including brainstorming and writing essays.

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Check out the chart below for a general overview of the centralized application cycle dates for your health profession. Note: Some health professions and programs may not have a centralized application service. For those professions and programs, you will need to go to the specific school/program for their application.

If the school or program you are applying to accepts applicants on a rolling basis, we recommend applying early.

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How to Order Official Digital Transcripts from UC Davis

Note: You must obtain an official transcript from every institution you have attended; this includes community colleges. Please be aware that not all schools use digital PDF’s and that community college transcripts take three to four weeks to process and verify, so order transcripts early.

• Student Services & Financial Aid > Student Records > Order Official Transcripts
• You will be taken to UC Davis Transcript Order Services .
• Press Start My Order .
• Enter any information not already there.
• Select “Official Transcript”
• If your grades or degree are not already posted, you can choose to hold your transcripts until they are posted.
• Primary Reason for Ordering is “For Graduate Admissions”
• Select “Transcript with Work in Progress” if you are enrolled for classes next quarter. Otherwise, select “Transcript WITHOUT Work in Progress”
• Choose “Select an Application Service”
• Find your application service in the drop-down menu.

For more official transcript  request information, click here .

Supplemental Applications (or Secondaries)

Supplemental applications (or secondaries), if applicable for your health profession, are sent after the primary application has been submitted and include school-specific questions. (Note: Some programs and health professions will include their supplemental questions with the primary application.) Generally schools that use a centralized application system tend to use supplemental applications to collect specific information that they desire. Some programs will send a supplemental to every applicant, while others will pre-screen the applicant pool, sending supplementals to those who are most qualified.

The second application costs an additional fee per  school for some programs; check each school for more information. If you are applying to a program that requires a secondary application, you should plan to have around $1000 ready to be used about a month after submitting your primary application. You will also need to set aside time. Some supplementals are quick answers from a selection, while others may require additional essays. We advise the following:

Tailor each essay to the program. "Speak" to the school by highlighting how you would be a good fit based on how your attributes and experiences align with their mission and philosophy.

Know the schools to which you apply so that you can tailor your application to them. Do not copy and paste the same essay into multiple schools' secondary applications.

Edit your secondaries carefully. Be sure not to include the wrong school name because you are in a rush and forget to edit. Never send first draft writing.

Don't leave questions blank. If they ask an optional question, answer it if you can.

Fee Assistance

Some programs offer fee assistance to applicants that will waive the supplemental application fees. To see if the program you are pursuing offers fee assistance, click here .

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

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Application Process & Timeline

Before you apply.

Review the minimum admissions requirements to ensure you’re eligible to apply. We also encourage you to review the comprehensive application checklist and instructions provided here  before beginning the application process.

• Review Prerequisite Requirements
• Students may apply once they have completed 75% of the required prerequisites. Approximately three can be outstanding at the time of application and all must be completed in the spring semester/quarter prior to matriculation. Specific course requirements are outlined in Academic Preparation & Prerequisites Courses .
• GRE - No Longer a requirement
• The GRE is no longer required and has been dropped as an admission requirement as of November 2022, following a senate faculty vote. Submission of GRE scores will not be looked at nor considered as part of the admissions review process. 
• Determine How Competitive Your Application May Be
• All applications are initially evaluated in three areas: 1. Two GPAs: 1) the most recent 45 semester/68 quarter hours and 2) all science courses (see what counts as a science course here on the VMCAS website) 2. Composite score from three electronic letters of recommendation (eLors) 3. Distance Traveled Score By reviewing the most recent Admissions Statistics , you can determine how competitive your application may be. With our recent change in the admissions selection process, stats may look different for future cycles. Note: The average scores are higher for non-CA resident applicants as there are fewer interview spots available to non-CA residents.

How to Apply

The Veterinary Medical Application Service (VMCAS) is the centralized application service for Colleges of Veterinary Medicine. Through VMCAS you can complete one application and send all your required materials through this service. Your application is then processed, verified for accuracy, and sent to the veterinary medical schools you designate.

• Step 1: VMCAS Application

Applicants must apply through the central application system VMCAS . Paper applications are not available. All application materials, including GRE scores, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation, MUST be submitted through the VMCAS system. Any of the above application materials sent directly to UC Davis cannot be attached to applications or returned to applicants.

