Which UC Personal Insight Questions Should You Answer?

If you’re applying to the University of California, you have to answer four out of the eight Personal Insight Questions posed by the admissions team. When approaching the UC personal insight questions (PIQs), think about which prompts will give admissions officers the best sense of who you are and what you care about. Remember that you only need to answer four of them, so you should choose the prompts that are most relevant to your own experience. If you’re having a hard time choosing which topics are right for you, we have included questions to ask yourself per UC prompt so that you can determine whether you’d be able to write a response that accurately captures your journey.

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.

• Do you hold any leadership positions in your activities?
• What impact have you had on the activity?
• Who are the people you’ve led?
• How has the experience shaped your perspective?
• What were your responsibilities?
• How did you carry them out?
• How did you act as a liaison between your team members?
• Even if it’s not a traditional club leadership position, have you led members of your family or religious group or organization?
• Have you founded any organizations?
• Did you take charge of a particular initiative?
• Are you someone others rely on?

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.

• How do you define creativity?
• What are skills that are important to you?
• What activities are you involved in?
• Do they help explore your creative side?
• Is there something you could work on and completely lose track of time?
• How has your creative ability shaped who you are?
• How does your creativity influence your decision making?
• Has creativity helped you solve a problem?
• Have you had any events or exhibitions that convey your creative ability?
• Who are your creative inspirations?
• Do you have a blog or website that highlights your creative work?

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

• What’s an extracurricular activity you participate in or a skill you have that’s unique or unusual?
• What’s an extracurricular involvement or skill that has played a big role in shaping your personality and character?
• Why does this skill or activity matter so much to you? 
• Have you worked on your skill over time?
• How has your involvement in the activity or your pursuit of this skill changed over the course of the last four years?
• When did this extracurricular or skill first start to matter to you? 
• Was there a specific event that sparked your interest?
• Have you won any awards for your talent or skill?
• Have you done something in this field or activity that no one else you know has done?
• Did you ever face a really big challenge in continuing to pursue this activity or skill?

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

• Have you pushed yourself in light of a limiting curriculum? 
• Have you taken online classes or conduct outside research at a lab or with a supervisor?
• Were there any ways in which you you beyond regular curriculum to find ways to expand your knowledge on a topic of interest?
• How has your intellectual curiosity has driven you to do more than just your assigned schoolwork?
• Have you taken courses at a community college? 
• Have you taken all the AP/IB/honors classes available at your school? 
• Have you done a summer academic program? 
• Have you challenged yourself academically and have an innate desire to expand yourself intellectually?
• What motivated the initiative
• What you learned in the process?
• How has it prepared you for college?

PROMPT 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?

• Did something drastic happen to you during high school or in childhood that impacted you in high school?
• Was your schoolwork significantly affected due to the circumstance?
• Did you come back from an academic downfall? 
• Has your situation inspired your choice of major or career goal? Remember that this is for your college application
• Who are you because of this setback?
• How has this experience shaped you as you look ahead to college?
• How has this situation affected your outlook on life?
• Why was this challenge the most significant?
• How did it impact those around you?
• Was this challenge personal or specific to you/your family or were others in your neighborhood or school community affected similarly?

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

• What subjects have you historically done well in?
• What would you like to major in in college?
• Are you a student who prefers the sciences or humanities?
• Which subject within the sciences or humanities (depending on your strength) have you particularly enjoyed?
• Do you prefer writing-heavy classes?
• Do you prefer classes that require more logic or math?
• Do you pick up foreign languages quickly?
• Do you wish to study abroad or pursue a foreign exchange program that requires being fluent in a specific foreign language?
• Are you interested in studying business in college or might see yourself wanting an MBA?
• Do you plan to be pre-med in college?
• Which electives in high school excite you the most?
• How have you challenged yourself in the subject?
• Have you pursued related extracurriculars?
• How have you learned about the subject outside of school?
• Have you held any leadership positions or participated in any competitions in the academic field?

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

• What does community mean to you? 
• How have you made an impact on the different communities in your life?
• Who are you because of the community?
• Have you participated in any initiatives to improve the community?
• What is your role in this community?
• How will you carry the values of the community with you in college?
• What inspired you to improve your community?
• What did you learn from this experience?
• How did it help you and others?
• Did you work with other members of your community?

PROMPT 8: 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?

• Is there a part of you that’s unique that you haven’t been able to talk about in other parts of your application?
• Is there something about you that people can’t easily guess?
• Do you have any hidden skills or talents you haven’t mentioned elsewhere?
• What could you make a powerpoint presentation about with no preparation?
• Have you started any initiatives or clubs that you would like to further highlight?
• What is your passion?
• What has been your biggest inspiration?
• How do you spend your free time?

Choose a topic that can help distinguish you from other applicants and make you a unique candidate who stands out among the others. Portray your most authentic self and convey stories about you that can help the reader picture you on campus. Good luck!