Have you been worried about UC Essays? Worry no more! In an effort to make college application writing easier for students the UC’s have done away with the “essays,” and instead replaced them with eight (very straightforward) questions—dubbed Personal Insight Questions. All you have to do is pick your favorite 4 prompts, and answer them well. The UC’s say they did this so students could freely write about what they felt was relevant in their lives.
So how do you pick which questions to answer? The UC Admissions Office says students should “immediately be able to think of what they might talk about.” Otherwise, they said, “pick another question!” ALL questions are given equal weight, and there is ABSOLUTELY no advantage to answering more than 4 questions, so don’t bother trying that, according to UC representatives.
It is critically important that you write clearly and answer the question completely. The UC’s are much more interested in content than anything else, so write from the heart. It is important to give these questions some thought and go through a few drafts before coming up with your final product. Writing that is edited numerous times will help you come up with the best message, your most succinct response.
The prompts range from Leadership Skills to Creativity; from Favorite Academic Subject to Hardships. See complete list of prompts here: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-questions/
What is the #1 Goal the UC’s are hoping to accomplish with this change?? Greater Authenticity. So don’t worry, just BE YOURSELF.
These Personal Insight Questions are only one part of the UC Application, so be sure you work hard on everything else too – all of it counts, so don’t ever rush an application. UC Applications open August 1st, so get busy! Contact us if you need help with your college applications.