• Step 2: Transcripts to VMCAS

Transcripts Order official transcripts from all institutions you have attended and have them sent directly to VMCAS. Review sending official transcripts to VMCAS for detailed instructions on all US, international, and study abroad transcripts.

VMCAS must receive all transcripts by the September 18 deadline. Late transcripts will not be received. Any transcripts accidentally sent to UC Davis CANNOT be added or attached to applications. Applications missing transcripts by the deadline will not be considered for admission. No exceptions will be made, so please plan accordingly.  

• Step 3: Submit & Monitor VMCAS

All submitted applications need to be verified by VMCAS, which can take up to two weeks . By submitting all of your transcripts BEFORE the deadline (September 18, 2023), you will greatly improve your chance of having your application verified early with time to make corrections if needed. Review Submitting and Monitoring Your VMCAS Application for more details.

Note: Applications that reach the “verified” status may still be incomplete if other materials such as eLors are missing. If your verified application is missing any application materials after the September 18 deadline, it will not be considered for admission, even if you have submitted a supplemental application.

• Step 4: UC Davis Supplemental Application

Around mid-August, we begin to import verified applications from VMCAS to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Applicant Portal. Applicants are notified via email when their VMCAS application has been added.

Once imported, applicants will be sent an email with instructions to set up their Applicant Portal, complete the secondary application, and pay the $60 processing fee. The secondary application includes a personal statement (2,000 character limit) and the selection of which three eLors you want us to consider for your application. The UCD supplemental application is due October 16. Note: We do not begin to upload verified applications until mid-August, even if your application has been verified before this time. We will continue to import verified applications one to two times a week until the October 16 supplemental application deadline. It can be up to a week to be emailed the supplemental application instructions. *The School does not operate on a rolling admissions process, therefore applications submitted early will not have an advantage for interview selection.

How Applications Are Evaluated

Once supplemental applications are submitted, they are reviewed to ensure they are a) complete and b) eligible. Any applications missing application materials or not meeting eligibility criteria (i.e. GPA minimum, veterinary experience hours, one eLor from a vet) will not be considered for admission.

• Step 1: Initial Ranking

All complete and eligible applications are ranked based on two GPAs (the most recent 45 semester/68 quarter hours and all science courses), the combined composite scores from the three eLors selected, and distance traveled score. The distance traveled score takes into account an applicants background and lived experiences. Factors considered may be based on economic, environmental, or educational experiences. For further details on factors considered, please review the attributes and competencies section. 

• Step 2: Top 240 Invited for Interviews

The top 240 applicants (200 CA residents/40 non-residents) are invited to interview virtually in early December through Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs). MMIs are short, structured interviews used to assess personal traits/qualities. More details on the process can be found in our FAQs or Criteria for Admission section.

The 2023 MMI dates are November 30, December 1, 4, & 5. Candidates select one of the four interview days lasting approximately 100 minutes. Admitted Student Day will be held in early spring at the School of Veterinary Medicine campus for students to network, tour the facilities, meet staff and faculty, and learn more about financial aid, curriculum, and other resources. 

• Step 3: Holistic Review
• Applications of the 240 interviewees will undergo a holistic review. All components of the application will be considered including personal statement, principles of community essay, letters of reference, explanation statement, veterinary experience, and other experience as listed in their application. 
• Step 4: Admissions Decisions

  Attributes and Competencies Considered

We take into account each applicants life experiences. Some of these factors may include social identities, income, wealth, occupation, education, social capital, community, culture, and other factors. These factors are taken into consideration and are thought to lend to traits we consider to be essential as part of the veterinary profession. When considering the Distance Traveled score and throughout the admission review process, the committee considers the following to be important in the selection of successful candidates in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program:

VMCAS Contact Information

Phone: (617) 612-2884 Fax: (617) 612-2051 Email: [email protected] Mailing address (for transcripts only): P.O. Box 9126 Watertown, MA 02471

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University of California, Davis

Essay requirements.

