PERSONAL INSIGHT QUESTIONS
The Personal Insight Questions are about getting to know you - your life experience, interests and accomplishments. Think of your responses as a conversation and be open, reflective, and express your voice.
ALL APPLICANTS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA MUST RESPOND TO FOUR QUESTIONS
» First-year applicants must respond to 4 of 8 questions.
» Transfer applicants must answer 1 required question and may choose any 3 additional questions.
» There is no minimum word count per response, but there is a maximum of 350 words per response.
» The questions you choose to answer are entirely up to you.
KEEP IN MIND
» All questions are equal: All are given the same consideration in the application review process, which means there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.
» You are encouraged to answer the questions that are most relevant to your experience and best reflect your individual circumstances.
» There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions.
» The important thing is expressing who you are — your life experience, interests, ambitions and inspirations. Think of it as your interview with the admissions office. Be open. Be reflective.
QUESTIONS
1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
6. FIRST-YEAR ONLY 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 admission to the University of California?
TRANSFER APPLICANTS
Transfer applicants must answer the required question below and three of seven listed above.
REQUIRED: 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.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS SECTION
After you complete the Personal Insight Questions, you will see another section called “Additional Comments.” This is an optional section and should not be used as a continuation of your responses to the personal insight questions. Instead, you should use this section to:
» Provide additional clarification on important details in your application, such as honors, awards or activities.
» Share information regarding a nontraditional school environment or unusual circumstances.
» Describe anything else that you have not had the opportunity to include elsewhere in your application.
» Active Military and Veterans: You can use the Personal Insight Questions or Additional Comments to describe how your military service has been instrumental in developing your educational plans.
For more information and writing tips, visit: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/
READY TO GET STARTED?
It’s a good idea to work on the questions before you enter them into the application. The University of California Admissions website has a video, helpful tips and things to consider when answering each question.
Read through this information carefully, write your answers in a separate document and get feedback before copying and pasting them into the UC application.
FIRST-YEAR APPLICANTS:
admissions.ucsd.edu/first-year-piqs
TRANSFER APPLICANTS:
admissions.ucsd.edu/transfer-piqs