university of california berkeley how to write an essay

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How to Write an Essay

University of California, Berkeley via edX Help

This course may be unavailable.

College Writing 2.1x is an introduction to academic writing for English Language Learners, focusing on essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. The five-week course includes a review of basic grammar terminology and understanding; writing effective sentences and paragraphs; introductions and conclusions; strategies for writing longer texts; and thesis statements. The course materials will be offered via readings and videos. An optional course workbook, in ebook form, may be used for additional writing work. Students will participate in online discussions as well as peer review. Students will complete an essay for this part of the course.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of State

UC Berkeley is partnering with the U.S. Department of State to extend the reach of College Writing 2X. Participating U.S. Embassies will host in-person, facilitated discussions sessions around the course content in order to maximize the learning experience. The State Department-supported EducationUSA network will also offer facilitated discussions in some locations for students interested in pursuing higher education in the United States. This partnership is part of the English Education Alliance (E2A), a global effort of the U.S. Department of State to address the global demand for 21st century English language skills.

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• JJ jualtru 10 years ago Excellent material, excellent activities, but today I am having problems to log in the course and I have already missed a week without doing my homework which is too bad for me. I have enrolled this course and I really want to continue till the end. My e-mail is [email protected] and I would appreciate your help. Helpful
• Mokhinur Azadova 1 year ago Studying science-based subjects has become one of the best ways to get everything related to study. Although it yields some positive outcomes, I assume that art is the same degree as those subjects at large. There are two-fold benefits to studying… Read more Studying science-based subjects has become one of the best ways to get everything related to study. Although it yields some positive outcomes, I assume that art is the same degree as those subjects at large. There are two-fold benefits to studying science-based subjects. FIRST and foremost, students who study science have a great mind as well as strong knowledge, because of working with much more numbers and formulas. Secondly and most importantly, those students never have a problem, when they complete their application to universities because they have true confidence and truth. That means, they can become the best version of themselves anytime with the best great mind. Nevertheless, the seat of art is important for both students' health and thinking. This is because when students have a trouble head ach after science. They can just feel so free through drawing or singing. That is to say, art always helps people to figure out what they want from their lives, and they can get really beautiful thinking. To conclude, I believe that both art and science-based subjects are the same crucial for people for becoming someone in our lives. Helpful
• AA Anonymous 1 year ago Mr. Sajith your good for English Teacher job, you unsuitable political leadership role I can suggest you, you will start private English tuition Class that's suit for you & I saw several rally you were teaching your party members English words that'… Read more Mr. Sajith your good for English Teacher job, you unsuitable political leadership role I can suggest you, you will start private English tuition Class that's suit for you & I saw several rally you were teaching your party members English words that's good but i do not think you can lead your party you lied person you do not have credibility good for English Teacher job, you unsuitable political leadership role I can suggest you, you will start private English tuition Class that's suit for you & I saw several rally you were teaching your party members English words that's good but i do not think you can lead your party you lied person you do not have credibility good for English Teacher job, you unsuitable political leadership role I can suggest you, you will start private English tuition Class that's suit for you & I saw several rally you were teaching your party members English words that's good but i do not think you can lead your party you lied person you do not have credibility Helpful
• AH Abdirizak Nur Hassan 5 years ago this course is very helpful for intermediate students as it gives some strengths for their English writing experiences, motivated students will benefit. Helpful
• HH Hassan Mohamed Hassan 5 years ago To be honest, going through the whole Sentence Guide course (where you write 10 essays in total), will probably be too long. Helpful
• AA Anonymous 9 years ago Helpful
• ST Sofia Thiri 9 years ago Helpful
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Never Stop Learning.

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We're back, Summer Cal Writers! To learn how to connect with us, please see below for information on specific services!

The SLC Writing Program supports Cal undergraduates in their journey to become more persuasive and purposeful writers. Via student-initiated conferences and peer-facilitated workshops, our services seek to embolden students to take ownership of their growth as writers and scholars. 

Our Philosophy

We operate on the premise that writing is both a tool for intellectual discovery and a means to social and personal empowerment. A writer, we believe, is someone who writes, and the act of writing itself is a fundamental human right. Our mission to support students to become stronger writers is both a professional responsibility and a social justice endeavor.  Our praxis builds on the strengths of collaborative peer pedagogy. We leverage the tremendous drive, resourcefulness, and talents that our tutors and writers bring to the SLC to enhance the collective success and sense of community for all Cal students. By engaging in critical writing-center praxis and innovative peer pedagogy, we take pride in being a community where staff and students support one another to become independent thinkers, thoughtful writers, and positive agents of change. 

Connect With Us

[email protected]

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SERVICES AND RESOURCES

Appointment, meet our team.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m taking colwrit r1a this semester and don’t know yet if i will pass, but i want to enroll in a r1b course for next semester. can i enroll in a r1b course for next semester before i get my final course grade in colwrit r1a.

Yes. You can enroll in an R&C Part B course for next semester. If you pass COLWRIT R1A at the end of this semester with a C or better, you are allowed to take the R&C Part B course that you enrolled in. If you don’t pass COLWRIT R1A at the end of this semester, you are not allowed to take the R&C Part B course that you enrolled in, and you will have to drop yourself from the course.

If you're enrolled in COLWRIT R1A in the spring semester and want to enroll in an R&C Part B course during the summer, contact us if you have problems enrolling.

There’s a prerequisite listed for the COLWRIT course I want to take. Do I have to fulfill that prerequisite before taking the course?

If the course you want to take is COLWRIT R4B, then yes, you absolutely must fulfill the prerequisite first semester of R&C before enrolling in the course.

For courses other than COLWRIT R4B, the answer is almost always yes, you must fulfill the prerequisite. You may contact the instructor to ask for an exception, but expect to be told that you need to fulfill the prerequisite before taking the course. Even if CalCentral allows you to enroll in the course, the instructor will likely drop you if you haven’t fulfilled the prerequisite.

COLWRIT R1A

What is colwrit r1a, what will i do in colwrit r1a, what is the format of the class, is there a final examination, how are colwrit r1a portfolios graded.

Each student's portfolio is read by a College Writing lecturer that is not the student's instructor. It is marked as passing or not passing according to scoring guidelines developed by College Writing Programs. 

What if I disagree with my portfolio's grade? Can I talk to the instructor who rated it?

You will receive a detailed statement from your rater as to why your portfolio didn't pass. If you disagree with this, you should speak to your own instructor. We do not release the names of raters to students. 

I should have gotten a C-, but instead I got a D+. Why?

In order to pass R1A, you must receive a C or better. While a C- is a failing grade in this course, if you receive a C- you must repeat the course but  cannot replace the C- grade. With a D+, you still need to retake the course, but your new grade will replace the D+ in your GPA. 

Where can I go if I want extra help with my writing?