Academic Requirements

Costs & Scholarships

Applicants to the University of California, Davis and all other UC schools submit four shorter essays in response to prompts freely selected from a list of eight Personal Insight Questions . The questions are wide ranging, designed to help you introduce yourself to the school and tell them about your aptitudes, leadership qualities, community service, or other extracurricular activities, interests, or skills.

Short Answer Questions

You must respond to four of the eight prompts offered, and each response can have a maximum of 350 words. See the Personal Insight Questions page provided by UC Admissions for additional guidance.

350 words maximum

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?

Helpful Resources

How To Answer The “Why This College” Essay Prompt

We’ll go over the best ways to approach the 'Why This College" essay and provide helpful tips to help you write an effective essay that impresses admission officers.

How To Format & Structure Your College Application Essay

Your essays are a chance for admissions officers to get to know you beyond your grades, test scores, and ECLs. But how do you craft essays that reflect who you are AND impress the admissions officers?

Everything You Need To Know About The Supplemental Essays

Supplemental essays are required by many highly selective institutions in addition to the personal essay included in your Common Application. You can learn all about what they are and why they’re important here.

Get Your Essay Reviewed

Feel confident when submitting your college application essay by getting it reviewed by a professional admissions expert..

University of California Essay Guide 2020-2021

In this University of California essay guide,  CollegeAdvisor.com  Admissions Experts  and UC alumni Angela, Kaitlin, and Zoë will discuss how to best respond to the University of California Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general,  sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

University of California

The University of California is a public research university system that is divided into ten campuses throughout the state of California: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco (graduate only), Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Since its founding in 1869, the University of California has established its reputation as a pioneer in research and a leader in multiple academic disciplines. The UC system currently includes more than 280,000 students from around the world with 2 million living alumni.

Although all of the campuses are under the umbrella of one school system, each campus has its own academic, social, and physical environment. UC Berkeley and UCLA attract tech gurus, aspiring entrepreneurs, and future business professionals. UCSD and UCSC have many facilities dedicated to environmental research, and the forests and beaches provide students with nice views to take in while studying. UC Davis is surrounded by a large farming area that gives students opportunities to study unique majors such as international agriculture, food science, and viticulture (wine-making).

To apply to any (and all) UC Campuses, you are required to fill out  a single application ! Disclaimer: you do have to pay an application fee for each UC you apply to. It is also important to note that, due to COVID-19, the UC application is  test-optional.  What does this mean for you? You’re not required to send in ACT/SAT scores,  which makes PIQs even more important to your application.

Since UC undergraduate admissions do not require interviews, this is a great opportunity for the admission officers to get to know you on a deeper level. The UC application provides eight PIQ supplemental essay prompts, and applicants only need to respond to four. All prompts are judged equally and are limited to 350 words. So make sure you choose the prompts wisely and be as succinct as possible with your answers! You will find the prompts below, as well as some advice on how to answer the questions.

Personal Insight 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..

Angela:  You do not have to be a club president or a team captain in order to answer this question. Leadership can mean many things. Have you ever tutored someone and helped them reach their academic goals? Maybe you are the eldest in your family and have to take charge of your younger siblings often. Whatever position it was, think about the efforts you made and what you accomplished.  Highlight your personal growth ; for example, what difficulties did you overcome in order to create a positive impact? What did you learn from them?

Kaitlin:  Some great examples of  nontypical leadership experiences  that I’ve seen students write about are standing up to a bully or leading a group project and making sure everyone felt heard. Whatever you choose, remember to talk about  what you accomplished, how you made leadership decisions, and what you learned.  Did this change your perspective or influence you? Why is this an important story to share? Universities are looking for students who will be leaders on their campus.

Zoë:  For prompts like these, it can be tempting to write an in-depth story about how you led your school to the championships as sports captain or how you made social life better at your school as student body president. However, remember that universities are looking for a  concrete example  of your leadership skills.

Rather than writing a general essay that summarizes your high school resume,  think about a moment that you made a difference as a leader.  Did your decisions as head of the prom committee contribute to your classmates having an amazing night? Was there a time in the last four years when a student told you that you inspired them to join the debate team?

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.

