The University of California application is one application for all nine UC schools: UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, UC Riverside, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego. The UC app is similar to the Common App but has some slightly different questions and its own set of essay prompts. We have covered the UC app before, but have updated it for this year.
When applying, you will submit individually to the schools you’re interested in, but be warned that each school has its own specialties and some are more selective than others. For example, UC Santa Cruz has a 51% acceptance rate, while UCLA has a 12% acceptance rate. Also, note that the UC system has a cap of 18% for out-of-state applicants.
There are eight essay prompts on the UC application (you choose 4), one required and the other three you will choose from a set of seven questions. They each have a word limit of 250-350. Keep reading to see our question-by-question guide on how to best tackle these prompts.
General Essays (Pick 4 out of 8)
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
If a story immediately popped into your head, this could be a great option for an essay. The UC schools aren’t interested in hearing you talk about the traditional leadership roles you’ve taken on during school - no captain of the football or debate team talk here. You can lead in smaller settings too -- perhaps you settled a tense situation during a group project at school, or you organized a recurring monthly trash clean-up with your neighbors. Think about times you’ve taken charge at school, at home, and in your community. You may not be the family leader, but what are you in charge of at home?
You’ll want to pick a story that exemplifies your best characteristics as a leader, and try to focus on a positive outcome instead of a general sense of positivity. Talk about how with your piece of the puzzle, everyone was able to come together to solve a problem or find a solution. Don’t be afraid to think small with this prompt!
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.
UC might say they want you to describe your creative side here, but it will be so much more effective if you show it. Tell a story with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Maybe you write songs or do improv comedy, or maybe you love designing floral arrangements or crocheting clothes! Whatever it is, you can tell a story about how you discovered this creative outlet, and what it feels like to indulge in it. This is also a great prompt to play with form, or to add humor and punchiness to your story. If you write poetry, write them a poem. Make sure to get creative while telling your story.
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
This is the perfect chance to brag on yourself - but be careful, too much brag with too little story is going to come off super cringey. If you get lost in defining your own talent, ask 10 of the people in your life to tell you what your greatest talent or skill is. Most likely, there will be some crossover and you’ll be able to work backwards from there. Pick a story that explains how you discovered you had this skill, how you’ve grown with the skill, and how you use it now.
We also recommend picking something that is not reflected in your resume, so if they already know about your prowess on the soccer field, find another one of your skills to expand on. Skills or talents do not always need to be technical - you can also talk about your incredible sense of humor, or your superb navigational skills. Just be sure to tell a story with a distinct beginning, middle, and end that demonstrates the “why” of your skill.
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
If you do not have an immediate answer for this, we recommend skipping this question. If you have faced a barrier or taken advantage of a unique opportunity, then go for it! Please also note that while COVID-19 probably impacted your education to a significant degree, this is not the place to discuss that, as every student in the world was impacted by COVID-19 to some degree.
When you tell your story, bring everyone into the scene. Maybe you got a scholarship to an educational summer camp, and you’re telling us all the details of opening the letter and running to tell your mom. Maybe you grew up in a district that didn’t have funding for the programs and classes you wanted, so you sought out the topics on your own. Whatever you choose to write, make sure you set the scene with the before, tell us what happened during, and expand on what the outcome was.
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?
Like the question before, if you do not have an immediate answer to this question, do not choose it. This question will be similar to how you would answer the Common App’s additional information section, but quite a bit shorter. If you have faced serious health problems that impacted your attendance or grades, this would be a place to talk about it. Maybe you faced a difficult loss in the last few months that you feel is important for the UC schools to know about.
We also want to let you know that even if these things apply to you, you do not have to write about them. We give you permission to not talk about any trauma or serious issues you’ve had if you don’t want to. There are seven other questions for you to choose to show the University of California system who you are without feeling like you have to dredge up any pain.
Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
What was the last Wikipedia hole you went down? Do you secretly love philosophy even though you want to study marketing? Did a trip to the museum inspire you to teach yourself Latin? You’re going to tell UC a story (sensing a theme yet?) about a time you discovered a new academic interest and how you’ve continued to explore it. Make sure to have a distinct beginning, middle, and end and bring all the details into it that will make it come to life. You could discuss trips to the library to pick up books on your new special interest, or how you taught yourself a language, or how you did summer camps to expand your knowledge. Whatever it is, use this prompt to show UC a side of yourself they can’t glean from your application alone.
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
You guessed it - this is another great prompt to tell UC a story! In the past we’ve had students write about how they created a recycling program in their neighborhood, or how one student would dress up as Santa or Cupid and pass out candy to other kids at school. Whatever you pick here, you’ll want to tell a distinct story that reflects your values.
Take for example one student who volunteered at a soup kitchen. Once she was volunteering, she realized she wasn’t being very useful and decided to help in another way. She figured out how to source the soup kitchen’s food from local restaurants, therefore creating an impact that would last longer than her two-hour-long Saturday morning shift.
Bring us into your world when you tell this story. What is your school or community like? How did you locate the problem that needed to be solved, or find out about the situation you wanted to improve? What were your key actions, and why did you take them? Use this prompt to show some of your values and character.
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?
This is the best question on the list because you can write about anything you want. Here, UC is looking for depth beyond the application. If it was on your resume or previously answered in the other prompts, don’t write about it. Like all the other prompts on this list, use it to tell a story, one that brings us into the scene and has a distinct beginning, middle, and end.
You can tell a story about your perseverance, or sense of humor, or cooking skills. Maybe you have an odd hobby, or you started making and selling jewelry at your local flea market. Maybe you spend your weekends mastering the art of cooking eggs, or you’re a theater nerd who researches string theory in their spare time. Go nuts! Show UC a new side of you that they haven’t seen yet.
We know the admissions process can be daunting. If you need guidance on the process, or assistance with your essays, reach out to us here.