How do i enroll in colwrit r1a, when should i take colwrit r1a, which section should i enroll in, should i enroll in a section for multilingual speakers of english, what do i do if i can't get into the course this semester, can i enroll in colwrit r1a if i have already fulfilled the uc entry level writing requirement and/or r&c requirement, what course do i take after colwrit r1a to fulfill the second half of the r&c requirement.

UC Berkeley offers courses in a wide range of departments that fulfill the second half of the R&C requirement (see, for example, COLWRIT R4B). Check the  Schedule of Classes  to find out which courses are currently being offered.

Can I enroll in COLWRIT R1A if I haven't satisfied the ELWR?

Colwrit r1a multilingual student writers sections, what are msw-designated colwrit r1a sections, who would most benefit from taking an msw-designated section of colwrit r1a.

These courses can benefit international and recently arrived students who want intensive support with improving vocabulary development, learning editing and proofreading strategies, and understanding the expectations of U.S. academic instructors.

Are MSW-designated sections of COLWRIT R1A just as rigorous as any other section of COLWRIT R1A?

• All of the students are multilingual and will bring this unique background into the classroom.
• The instructor has experience helping students address writing challenges in English that may be unique to second-language writers.

How can a student enroll in an MSW-designated COLWRIT R1A section?

Satisfying the uc entry-level writing requirement | bwa, what is the uc entry-level writing requirement, if i didn't pass the analytical writing placement examination (2022 or before) or the berkeley writing assessment (2023 and after), what should i do.

If you have not started coursework at Berkeley : You can satisfy the UC Entry-Level Writing Requirement by earning a grade of C or higher in a college course certified by UC Berkeley as satisfying the Entry-Level Writing Requirement. Make sure the college sends your transcript to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Berkeley.

If you have started coursework at Berkeley : You must satisfy the UC Entry-Level Writing Requirement by earning a grade of C or higher in COLWRIT R1A.

How do I satisfy the UC Entry-Level Writing Requirement?

If you have not started coursework at Berkeley : You can meet this requirement by exam or by coursework.

• To satisfy the requirement by exam, please consult  the list of exams and scores that are acceptable .
• To satisfy the requirement by coursework, you must earn a grade of C or higher in a college course certified by UC Berkeley as satisfying the Entry-Level Writing Requirement.

If you have started coursework at Berkeley : You can meet this requirement by exam or by coursework.

• 8 or above on the Analytical Writing Placement Examination taken on the Berkeley campus (prior to 2023) or the Berkeley Writing Assessment (2023 and after).
• To satisfy the requirement by coursework, you must earn a grade of C or higher in College Writing R1A.

Can I satisfy the UC Entry-Level Writing Requirement at a California Community College (CCC)?

Can i retake the berkeley writing assessment if my score is below 8, can i satisfy the uc entry-level writing requirement at another uc campus, reading & composition requirement, can i satisfy the reading & composition 1a requirement at a california community college (ccc).

After you have started coursework at Berkeley, you cannot take a course at a CCC to satisfy the R&C 1A Requirement.

I failed COLWRIT R1A. Can I retake the course in the summer at a California Community College?

Can i satisfy the uc entry-level writing requirement and the r&c 1a requirement in one semester.

Other UC campuses require you to complete a 2-course sequence to satisfy both requirements. The courses cannot be taken concurrently. Contact an advisor in your college here at Berkeley, or contact the other campuses directly for further information.

I failed COLWRIT R1A. Can I retake the course in the summer at another UC campus?

What's the difference between colwrit r1a and colwrit r4a, multilingual student writers, what kind of support does college writing programs offer to native speakers of languages other than english.

• COLWRIT 1 - Grammar and Vocabulary of Written English
• COLWRIT W1 - Grammar and Vocabulary of Written English (online and in-person)
• COLWRIT R1A (MSW) - Accelerated Reading and Composition
• COLWRIT R4B (MSW) - Reading, Composition, and Research
• COLWRIT 9C - Academic Writing
• COLWRIT 20 - Communicating in Class: Advanced Listening and Speaking
• COLWRIT 21 - Conflict Management for Academic Success
• COLWRIT 25AC - Reading in and about US Education Institutions

What kind of off-campus support does College Writing Programs offer to native speakers of languages other than English not enrolled at Berkeley?

What's a mooc, how does it work.

Every week, there are short clips of video lectures and assignments. The course is 10 weeks, divided into two parts—2x.1 and 2x.2.  If you choose to pay the $49 fee, then you finish all parts successfully, you will receive a certificate of completion.  (Important note: As with most MOOCs, this one does not offer college credit.) 

What is COLWRIT 2x?

What will i learn.

2x.1   Weeks 1-5 How to Write an Essay

A review of basic grammar terminology and understanding; writing effective sentences and paragraphs; introductions and conclusions; strategies for writing longer texts; thesis statements

2x.2   Weeks 6-10 Academic and Business Writing

Formal and informal writing; effective email communication; academic writing; memos; project proposals; technical writing

Who is the instructor?

Where can i get more information, other courses, are there other courses i can take to develop my writing, berkeley writing assessment: general questions, what is the berkeley writing assessment.

The Berkeley Writing Assessment is a 2-hour timed reading and writing activity done online. It is made up of a reading passage and questions that you will write an essay in response to, without the assistance of outside readings, books, websites, ChatGPT, or other people. You will also complete a survey that tells us about your experience with writing and writing classes.

Who should take the Berkeley Writing Assessment?

If you do not have a qualifying exam score at this time, or a C or higher in an English Composition course completed before starting Berkeley, you should  consider taking the next available assessment.

The advantage of taking the upcoming assessment is to guarantee you will have the results in time for fall semester enrollment in mid-July to best determine if you will take COLWRIT R1A or qualify for enrollment in a Reading and Composition course that satisfies Part A. The Assessment is not required for enrollment in COLWRIT R1A, you can always enroll directly into the course. COLWRIT R1A completed with a letter grade of C or higher satisfies both Entry Level Writing  and Reading and Composition Part A.

How do I sign up for the Assessment?

If you are a newly admitted first-year student who has accepted the offer to attend Berkeley, you will be assigned a Task in your CalCentral Dashboard to complete an Entry Level Writing Evaluation form. If you are a continuing  Berkeley student, there is a registration link on this page.

You may take the Berkeley Writing Assessment only once.

How is the Assessment scored?

Each student essay will be read by two raters, working independently, to assign it a score from 1-6. The two scores are combined for the final score.

How do I pass the Assessment?

This is not an exam in the traditional sense. The Assessment doesn't have passing or failing grades. Instead, it will tell you which composition class is best for you given your skills and experience. If you receive a combined final score of 8 or higher, you will be recommended to take a 4-unit Reading and Composition Part A  course in the department of your choice, including College Writing Programs. If your score is lower than 8, you will take College Writing (COLWRIT) R1A , a 6-unit course which satisfies both the Entry Level Writing and Reading and Composition Part A requirement.