Zoë:  Don’t be afraid to think outside the box with this prompt. Choosing to answer this prompt doesn’t mean that you have to be a gifted musician or create a new social media app. Everyone has a creative side and this is a chance to discuss how you uniquely express yours.

If you are unsure about your creativity, you can always get an outsider’s perspective by talking to members of your community. Friends, family, or even teachers may have examples of how you have shown originality.

Angela:  There is really no wrong way to answer this question — or any of the other questions, for that matter. Do you play an instrument? Or have you ever solved a problem in an unconventional way? This can be an awesome opportunity for you to showcase how you approach problems or view the world around you, and where your creativity has led you.

Keep in mind that if you choose to talk about a specific skill, such as painting, you should pick something different to talk about for prompt 3 (if you are answering both prompt 3 and 4).

Kaitlin:  Ask yourself, “What does creativity mean to me?” and, “How have I been innovative?” If you have a specific artistic skill (poetry, photography, dancing, etc.) you can talk about  how you have applied your art  and  why it is important to you.  If you have used your creativity to solve a problem or innovate, how did you get to your solution?

Expand on this PIQ by  relating your creativity to other areas of your life , both inside and outside of the classroom. For example, did you learn the parts of a cell by drawing them? Did you solve a math problem in an original way? If you are thinking of pursuing art in college (or using your creative talents in your future career), bring that up here!

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

Zoë:  If you have hobbies or activities that you enjoy doing, this is the time to write about them. Instead of agonizing over this prompt, I suggest that you simply  write about an extracurricular that you participate in and why you enjoy it.  Universities like to hear about the genuine passion that drives their students, so don’t try to force yourself to write about something that you don’t actually enjoy, just because you think that it might impress the admissions committee. Write about anything that you are passionate about.

Angela:  Exactly. Maybe you have been playing the violin since you were a child. Maybe you joined the debate club as a freshman and went on to win several awards. Think about what you are proud of in yourself, and how your talent or skill might have evolved over time. You can talk about where it has led you or what surprising thing it has taught you.

Kaitlin:  Do you have a talent or skill that you’re proud of? You don’t necessarily have to have received awards for your talent in order to share it — this can be anything from being a great communicator to a top pianist, or an expert in Python. One of my students wrote a great essay about being a tutor, and how tutoring helped them become a great listener for their own siblings.

Ask yourself, “Why am I proud of this talent/skill?” and, “Why it is meaningful to me?” Think about whether it came naturally, or if it’s something you’ve had to work on. How have you worked to further this skill? Has it led to other opportunities?

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

Kaitlin:  An “educational opportunity” can be anything that furthered your education. Did you participate in a special academic program, or take advanced classes in your favorite subject? Some examples might be dual enrollment at a community college or enrolling in a STEAM program at your school.

Only choose to write about an educational barrier if it significantly affected your path to college. While it’s important to describe the barrier, it’s even more important to share how you overcame it, what skills you developed, and how the experience shaped you.

Angela:  This is an opportunity to show admission officers what kind of student you are. How did you push yourself academically, or what kind of challenges have you overcome? If you are writing about educational barriers, think about what motivated you to do better, and how the experience might have contributed to your personal growth. College can be challenging academically — the University of California wants students who are willing to push and motivate themselves.

Zoë:  Did you participate in a school-at-sea program? Were you an exchange student for a term? Perhaps you had to deal with a learning disability or lack of resources at your school? Everyone’s life is different and that can shape an applicant’s academic experience. This is an opportunity for you to explain how your decisions and/or circumstances have affected the type of student that you are.

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?

Zoë:  Some people have a unique challenge that they have faced throughout their lives, and universities want to know how that has made them stronger. If there was a moment in your academic career where your grades or test scores dropped, explain what was happening in your life that caused it and how you found a way to overcome that obstacle.

Regardless of which school you attend, college will have its own challenges for you. Writing about how determined and resilient you have become will let the University of California know that no matter what happens in this next phase of life, you will make it through and get your degree.

Kaitlin:  This challenge can be in your personal life or a challenge at school. As with the educational barrier question above, explain  why it is significant, what you’ve learned from the experience, and how you overcame it.

If this is a challenge you’re still working through, how is it affecting you right now (at home, at school, with your friends), and how are you working to overcome it?

