UC Essay Prompts 2025-26 – Personal Insight Questions
July 22, 2025
The 2024-25 admissions cycle saw the nine undergraduate University of California campuses collectively attract 249,824 applications. While this number was a slight drop from the previous year’s record-high 250,959 applications, it’s still a double-digit increase from four years prior. Logic would suggest that institutions receiving over 173,000 applications (UCLA) would not employ a particularly holistic admissions process. Certainly, not one that would give any weight to a supplemental essay, much less four. While it’s true that large institutions rarely devote careful consideration to application essays, the UC schools defy convention. And thanks to some recent global changes enacted across the whole UC system, the UC essay prompts (UC Personal Insight Questions, or PIQs for short) have become an even more essential application component to anyone who hopes to study at any of the following UC campuses:
Want to learn more about how to create a strong application to the UCs? In addition to our blogs on how to get into the UCs (linked above), head to for all our best free tools and resources, college planning guides & templates, and example essays from accepted students.聽
Are the UC Personal Insight Questions important?
Due, in part, to recent changes in UC’s standardized test policy, the UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) have become a critical component of your application.
In May 2020, as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the U.S. educational system (not to mention the rest of the country/world), the UC Board of Regents voted to make all of their universities test-optional for students applying to enroll in fall 2021 and fall 2022. By itself, such an announcement was hardly notable. After all, hundreds of other high-profile colleges made similar temporary policy changes due to the impact of COVID-19. It was the changes for fall 2022 applicants (and beyond) that shocked the higher education universe鈥�
To everyone鈥檚 astonishment, this gargantuan system that garners over a quarter of a million applicants per year decided to go 鈥渢est-blind鈥� moving forward, despite internal data finding that test scores helped predict undergraduate achievement. This means that none of the nine schools listed above will even look at an applicant’s SAT or ACT score anymore.
So, what鈥檚 the takeaway here for you, a future UC applicant? Simple: the essays matter more than ever before. Your writing will be your main opportunity to differentiate yourself from swarms of other well-qualified applicants.
Given this new reality, let鈥檚 turn our attention to the focal point of the article鈥攖he UC essay prompts themselves. For each, we will offer thoughts/tips to guide you with prompt selection and execution of a stellar composition.
A Guide to the UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs)
The UC Personal Insight Questions vary from other college essays in that the UCs explicitly prefer factual responses.
What does this mean?!
While you should still plan to write with attention to syntax and style, the UCs are most interested in information vs. creativity. Accordingly, you don’t need to worry about having an interesting hook, thoughtful metaphors, or a high level of descriptive language. Instead, focus on communicating impact鈥攎easurable, if possible鈥攐n both yourself as well as others. Aim for as much clarity and straightforwardness as possible. Remember, UC admissions officers are reading quite quickly, and you want to ensure that your message is received on their first read.
Wondering what that might look like? Check out our blog: UC Essay Examples.
UC PIQ Instructions
Within the UC application, you’ll have eight PIQs to choose from. Of those eight, you must choose four (no more, no less). The same four PIQs will be sent to every UC campus that you’re applying to, so avoid mentioning specific campuses within your responses.
Your response to each UC PIQ is limited to 350 words, but between the four, that’s up to 1400 words鈥攎ore than you’ll get on most applications! Make the most of this space by selecting the four PIQs that align best with your experiences and accomplishments. A few additional prompt selection tips:
- If you’re an aspiring STEM student, try to prioritize PIQ #6. Of the eight PIQs, it generally provides the best opportunity for you to showcase your preparation for and dedication to a STEM major. This is particularly important if the STEM major you’re targeting is highly competitive.
- If you’ve completed the Common App personal statement, you can adapt it for one of these prompts. Win! Since PIQ #8 is most open-ended, it’s often the most natural choice.
UC Essay Prompt # 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.