How much does the Berkeley Writing Assessment cost?

There is a $196 fee for taking this assessment which is charged  after you finish the assessment to your dashboard. You can view the charge in the Cal Central dashboard under the "My Finances" tab. Fee waivers for the Berkeley Writing Assessment are only granted to students who have qualified for the UC Application fee waiver. The Berkeley Writing Assessment fee waiver will be automatically processed if you already qualified for the UC Application fee waiver.

Can the fee for the Berkeley Writing Assessment be waived?

Fee waivers for the Berkeley Writing Assessment are only granted to students who qualified for the UC Application fee waiver. The Berkeley Writing Assessment fee waiver will be automatically processed if you have already qualified for the UC Application fee waiver.

I have a conflict with the most recent Assessment. Are there any make-up times?

Yes, the Berkeley Writing Assessment will be offered two times each year: the May administration (primarily for incoming students) and once during the fall semester. Note that you may take the Assessment only once . If you do not receive a qualifying score the first time you take the Assessment, and you have no other qualifying scores or acceptable transfer course completed prior to stating Berkeley, you should enroll in COLWRIT R1A

Do I need to take the Assessment in order to enroll in COLWRIT R1A?

No, you may enroll directly in COLWRIT R1A without an assessment score. Many students appreciate taking the course as a way to improve their reading and writing skills in a small class environment (College Writing classes have only 14 students per section). The class is designed to set you up for success with your future writing assignments at Berkeley.

I took the BWA. How long will it be until I get my score?

It generally takes around 3 weeks for your essay to be scored and for the score to be submitted before it appears in your records. You can find your BWA scores on your Cal Central dashboard under the "My Academics" tab.

How do I know which test scores satisfy ELWR?

A list of accepted tests and scores is found on the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement page.

Berkeley Writing Assessment: Exams

Is the digital sat approved to meet the entry level writing requirement (elwr).

No, unfortunately the digital SAT has not yet been approved to meet the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).

I am confused about ACT Scores. How do they count?

There are two types of ACT scores: a score on English Language Arts (ELA) which is given if you complete the optional Writing test; and another score on English + Reading if you do not complete the optional Writing test.

If you have an ELA score, you will need a 30 or better to meet the ELWR.

If you have an English + Reading score, you will need a combined score (a sum of the English and Reading scores) of 63 or better to meet the ELWR . The combined score must be from a single sitting, in other words, from the same exam. You cannot combine scores from multiple exam attempts to meet the 63 exam score minimum.

How and where do I send my exam scores to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)?

If you intend to use an exam score to satisfy the ELWR, you must request that your official scores be sent to Berkeley via the testing agency's website as soon as all of your scores are available to make sure they're received in time. Be sure to use the college code 0444 for the ACT and 4833 for the SAT.

Can I use scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo English Test (DET) to satisfy the ELWR?

No, not for the Entry Level Writing Requirement. TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores may be used to demonstrate English language proficiency , but are not acceptable for the ELWR.

You can see which exams may be used to satisfy the ELWR on the UC ELWR website .

Can I use my Smarter Balanced score to satisfy ELWR?

No. The Smarter Balanced score is used by some campuses as an  additional piece of information for placement into courses. UC Berkeley does not currently use the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

I am waiting on an AP or IB score - why should I consider taking the Assessment in May?

If you are interested in enrolling in an Reading and Composition course during the fall semester, then satisfaction of Entry Level Writing must be confirmed before the start of enrollment in mid-July. It may be to your advantage to take the Assessment in the annual May date as a back-up in case you do not receive the minimum score needed on your AP or IB exam. 

If you decide not to take the Assessment in May, and you do not receive a qualifying AP or IB exam score, you can still take a make-up Assessment during the fall semester and postpone enrollment in a Reading and Composition course. Alternatively, you can bypass the Assessment and enroll directly in the COLWRIT R1A course in the fall or spring semester. COLWRIT R1A completed with a letter grade of C or higher satisfies both Entry Level Writing and Reading and Composition Part A.

Will my Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) course I completed in high school satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement if I haven't taken the exam?

No, an AP or IB course alone will not satisfy the ELWR. You must have an acceptable score on these exams to meet the ELWR. You can view acceptable exam scores on the University of California ELWR website .

Berkeley Writing Assessment: College Level Coursework

I have taken an english composition course that may qualify. how do i know if the course i completed will satisfy the elwr when will i know should i consider taking the assessment.

A California Community College course that is published on ASSIST under the General Education/Breadth agreement as articulated to ENGLISH R1A or ENGLISH R1B will satisfy Entry Level Writing. You must earn a grade of “C” or better for the course to meet ELWR. Follow the steps below to determine if your California Community College course articulates to ENGLISH R1A or ENGLISH R1B:

Visit ASSIST.org

In the box labeled “Search below for articulation agreements” select:

Academic year: the year you completed the course. Academic year encompasses Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. For example academic year 2023-2024 encompasses Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024

Institution: select the institution where you completed the course

Agreements with Other Institutions: select “To: University of California, Berkeley”

Click on View Agreements

On the next page select View Agreement by “General Education/Breadth”

Click on “General Education/Breadth” from the populated list

Scroll down the agreement until you see the “Reading and Composition (R&C)” course list. It will say “Complete 1 course from the following”

Courses listed on the right hand column are from the California Community College you selected.  If the course you completed is listed for either English R1A or English R1B, it will meet the ELWR.

If the course you completed is not listed on this page, it does not satisfy the ELWR.

If you have taken an English composition course at another college or university, outside of the California Community College System, it may have been pre-approved to satisfy Reading and Composition. Consult Transfer Courses for Reading & Composition to see if the course is listed. If the course is noted as satisfying ENGLISH R1A, ENGLISH R1B, or “one half," it will meet the Entry Level Writing Requirement.  

If the course is not listed on the Transfer Courses for Reading & Composition website, it can still be reviewed for Entry Level Writing. To request an evaluation, open a Cal Student Central case (select ‘Registrar’ and ‘Transfer Credit’) and be sure to attach the syllabus for the course. Course syllabi can be submitted at any time and will be reviewed within 10-14 days, so be mindful of upcoming Berkeley Writing Assessment dates and class enrollment deadlines. For the Berkeley Writing Assessment on May 18, plan to submit your course syllabus for evaluation by Friday, April 26 to ensure that your course is reviewed in time for you to complete the "Entry Level Writing Evaluation" Task assignment in Cal Central by May 15, 2024 should you need to register for the Assessment.

My school offers Dual Enrollment classes at the affiliated college. Will these courses meet the ELWR?