Angela:  You don’t need a tragic life story to answer this question. Think about something that might have challenged your abilities in the past. How did you approach the problem, and what did you learn through the process of overcoming the obstacle? How did it affect your life and, especially, your academic achievement? What did you learn about yourself and others, and, most importantly, how did you turn something negative into something positive?

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

Kaitlin:  Answer this question if there is one specific academic subject that you’re really passionate about. Why are you interested in this subject? What have you done to explore this subject inside and outside of the classroom? This can include summer classes, a job/internship, volunteer opportunity, joining a student organization, etc. For example, one of my students wrote a great essay by relating their curiosities of the science behind clean skincare to wanting to become a chemist.

Do you want to pursue this subject in college or in your future career? Talk about how you will continue your passion at the University of California. If you have taken any advanced classes in this subject (AP, IB, Honors, college classes), you can make a note here.

Angela:  In a summary: what kind of nerd are you? Is there a specific class that you greatly enjoyed, either because of your teacher or the subject itself? Did you volunteer to take on extra projects inside the classroom, or choose to take a more advanced course on the same subject?

You can also discuss whether this academic subject has inspired you to choose a specific major or aspire to a specific career. Be sure to keep your topic related to  academic  subjects: i.e., no P.E. classes or electives such as orchestra or band.

Zoë:  Now is your opportunity to talk about your academic passions — how they have affected you as a person, and how they will shape your future. You might write about how an astronomy class changed your way of thinking, how a science project inspired you to start green projects that help the environment, or how reading Shakespeare made you consider becoming a thespian.

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

Kaitlin:  Your community can be anything, from your hometown to your school, to a team or a group you’re part of. What inspired you to make it a better place? Was there a problem that needed to be fixed? How did your actions help others, and how did this affect you? Did anyone help you?

If you have started a club or are love volunteering, this is a great opportunity to share your passion! I personally wrote about founding a bilingual after-school program for elementary school kids after their school cut funding.

Angela:  This is a great time to talk about volunteering experience or other extracurriculars. How have you made the world around you a better place? What is important to you, and what inspires you to create a positive impact on your community?  Highlight the positive influence you made  and talk about  what you learned  from the experience, or  what difficulties you faced.  Did your experience inspire your academic or career goals?

Zoë:  This question is a more open-ended version of the first prompt, but here, you have more freedom to decide how you want to answer it. Remember that no impact is insignificant. Were you a volunteer peer guide who helped new students get acquainted at your school? Did you advocate for healthier lunch options to be given to students?

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

Angela:  This is a pretty broad question — it allows you to discuss basically anything else you might want to share with the admission officers. Reflect on your strengths and why you think you are a good fit for the UCs. You don’t want to come across as arrogant, but be confident! Even if you do not have the best stats, talk about what you might have learned from your past mistakes and why you will do better in the future.

Kaitlin:  On your list of “Things University of California  must  know about You”, is there something important that you haven’t touched on yet? This is your chance to share anything that may be missing from your application or that doesn’t fit with the other PIQs. Make sure to explain why you would be a great candidate (you can brag here)!

Zoë:  The University of California receives thousands of applications every admission cycle, so this is a time when you can write about whatever you think will set you apart from the sea of applicants. If there was an experience in your life that you don’t think was relevant to any of the previous prompts, feel free to write about it here.

Additional Advice

1. have someone else read over your essays.

Getting a second pair of eyes read over your words can not only help you catch spelling/grammar errors, but it can also help you know if you wrote an essay that made an impact. If someone who does not know you very well can read your essay and feel that they understand you better, then a committee of people who never even knew your name will definitely have a better glimpse of who you are.

2. Be True to Yourself

Sometimes applicants try so hard in their essays that they write what they  think  the admission committee wants to read, but this can make the essays seem vague and unoriginal.  The people reading your essays want to know about you , specifically.

Let YOU shine through. For each prompt, you only have 350 words, so keep the focus on you. Don’t go into too many details if you are describing a specific incident or involvement — the University of California admissions officers don’t want to hear about how great a club is; they want to know what your involvement in the club might have taught you. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, as long as your answers are still relevant to the prompts.