Leadership is an admirable quality that can manifest in many different forms. In addition to those who captained a varsity team to a state title or founded a charitable organization or served as student body president, this essay is also for those who have held under-the-radar, less overt, or informal leadership roles in any context. Think beyond the title that you may have held and more about the action(s) of which you are most proud.
To sum up, this essay is about leadership, broadly defined. You can chronicle anything from mentoring others on your debate team to a simple instance of conflict resolution within your peer group. (The university also invites you to share a story that involves your family, so the example you choose doesn鈥檛 have to be school or extracurricular-related.) Teamwork and collaboration are valued leadership skills both in academia and in the workplace, and students with strong interpersonal skills and a high EQ are an asset to any university.
UC Essay Prompt #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.
Whether you are a prospective studio art, mechanical engineering, mathematics, or psychology major, creativity and the art of problem-solving will likely be at the heart of what you do. Even if few would refer to you as a 鈥渃reative type,鈥� this prompt can still serve as a nice platform from which to reveal more about what makes you tick and the unique ways in which your synapses fire.
There are two ways to go with this UC essay prompt. The first approach is to tie your creativity directly to your future major and/or career. The second is to paint a picture of your personal brand of creativity that reveals who you are as an individual, whether that’s painting, knitting, coding, or something else. Either way, this prompt can inspire some highly impactful, needle-moving responses from applicants.
UC Personal Insight Questions Prompt #3
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
If you are a world-class athlete, you are likely already in the recruitment process. If you placed high in AIME or won a National Merit Scholarship, that is already stated in the awards section. Therefore, using the prized 350 words of real estate to merely rehash the fact that you won an award would not be an inspiring move.
If you read the question closely, UC wants to know how you got good at whatever it is that you excel at doing. A few years back, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that becoming a master or expert at anything takes 10,000 hours of practice. Consider talking about the grind and sacrifice it took you to become great at a given skill, and how you see that skill becoming even more finely tuned/developed over time. If this skill fits into your future academic/career plans, all the better鈥攕hare that too!
UC PIQ Prompt#4
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
This prompt acknowledges that some students are born with more advantages than others. Some teens attend schools with very limited advanced course offerings; others attend high schools with 25+ AP courses. Whether you come from a privileged or an economically disadvantaged home, this prompt can be a solid choice for you.
First off, it鈥檚 important to acknowledge that an 鈥渆ducational opportunity鈥� doesn鈥檛 have to be your regular high school curriculum; it can be a summer program, debate club, shadowing opportunity with a physician, or a language immersion program in Peru.
On the “overcoming an educational barrier” front, this could be an issue of resources/economics or a learning disability, mental or physical health challenge, or even the challenge of stretching yourself to take an AP Physics course when that area was not your strong suit.
Colleges like students who demonstrate grit, perseverance, and resilience, as these qualities typically lead to success in a postsecondary environment. No matter what type of example you offer, demonstrating these admirable traits can do wonders for your admissions prospects.
UC Personal Insight Questions Prompt #5听听
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?
This is a more generalized version of PIQ #4. Challenges can be anything mentioned in the previous section (disabilities, illness, etc.). They could also be events like moving in the middle of junior year or being impacted by a natural disaster. Or perhaps your parents got divorced, a grandparent passed away, or some other type of personal/family trauma occurred. If the challenge you faced and overcame is a core part of your personal story, then this PIQ is a great choice.
As you write, don’t forget to discuss how the challenge impacted your academics as well as the positive steps you’ve taken to move forward. “Academic achievement” isn’t just your GPA鈥攊t’s also all the habits, routines, and support systems that enable you to be your best academic self.聽 During and after the challenge, did you have to adapt your usual routine? Did your support systems change? How did you cope and what did you learn?
For example, perhaps you had to develop new study strategies or seek extra help from a teacher for the first time, which taught you the value of adaptability. Alternatively, if you lost access to your typical study space and had to do your homework at the library, or needed to drop an extracurricular activity so that you could take care of your younger sister and keep your grades high, you might have developed even more resolve or ambition to succeed.