College level coursework must be posted on an official college transcript to be considered for meeting the criteria listed for College Courses and satisfying ELWR. If the college level course you completed is posted on your high school transcript only, it will not satisfy the ELWR.

Can I complete a college level English course in the summer prior to starting at Berkeley in the fall to meet the ELWR?

Yes, you can complete a college level English course if it meets the qualifications for a College Course. If you choose to complete a college level English course in the summer, you may need to wait until the spring term to register for the next course in the Reading & Composition requirement since your college credit likely won’t be posted in time for fall class registration. If you complete a college level English course in the summer and don’t receive a C grade or better, you may choose to complete the Berkeley Writing Assessment (BWA) on a make-up day, or register directly for COLLEGE WRITING R1A

Where is the Summer English Language Studies office and what are the hours?

The Summer English Language Studies office is located in  119 Wheeler Hall (link is external) .

The SELS office is open during July and August, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm. Feel free to stop by during open hours with questions, concerns, or company.

If you need assistance before the term starts, please contact us via  email (link sends e-mail) .

If your question is not addressed below, please review  Berkeley Summer Sessions’ International Student FAQs (link is external)  for additional information.

SELS Payment, Registration, and Visas

What do i do if i want to change my course schedule after i have registered.

Most students can make schedule changes online. UC Berkeley students can make changes via CalCentral. Visiting international students: please visit the Berkeley  Summer Sessions Enrollment Changes webpage (link is external) .

I have a question about my visa. Whom do I talk to?

The Summer English Language Studies office cannot answer specific questions about visas. After referring to the  visa webpage (link is external)  on the Berkeley International Office site, direct all visa questions to  [email protected] (link sends e-mail) .

I have a question about registration and payment for courses. Whom should I contact?

The Summer English Language Studies office cannot answer specific questions about registration or fees.  After referring to the  registration webpage (link is external)  on the Berkeley Summer Sessions site, direct all registration and fee questions to  [email protected].

Can I register in Summer English Language Studies courses if I am under 18 or have not finished high school?

Most of our classes and activities are designed for high school graduates and students over 18 years old. But we also welcome high school students who enroll via the Berkeley Summer Sessions  Pre-College Scholars program (link is external) .

If you would like to visit California and take summer ESL classes, please see our page for  high school students.

If your meet the English language proficiency requirements, you are welcome to register for  UC Berkeley’s Pre-Collegiate program (link is external) .

Is it acceptable to take a course from another department in addition to one in the Summer English Language Studies program?

Yes, students who wish to enroll in a SELS course and another non-SELS course may do so. Please keep in mind that all UC Berkeley courses are conducted in university-level English, unless noted. The rigor and expectations outside of the Summer English Language Program is intensive and based on English proficiency. The university requires that students demonstrate  English language proficiency (link is external)  in order to take non-SELS courses.

How much do Summer English Language Studies courses cost?

For international students, courses cost $550 per unit (as of the Summer 2020 term). The  courses (link is external)  in Summer English Language Studies vary in unit amount, but the course fees for international students (NOT including additional Summer Sessions  fees (link is external) ) are as follows:

College Writing 5 (3 units): $1650 College Writing 6 (2 units): $1100 College Writing 7 (1 unit): $550 College Writing 8 (4 units): $2200 College Writing 9 (3 units): $1650 College Writing W3 (2 units): $1100

Note: Please refer to the international fee  website (link is external)  for complete registration fees. The International Service fee will be refunded or removed from your account for 2020, as no visas are required for all-online classes.  For domestic, non-international students, refer to the registration fee  website (link is external) .

SELS Course Information

My course says that it is "2 units." what does "unit" mean.

A unit (or unit of credit) represents the amount of work in a course.  Each unit represents approximately 30-45 hours of work by the student, including both class attendance and preparation. So if you are taking a 2-unit class in the summer, you can expect the total amount of work in the class to take you 60-90 hours/term. See  https://summer.berkeley.edu/student-services/units-grades  for more information.

Yes — if you are over 17, a senior in high school in your country, and have traveled outside of your country before. Please note, however, that you will be in classes with adults!

All high school students MUST register via  UC Berkeley’s Pre-Collegiate program (link is external) .

How can I get a copy of my transcript?

Summer students must use the transcript service  TranscriptsPlus (link is external)  to obtain copies of their transcript.  Please refer to  this post (link is external)  for further details on how to order your UC Berkeley transcript.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please refer to the Office of the Registrar’s  webpage (link is external)  on transcripts.

Does SELS offer TOEFL or IELTS preparation?

We will be offering a three-week Academic Test Preparation course from late July to mid August.  Please see the  course website (link is external) .

Should I buy my textbooks before coming to Berkeley? How do I know which ones to buy?

We recommend waiting to buy all of your textbooks until coming to class. Different instructors require different books, and for many classes, you will not know which section you will place into. Also, many instructors create course readers, which are books specifically for the course that contain numerous readings, pictures, and articles required for the class. Readers are class-specific and only available in Berkeley at a local copy shop. Please refer to your course syllabus during the first day of class to find out which readers/textbooks are required.

If I’m just beginning to learn English, can I enroll in a SELS course? Is there a language proficiency requirement?

All Summer English Language Studies courses require a basic understanding of reading, writing, and speaking in the English language. All classes are taught entirely in English. Although there is no language proficiency requirement, students are expected to be able to come to the program with some prior experience with the English language.

Summer English Language Studies does not offer beginning-level English language courses at this time.

What is the homework level like? What should I expect to bring to class?

The homework level varies course by course. A general rule to follow is that courses with higher unit levels (for example the 4-unit College Writing 8 courses) have more homework than do courses with lower unit levels (for example the 1-unit College Writing 7 courses). Also, College Writing 5 and 9 courses all have a fieldwork component that requires an additional 5 hours of homework each week.  Consult your instructor and course syllabus for a complete list of homework assignments. Instructors do keep in mind that it is summer, and try to incorporate class trips and ways to explore California into homework assignments.

Students should expect to bring something to take notes on (i.e. laptop, notebook, etc.) for each class meeting. Students should do all class readings as assigned. Outside of class, instructors may require students to type homework or papers. If students do not have a laptop, there are numerous  computer labs (link is external)  on the UC Berkeley campus at your disposal.

Is attendance mandatory in my classes? What if I go on a trip and need to miss a class?

Attendance is mandatory in all classes. Because the Summer 2020 session is short, it is crucial that all students attend every single class lecture. Also, students with visas must attend 90% of classes to stay in good status. If there is a conflict or trip you plan going on during a long weekend, please consult your course’s instructor before making any definite purchases or plans so that you can make academic arrangements.

Can I arrive after the session has started?

Attendance is mandatory on the first day of class. If a student is not present during the first class lecture of the Summer 2020 term, they will be dropped from the class. It is the responsibility of all students to coordinate their flights and housing arrangements to be in Berkeley before the date of their first class (Session D: 01 July 2024; Session E: 22 July 2024).

