1. UC Application Personal Insight Questions: Review and Advice Looking Ahead
Session F
June 14, 2017
Mike Drish, Deputy Director of Undergraduate Admission, UCLA
Lisa Przekop, Director of Admissions, UC Santa Barbara
Ebony Lewis, Executive Director of Admissions, UC Davis
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

2. Why did UC change the questions?
Prompts were last changed in 2008
Desire to depart from longer format to a short-answer, multiple question format
Based on feedback, a belief the new format would not only help our applicants, but also help us with admission decisions
Admission Directors felt it critical to ensure that the written responses received from UC applicants truly provides the type of reflective and personal insights we value at the UC
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

3. Freshman Application Questions
Fall 2017 UC Application Freshman Personal Insight Questions
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
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?
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.
Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?
Freshmen must choose 4 out of 8 questions
Maximum of 350 words
All questions have equal value; there is no advantage or disadvantage on choosing certain questions over others
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

4. Transfer Application Questions
Required Question:
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.
Select 3 other questions from the list of 7 questions
All transfer applicants (sophomores, juniors, seniors) have one mandatory question; as preparation for the major is critical in the transfer admission selection process.
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

5. What did UC expect to learn from the new questions?
Applicants get a greater say in the kind of information they want to share
Students can express who they are and what matters to them in their responses, but also through the questions they choose to answer
Option over questions to answer gives students greater flexibility and control to select questions most relevant to their experiences and best reflect their experiences
Questions provide students with better direction and focus on topics important to UC admission offices
Students can express who they are and what matters to them not only in through the questions they choose to answer but also and importantly how they respond to the questions
By giving students the option to choose which questions to answer, they have greater flexibility and control over what personal stories they want to tell us.
Students can select questions that are most relevant to their experiences and that best reflect their individual circumstances.
Purpose of the new format is to not only gain additional insights from applicants, but allows students to better choose the questions that speak directly to them.
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

6. Questions Selected by Applicants
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

7. Questions Selected by Applicants
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

8. Insight into the UC Personal Insight Question responses for Fall 2017
Share good and bad examples from certain questions from Fall 2017 applications
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

9. Freshman Application Questions
Fall 2018 UC Application Freshman Personal Insight Questions
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
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?
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.
Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
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?
UC PIQ will remain the same for Fall 2018 applicants with some slightly modified wording for Questions 6 & 8 for freshman applicants and Question 7 for transfer applicants.
The modifications came as a result of counselor and adviser feedback and campus desire to provide more focus and clarity for student applicants.
All questions continue to have equal value; there is no advantage or disadvantage on choosing certain questions over others
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

10. Q & A
ww.wacac.org
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967

11. Thank you. www.wacac.org Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967 Session F
June 14, 2017
Mike Drish, Deputy Director of Undergraduate Admission, UCLA
Lisa Przekop, Director of Admissions, UC Santa Barbara
Ebony Lewis, Executive Director of Admissions, UC Davis
Western ACAC ~ Est. 1967