UC Essay Prompt #6
Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
Students who are 鈥淯ndecided鈥� may shy away from this prompt. Contrarily, those who are laser-focused on a given academic area often find this to be an ideal selection. Whether it鈥檚 a general love for math/science or literature or a specific interest in aerospace engineering or 19th-century Russian novels, use this opportunity to share what makes you tick, the ideas that keep you up at night, and what subject inspires you to dream big. You’ll also want to be sure to include the tangible ways that you’ve pursued this interest鈥攑erhaps you took an upper-level class or joined a related club at school, attended a summer program, watched documentaries, listened to podcasts, secured an internship, completed a personal project, did formal research, joined an online forum, etc.
Furthermore, explain how your love of this subject may tie into your area of study or even a future career path. That said, avoid mentioning specific campus resources in your response, especially if you are applying to multiple UCs, as all campuses receive the same essay questions.
UC Personal Insight Questions Prompt #7
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
How you interact with your present surroundings is the strongest indicator of what kind of future community member you’ll be. This UC essay prompt asks you to define your role within a community鈥攜our high school, your town, your neighborhood, your family, or even a club or sports team鈥攁nd discuss how you’ve positively impacted that group.
Some words of warning with this one: don鈥檛 get too grandiose in explaining the positive change that you brought about. Of course, if you truly brought peace to a war-torn nation or influenced global climate change policy, share away, but nothing this high-profile is expected. This is more a question about how to relate to others, your value system, your charitable/giving nature, and how you interact with the world around you. Like #1, your examples can be of the less overt or informal variety. If you have a sincere and heartfelt story in this vein to share, then #7 is an excellent selection.
UC Essay Prompt #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?
Is there anything you have yet to share that is absolutely elemental to who you are as a person? Without the benefit of an in-person interview, it may feel like you never fully had a chance to connect intimately with a UC admissions officer. You have a burning sense that you have not communicated your true essence, your je ne sais quoi, your鈥ou get the idea. If something important hasn’t been communicated elsewhere in the application, then PIQ #8 is about to become your best friend.
Consider that the admissions reader is already somewhat familiar with your academic history, activities, and awards. What don鈥檛 they know, what context is missing, or what could they understand on a deeper level? This one is intentionally open-ended, so you could share more about a particular skill or talent, an important aspect of your character, personality, or beliefs, or a significant experience, accomplishment, or circumstance that didn’t fit neatly under any other PIQ.
Bottom line: the university itself is inviting you to 鈥渂rag.” Therefore, we recommend obliging by presenting the equivalent of a 鈥渃losing argument鈥� at the end of this admissions trial.
国产第一福利影院草草鈥� Final Takeaways 鈥� UC PIQs
- With the introduction of a , the UC PIQs have never been of greater importance.
- Pick the four UC essay prompts from which you can generate the most compelling and revealing responses. No prompts are inherently favored or preferred by the admissions committee.
- If you are able to organically and convincingly tie in your academic and career interests, take the opportunity to do just that (in any prompt).
- If you’re applying to a STEM major, it is generally advised to include PIQ #6 in your round-up.
- Strongly consider PIQ #8, particularly if you’re adapting your Common App personal statement for one of the responses. It is the most open-ended option and allows you to highlight anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere in the application.
Want to learn more about how to get into the University of California campus of your dreams? Visit the following blogs for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance:
- How to Get Into UC Berkeley: Acceptance Rate and Strategies
- How to Get Into UCLA: Acceptance Rate and Strategies
- How to Get Into UC Davis: Admissions Data and Strategies
- How to Get Into UC Irvine: Acceptance Rate and Strategies
- How to Get Into UC Santa Barbara: Acceptance Rate and Strategies
- The Best UC Schools Ranked
- Easiest and Hardest UCs and CSUs to Get Into