I’ve picked a class, but I am not sure which section I should choose. What do I do?

Enroll in the class you are interested in signing up for, and choose any section you would like. For example, if you would like to sign up for College Writing 9C, there are four different sections. Choose any section; we will move you into the appropriate section on the first day of class.

SELS Living in Berkeley (health insurance, housing, transportation)

Will i need a car in berkeley how can i get around.

It is definitely not necessary to have a car in the San Francisco Bay Area. Check out the local public transit  options (link is external) , such as  AC Transit (link is external) ,  BART (link is external) ,  MUNI (link is external) , and  Amtrak (link is external) .  The Bay Area also offers ride-sharing services such as  Lyft (link is external)  or  Uber (link is external) . There are so many options in the Bay Area to get around without having to use a car. Many students also decide to purchase bicycles during their time in Berkeley.

If you decide to invest in a bike, please remember to be careful and lock your bike up at all times, as bike theft is common in Berkeley.

In addition, depending on where your housing is during the summer term, all of your classes will be walking distance. Many students also decide to not invest in any car, bike, or other means of transportation and go on foot!

I’m having trouble finding housing for the summer in Berkeley. Where can I go?

Check out the Berkeley Summer Sessions housing  website (link is external)  to see compiled information on University residence halls, student cooperative housing, and other options. Many students in the Summer English Language Studies program decide to live in  International House (link is external) , housing that caters to international students from all over the world. If you have housing-specific questions and/or concerns, please contact  [email protected] (link sends e-mail) .

Do I need health insurance?

This is very important.  According to the Health services center on campus: “ All students enrolled in UC Berkeley Summer Sessions may use the Tang Center for medical services.  Students will have to pay for services at the time of service and submit a claim to their insurer for reimbursement.”

Some resources:

• More information about summer students and health insurance (link is external)
• More information about the U.S.’s incredibly complex health care system

23 Essays: How To Write One Essay Every Week

This semester, I as a rhetoric and philosophy double major have to write 23 essays. As of now, I’ve done 13 with 10 to go. At this point I feel like it’s a key aspect of my personality, “Hi my name is Bridget and I’m writing 23 essays this semester” which seems more daunting than it really is.

I have an essay that gets assigned on Wednesdays due every Sunday, which I appreciate being a constant in my life. So that’s a minimum of one essay a week which honestly is doable. However, where the challenge comes is my other classes where I’m assigned longer essays less frequently. Last week I had to write 5 essays, but this week I only have to write two. The fluctuation is really the hardest part, but I now consider myself an expert on timing an essay and going about it productively.

First, you need to understand your timeline – writing a paper the day its due is not the nest idea. I have to admit it’s doable but you really shouldn’t fall into that habit (especially if you’re a humanities major). What’s best is to mark out when it’s due and then hold yourself to your schedule, which brings us to the next step, understanding how you write. Everyone has a different writing style. For me, I can write up to 5 pages in one sitting. For my roommate, she needs a few days to write it. Don’t force yourself to write if you absolutely can’t, that’s what produces a bad essay. What usually happens for me, is I sit down a few days before and I start writing until I’m done. But that doesn’t work for everyone. Most people prefer to write a little bit every day, which also works really well if you can hold yourself accountable.

As a college student, you should expect to write a few essays there’s really no way around it, but that’s ok! Here’s 4 easy steps as to how to write an essay:

• Read the prompts as soon as you get them. The reason I say this is because if you haven’t done the reading or maybe need to do a bunch of research, you should get a head start on that so you don’t suffer later on. This will also help you keep an eye out for helpful information in class or just in general. Reading a text with a prompt in mind is the best way to learn useful information, rather than going back and wadi8ng through a text you’ve already read.
• Set your own deadlines. This changes based on your writing style and preference, but planning to have it done ahead of time will never steer you wrong. I usually aim to write my essay at least 2 days before so I can go back and edit if I need to.  That being said, I like to do my writing all in one sitting, if you need more than one day plan on doing that. This organization and allocation of your time will keep you on track to write a good essay.
• Don’t write your introduction first. Start off with the meat of your paper and then after you’ve established your position and arguments write an intro and a conclusion that fits what you’ve already said rather than trying to uphold your thesis statement that could very well change when going through the motions.
• Finally, have someone else read your essay once you’re done. Give them the prompt and your essay and ask if your writing is cohesive and easy to follow. It doesn’t even matter if they have no idea what you’re writing about, they can catch anything from grammatical errors to sentences that just don’t make any sense. Then you’re ready to turn it in.

Writing essays are hard, I wouldn’t blame you if you hate it. That being said, I truly believe nothing is more important than being able to write well. It applies to every field of study, it is useful in everyday life, writing will always be something you need to do period.

I hope this helps someone, learning how to write a good essay is hard (heck, I’m still learning) but I think everyone is capable of it. The 4 steps I came up with are just the most basic of what you can do, I think they’ll set you up well enough, practice makes perfect and all of that. Good luck with the next essay you have to write, I’m off to write one of my own.

How to Write an Essay

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Course details.

• Basic grammar terminology and understanding
• How to write effective sentences and paragraphs
• How to tackle writing introductions and conclusions
• Strategies for writing longer texts and thesis statements

Prerequisite

Students should be proficient enough in English to follow an introductory level university course.

Instructors

Maggie Sokolik Director, College Writing Programs University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley was chartered in 1868, and its flagship campus — envisioned as a "City of Learning" — was established at Berkeley, on San Francisco Bay. Berkeley faculty consists of 1,582 full-time and 500 part-time faculty members dispersed among more than 130 academic departments and more than 80 interdisciplinary research units. Berkeley alumni have received 28 Nobel prizes, and there are eight Nobel Laureates, 32 MacArthur Fellows, and four Pulitzer Prize winners among the current faculty.

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18 UC Berkeley Essay Examples that Worked (2024)

If you want to get into the University of California, Berkeley in 2022, you need to write strong Personal Insight Question essays.

In this article I've gathered 18 of the best University of California essays that worked in recent years for you to learn from and get inspired.

What is UC Berkeley's Acceptance Rate?

UC Berkeley is one of the top public universities and therefore highly competitive to get admitted into.

This past year 112,854 students applied to Berkeley and only 16,412 got accepted. Which gives UC Berkeley an overall admit rate of 14.5%.

And as of 2022, the University of California no longer uses your SAT and ACT when deciding which students to admit.

UC Berkeley Acceptance Scattergram

This means that your Personal Insight Questions are even more important to stand out in the admissions process. That is, your essays are more heavily weighed.

If you're trying to get accepted to UC Berkeley, here are 18 of the best examples of Personal Insight Questions that got into Berkeley.