Finally, for a video overview on how to answer the University of California PIQs, watch this   YouTube video . You can find the full list of PIQs, plus additional information about the UC application   here . Good Luck!

This essay guide was written by  Angela Gao  (University of California – Berkeley  ‘19) ,  Kaitlin Liston  (University of California Berkeley  ‘18), and  Zoë Edington   (University of California Berkeley  ‘18) . If you want to get help writing your UC application essays from Angela, Kaitlin, Zoë, or other  CollegeAdvisor.com  Admissions Experts ,  register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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University of California 2023-24 Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Nov 30

You Have: 

University of California  2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

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

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

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 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!

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 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 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 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 stand out as 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!

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• 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. However, you should select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.

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• 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.

Questions & guidance

Remember, the personal insight questions are just that; personal. Which means you should use our guidance for each question just as a suggestion in case you need help The important thing is expressing who you are, what matters to you and what you want to share with UC.

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. Things to consider: How did your interest in your major develop? Do you have any experience related to your major outside the classroom;such as volunteer work, internships and employment, or participation in student organizations and activities? If you haven't had experience in the field, consider including experience in the classroom. This may include working with faculty or doing research projects.

If you're applying to multiple campuses with a different major at each campus, think about approaching the topic from a broader perspective, or find a common thread among the majors you've chosen.

Choose to answer any three of the following seven 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. 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 lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about your accomplishments 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'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, 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. 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? 7. 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.

Writing tips

Start early..

Give yourself plenty of time for preparation, careful composition and revisions.

Write persuasively.

Making a list of accomplishments, activities, awards or work will lessen the impact of your words. Expand on a topic by using specific, concrete examples to support the points you want to make.

Use “I” statements.

Talk about yourself so that we can get to know your personality, talents, accomplishments and potential for success on a UC campus. Use “I” and “my” statements in your responses.

Proofread and edit.

Although you will not be evaluated on grammar, spelling or sentence structure, you should proofread your work and make sure your writing is clear. Grammatical and spelling errors can be distracting to the reader and get in the way of what you’re trying to communicate.

Solicit feedback.

Your answers should reflect your own ideas and be written by you alone, but others — family, teachers and friends—can offer valuable suggestions. Ask advice of whomever you like, but do not plagiarize from sources in print or online and do not use anyone's words, published or unpublished, but your own.

Copy and paste.

Once you are satisfied with your answers, save them in plain text (ASCII) and paste them into the space provided in the application. Proofread once more to make sure no odd characters or line breaks have appeared.

This is one of many pieces of information we consider in reviewing your application. Your responses can only add value to the application. An admission decision will not be based on this section alone.

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2023-2024 General Catalog

Design, Bachelor of Arts College of Letters & Science

Office & Contact Information

The Major Program

The Department of Design offers a creative, challenging, and flexible approach to the study of design with emphasis on socially responsible, human centered, and sustainable practice.

The Program

Foundation courses: Introduction to Design; Design Drawing or Drafting and Perspective, Form & Color, and Graphic Design & Computer Technology; and one class in Design History/Theory/Criticism from the DES 040  series; are required of all design majors. Additional coursework in the student's area of interest is required for the Preparatory Subject Matter. Depth Subject Matter courses provide: (1) further exploration of design principles and conceptual, formal and technical issues; (2) conceptual and critical development through a series of history and theory classes; (3) in-depth studio experience with projects that demonstrate a research-based, iterative design process. Optional capstone class. A more detailed explanation is available through the Design Advising office in 101 Art Building; 530-752-0890.

Portfolios are not required for admission to the major. However, it is highly recommended that design students maintain an updated portfolio of work for faculty and professional evaluation and consideration for enrollment in specialized courses, including independent study, group study and internship.

Internships, Careers, & Study Abroad

Design students are encouraged to supplement their coursework with internships in design firms, museums, and design-related businesses. Design graduates go directly from this program into further graduate study, or professional work including exhibition, fashion, information, interior architecture & product (lighting & furniture), textiles, visual communications (digital, environmental & print), and sustainable design. In addition, students have become entrepreneurs through freelance and commissioned work in many related areas. The Department of Design encourages students to experience design education abroad through a variety of sponsored programs.