What are the UC Personal Insight Question Prompts for 2022-23?

The Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) are a set of eight questions asked by the UC application, of which students must answer four of those questions in 350 words or less.

Here are the Personal Insight Question prompts for this year:

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
• 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.
• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
• 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?
• Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
• 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?

18 UC Berkeley Personal Insight Question Examples

Here are the 18 best Berkeley essays that worked for each Personal Insight Question prompt #1-8.

If you're also applying to UCLA, check out more unique UCLA essays from admitted students.

UC Berkeley Example Essay #1

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UC PIQ #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. (350 words max)

From an early age I became a translator for my mother anytime we went out in public. This experience forced me to have conversations with adults from a young age. It made me become a great communicator, while helping my parents overcome their language barrier.

Being a communicator has allowed me to lead. When I joined my school’s National Honor Society I was given the opportunity to lead. Applying the skills I used from being my mother’s translator I was able to do what no one else could, make the calls and start the club’s most successful event to date an annual Food Drive at a local Albertson’s, which collects over one ton of food every November. Also developing events like an egg hunt at the local elementary school, a goods drive for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and stabilizing a volunteer partnership with a local park. I have been able to grow as a leader, who actively communicates and brings parties together, planning events and having them run smoothly with minor issues. For instance, last year there was an issue with the homeless shelter not picking up the food for the food drive. In a spur of the moment solution I managed for club member’s parents to collectively deliver the food. My ability to communicate benefited me allowing me to find a solution to an unanticipated problem.

Throughout the four years I have been in journalism I have led; mentoring younger writers and improving the way the paper operates. Staying after hours, skyping with writers about their articles all helped establish my role as a leader, who is always supporting his team. I have done this while writing over 100 articles, editing tons of pages, and managing deadlines. I learned that while being a leader requires effort, it is the passion like I have for journalism that motivates me to lead in my community.

Being a leader so far in my life has taught me that I need to communicate, be passionate, and pass on my knowledge helping cultivate future leaders, who can expand and supersede my work.

UC PIQ #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. (350 words max)

Video games have cultivated my creative thought process. When I was a toddler I invented a game I would play with my brothers. It was nothing along the lines of Hide-and-Seek or Tag, but rather, it was meant to mimic a role-playing video game. It was called "Guy" and came with its own story, leveling system, and narrative story. While seemingly impossible to translate the mechanics of a video game into real life, the "Guy" trilogy provided hundreds of hours of fun to pass hot summer days and escape the harsh reality of our parents arguing and eventual divorce.

This thought process translated into my educational career. have always thought of a tough class or test as a video game. This mostly due to my excessive amounts of video games I played as a child through middle school (especially 7th grade). Each year comes bigger and "stronger" challenges, bigger and stronger bosses to defeat. My senior year will have me face the most powerful boss yet; full AP course load on top of heavy club involvement and community college classes.

Many thought of this "secret boss" as an impossible challenge; something that could never be beaten. No one from my school has ever attempted to take on such a challenge, let alone defeat it. That is probably what excites me about it. In a game, messing around with lower level enemies is fun for a while, but gets boring when it is too easy. The thought of a challenge so great and difficult makes the victory even more rewarding. Stormy skies, heavy rain, and epic boss battle music; I'll take that over a peaceful village any day. In the future, I seek to use this thinking to drive research. I think of abstract physics concepts like secret door and levels that need to be proven true or just a myth in the game. One day, I can make my own discovery of a secret "cheat code' that can help everyone who plays a little game called life.

UC PIQ #3: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? (350 words max)

I’ve always hated the feeling of clammy hands, the needless overflow of adrenaline rushing through my veins, and the piercing eyes that can see through my façade—the eyes that judge me. I felt like this debilitating anxiety that I suffered through was something I could not avoid when doing the thing I was most afraid of—public speaking. I still felt every sweat droplet run down my skin before each speech, and this anguish never completely dissipated. Fortunately, I learned to moderate my fear in high school when I decided to join the speech and debate program. My anxiety has slowly faded in intensity as I’ve gained certitude and poise with every tournament, and every chance I’m given to speak on behalf of others; this talent has allowed me to be a voice for the voiceless.

Out of all the national tournaments that I’ve competed in, the MLK invitational holds a distinct place in my heart. It was my first invitational tournament in which I competed exclusively in Lincoln Douglas debate. I only had two weeks to prepare myself since it was finals week, while my competitors had upwards of two months to prepare. I was fortunate to break into the final round, as my years of experience helped me to articulate and explain my few arguments more effectively, while also refuting my opponent’s.

I realized that the extent of one’s knowledge is useless if it cannot be made known in a way that is clear to others. I learned that preparation is necessary, but one can be so focused on what they are going to say that they don’t hear the arguments presented. I kept an open and ready mind for various claims and strategies which left me free to adapt to the opponent’s argumentative style each round. This ability to think on my feet has served me well in countless debates, speeches, and presentations. I continuously use these skills to become a better and more active listener in my daily interactions as well.

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My greatest skill is my ability to remember things really well, whether they be minute details or important information that should not be forgotten. Over time, I’ve had a knack for remembering details most people would not even bother to remember, such as old test scores, atomic masses, and other details involving numbers. My friends have always marveled at my ability to remember all these numbers. When I was in chemistry class, we used the periodic table so much that I soon began to remember the atomic mass of the more common elements, and even the molecular mass of common compounds like glucose or water. One of my best friends, who is undoubtedly the smartest person in our class, even finds it crazy that I can remember all these numbers and always tells me that my memory of numbers is amazing. I also used my memory to learn and remember how to solve the Rubik's cube, which amazes my friends, as they find it to be complex with many different, possible combinations.

This skill that I have developed, however, isn’t completely under my control, as sometimes I just remember random and irrelevant facts without really trying to do so. I recall one weekend when my eight-year-old cousin was attempting to memorize the digits of pi: I remembered them along with him, learning up to forty digits in just one day. The skill is seemingly natural and not something I have worked hard to develop, as I may be able to use my memory to my advantage, or it can be a disadvantage. It helps when I have multiple tests in one day, or a test with many questions where I have to remember a lot of information, such as finals. Sometimes, however, it is a disadvantage when I remember information during a test that is not relevant to the topic, such as random dates, names, or song lyrics, to name a few. This skill is very important to nonetheless, as it has assisted me all throughout my life in many tests and challenges involving memory.

UC PIQ #4: Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. (350 words max)

At 10:30 pm on a hot, summer, Wednesday night, you would expect my friends and me to be having the time of our lives and going out on crazy high school adventures— but instead, we were actually stuck in a chemistry laboratory trying to map out the Lewis structure of sulfuric acid.

Over the summer of my sophomore year, my friends and I enrolled into ‘Introduction to Chemistry’, an evening course at our local community college. As a six-week summer course, I spent two hours in lecture, two hours in the laboratory, and another two hours studying on my own for four days a week for six weeks. It was evident that I struggled with adjusting to the pace of college when I received 19% on a quiz. I felt left behind, exhausted, and overall pathetic. No matter how many hours I spent studying, I couldn’t keep up. But instead of giving up, I picked up certain strategies like reading the material the night before, rewriting my notes, and joining a study group; eventually working my way up to a B.

At the end of that summer, I learned so much more than just chemistry. On top of having the raw experience of what college is like, my chemistry experience taught me that it is okay to fail. I discovered that failure is an essential part of learning. Coming to this realization inspired me to take more college courses and rigorous courses in high school. I transformed into a hungry learner, eager to fail, learn, and improve. By seizing the opportunity to take this course, I pushed myself beyond my limits. This experience and realization changed how I wanted to pursue the rest of high school, college, and life in general.

I walked into my first day of the chemistry class expecting to walk out with an A; but thankfully, I didn’t. Instead, I walked out of that class with a taste of the college experience and a principle that I now live by-- that it is okay to fail, as long as you get back up.

The relationship I cultivated with my school's college center, by simply being inquisitive, has been most significant. Over my years in high school the college center became my 2nd home, where I learned about extra opportunities and triumphed with help from counselors.

For instance, with help from my school’s college center I applied and was accepted as an LAUSD Superintendent Summer Scholar this past summer. The program selected 15 juniors out of over 450 applicants to work in one of 15 departments, and I was chosen to work for the communications department, which received over 70 applications – making me 1 of 70. Interning for LAUSD at their 29 floor high rise was very eye-opening and exposed me to working in communications alongside seasoned professionals. The opportunity gave me the chance to meet the Superintendent and school board members, who are politically in charge of my education. As part of the communications department I learned how the district operates a network of over 1,300 schools and saw how the 2nd largest school district shares info with stakeholders through universal press releases, phone calls, and the district homepage.

I wrote several articles for the district publication and worked with public information officers who taught me the principles of professionalism and how to communicate to over 1 million people. Recently, I was called from the district to become a part of their Media Advisory Council working alongside district heads, representing the students of LAUSD.

Working for LAUSD furthered my passion to pursue careers in both communication and education. I have always had a desire to be a journalist and the internship assured me of that. I want to write stories bringing student issues from areas like mine to light. Being exposed to the movers and shakers that control education in Los Angeles has heavily motivated me to become an educator and at some point become a school board member influencing the education students like me receive.

Support from the college center has spawned opportunities like a life-changing internship and set me on course for a future full of opportunity.

“Give me liberty, or give me death!”, I proudly exclaimed, finishing up a speech during my first Individual Event competition for Speech and Debate, also known as Forensics Workshop. Public speaking was always one of my shortcomings. During countless in-class presentations, I suffered from stage-fright and anxiety, and my voice always turned nervous and silent. I saw Speech and Debate as a solution to this barrier that hindered my ability to teach and learn. With excessive practice, I passed the tryout and found myself in the zero-period class. All of my teammates, however, joined because they loved chattering and arguing. I had the opposite reason: I despised public speaking.

I was definitely one of the least competitive members of the team, probably because I didn’t take the tournaments very seriously and mainly worried about being a better speaker for the future. Throughout the daily class, I engaged in impromptu competitions, speech interpretations, spontaneous arguments, etc... Throughout my two years on the team, my communication, reciting, writing, and arguing skills overall improved through participation in events such as Impromptu, Original Oratory, Oratorical Interpretation, Lincoln Douglas Debate, and Congress. I even achieved a Certificate of Excellence in my first competition for Oratorical Interpretation -- where we had to recite a historical or current speech -- for Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death.”

I decided to quit Speech and Debate because I felt as if it has completed its purpose. After this educational experience, my communications skilled soared, so I could perform better in school, especially on essays and presentations. Leaving this activity after two years gave me more time to focus on other activities, and apply communications skills to them. In fact, I even did better in interviews (which is how I got into the Torrance Youth Development Program) and even obtained leadership positions in clubs such as Math Club and Science Olympiad Through my two years in Speech and Debate, I believe I became a much better thinker, speaker, and leader. Taking advantage of this opportunity boosted my self-esteem and overall made high school a better experience.

UC PIQ #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? (350 words max)

Although many would say that hardships are the greatest hindrance on a person, my hardships are my greatest assets. The hardships I have overcome are what push and drive me forward. If I had not gone through the failures of my 7th grade year I may have been satisfied as a B or C student. It is easy for us to use our hardships as excuses for not doing work, however, this is a mistake that many people make.

Through my struggles and failure, I have realized an important truth: I am not special. The world will continue to go on and expect me to contribute no matter what I have gone through. Everyone endures some type of obstacle in their life; what makes people different is how they handle them. Some sit around and cry "boo-hoo" waiting for people to feel sorry for them. Others actually take action to improve their situation.

Through hard work, I have been able to outperform my peers, yet I know there is still room for improvement. The thought of actual geniuses in top universities excited me; I long to learn from them and eventually surpass them, or perhaps enter a never ending race for knowledge with them. I used to live an hour away from school. I would have to wake up and be dropped off at a donut shop at 4 in the morning and then walk to school at 6:30 am. After school, I would have to walk to the public library and stay for as long as it was open then wait outside and get picked up around 9:30 pm. I am reluctant to retell this story; not because I am ashamed, but because it is not important. It doesn't matter what hardships I have endured, they do not determine who I am. What matters is what I have done.

At the start of high school, I saw nothing but success. From grades to extracurricular activities, everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, as my sophomore year progressed, this wave of success was soon swamped by a wave of disillusionment. I struggled to perform in Calculus and as a Vice-President, but instead of looking for a solution, I looked for excuses. Ultimately, when I was forced to face my two F’s and my lost elections, the world came crashing down. The vision I had meticulously planned out for the future seemed to shatter before my eyes. My self-confidence plummeted to an all-time low. I thought my life was over.

However, my response to this failure was what would ultimately determine the direction my life would take. In the end, I made the right choice: instead of continuing to blind myself with a false narrative that cast all the blame off my own shoulders, I admitted to my own shortcomings and used this experience as a lesson to grow from.

In doing so, I learned to focus on the aspects of my life that I was truly passionate about instead of spreading myself too thin. I learned to face challenges head-on instead cowering at the first sign of difficulty, even if it meant asking others for help. I learned to accept and utilize my own differences to create my own unique leadership style. Most importantly, rather than letting this mistake define me, I ignited a sense of determination that would guide me back on the right path no matter how many obstacles I encounter.

Looking back, this tragic mistake was a double-edged sword. While it definitely leaves a stain on my record, it is also likely that I wouldn’t have been able to find the same success a year later without the lessons I gained from this experience. At the end of the day, while I still grimace every time I contemplate my sophomore year, I understand now that this mistake is what has allowed me to develop into the person I am today.

Throughout my childhood, I grew up in a nine-person household where the channels of our TV never left the Filipino drama station and the air always smelled of Filipino food. But the moment I left home, I would go to a typical suburban elementary school as an average American kid at the playground. I grew up in a unique position which I both love and hate: being a second-generation Filipino American.

I love being a second-generation immigrant. I have the best of both worlds. But I also hate it. It chains me to this ongoing struggle of living under the high expectations of immigrant parents. How could I hate the part of me that I loved the most?

Growing up, I lived under the constant academic stress that my parents placed on me. Their expectations were through the roof, demanding that I only bring home A’s on my report card. My entire academic career was based on my parent’s expectations. Their eyes beat down on every test score I received. I loved them so much, but I could only handle so much. The stress ate me alive, but I silently continued to work hard.

Living under this stress is the biggest ongoing challenge of my life thus far. Until last year, I never understood why my parents expected so much from me. Finally being old enough to understand my parent’s point of view, I realize that they set these high expectations in the hopes that one day, all of the pain and struggles it took to get to America will pay off. Since then, I’ve overcome the high expectations of my parents by converting their pressure into a fireball of ambition and motivation, deeply ingrained in my mentality.

This intense desire to succeed in America as a second-generation immigrant is something that has and always will fuel my academic drive. As the first person in my family to go to college in America, I’ve made it my life aspiration to succeed in academics in the honor of my family-- a decision made by me.

UC PIQ #6: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. (350 words max)

Understanding the past helps us make better choices in today’s society. History provides us with the views of people and politics, the ethnic origin of people, and much more. At the base of all history, there is an intensive culmination of research which hopes to address or bring light to a story.

My passion for history began while digging deep into own family’s story, researching the history of Latin America, and the origins of the city I was raised in.

For example, when I first saw my favorite show Avatar The Last Airbender, I spent hours researching the mythology of the show which in the process made me learn about the philosophy of China: daoism, Confucius, and the mandate of heaven. Anything can be put within a historical framework to understand the context; every decision, tv show, and law has a history and that is exactly what I love. History forces us to take into account the voices of the past before we can attempt to plan for the future.

History has helped me become a more effective writer for the school paper. It has made me think like a attorney, revisiting old cases, and writing up a winning argument in a mock trial. Thinking like a historian has helped me make sense of the current political climate and motivated me to help start Students For Liberty, at my school’s campus where political ideologies are shared respectfully.

Learning, about history drives my inquisitive nature — I demonstrated this desire by volunteering at a local museum to learn more about the origins of my community in Carson. Ultimately, learning about the Dominguez family who established the Harbor Area of LA.

In terms of academics and performance, I have passed both of my history AP exams in World and U.S. history — being the 2nd person in my school’s history to do so. Studying history in highschool has nurtured my love for social science, which I hope to continue in college and throughout my life.

Ever since I was little, I have possessed a unique fascination for nature and the way it interacts with itself. As I sat in the prickly seats of old tour buses and the bilingual tour guide has silenced himself for the dozens of passengers that have closed their curtains and fallen into deep slumber, I would keep my eyes glued to the window, waiting to catch a glimpse of wild animals and admiring the beautiful scenery that mother nature had pieced together. At Outdoor Science Camp, while most of my friends were fixated on socializing and games, I was obsessed with finding every organism in the book. Nothing else caught my attention quite like ecology.

As high school dragged on and the relentless responsibilities, assignments, and tests washed away the thrill of learning, ecology was one interest that withstood the turmoil. At the end of a draining day, I would always enjoy relaxing to articles detailing newly discovered species or relationships between species.

This past summer, I was able to further this interest when a unique opportunity to volunteer abroad caught my eye. Flying over to the beautiful tropical shorelines of the Dominican Republic, I was able to dive into the frontlines of the battle against climate change, dwindling populations, and habitat destruction brought about by mankind, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

While everyone was obviously ecstatic about snorkeling in the crystal blue waters, only I was able to retain that same excitement about trekking through knee thick mud and mosquito infested forests to replant mangrove trees. While tracking animal populations, my heart leaped at the sight of every new species that swam right in front of my eyes. Even when it came to the dirty work of building structures to rebuild coral and picking up trash along the beach, I always found myself leading the pack, eager to start and do the most.

From this experience, I realized that pursuing the field of ecology was what I could picture myself doing far into the future, and this was how I was going to impact the world.

UC PIQ #7: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? (350 words max)

Originally I saw volunteer work as a nuisance. I felt that it was an unnecessary "requirement" for college. I felt that someone decided to do volunteer work while in high school and now it has become the norm and is essentially required for college. Once I began to get involved, however, I found a true appreciation for the work I was doing.

I loved helping people and, as always, wanted to challenge myself. I worked at the Bellflower Volunteer center and tutored kids every day available, as well as helping out with large special events put on by the city. I then joined Key Club and made it my mission to attend every single event no matter what; even going to the lengths to walk for 4 hours starting at 5 in the morning (it was still dark outside) for a 2-hour beach clean up. I then became Service Event Coordinator and also made it my mission to have an event every week, while attending all of them, while still working at the Volunteer Center. I also started a tutoring program in math at my school as I really enjoy helping my peers academically.

It always warmed my heart to see fellow ninjas( our division mascot) at events I had planned, friends and neighbors at Bellflower events, and CSF members at tutoring.I am always willing to help people with anything. If someone needs my help I will stop whatever I am doing to help in any way that I can. Lending a helping hand is an important part of our society; however, a helping hand cannot do anything if the other hand does not reach for it as well. We need to be able to help ourselves first before others can help us. I tried to create a community where I could help people, but also people could help themselves so that there is no reason for anyone to not be able to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Throughout my childhood, the phrases “get good grades” and “make money” constantly harassed my every waking moment. Life seemed pointless, a never-ending cycle of trying to make more money to create artificial happiness. However, through partaking in my middle school’s ASB, I discovered my love for helping others, and I realized that I wanted to make my life about changing the world and leaving behind a better future for the generations to come.

In an attempt to live up to this philosophy, I have performed hundreds of hours of community service. From volunteering at a senior home to distributing food to the homeless, there is no doubt that I have made a substantial impact on those around me.

Despite all this, my most significant contributions are the ones that take place every day and are often undocumented. Picking up trash, staying long after my job is complete to help other groups, or even saying, “Thank you. Have a nice day,” to anyone who has provided a service for me are just a few examples. While they seem insignificant, these small actions add up.

However, above all, my biggest contribution is building meaningful connections with the people around me and making sure they realize how special and important they are to me and everyone else. In nurturing those who are less experienced, assisting those who are struggling with their emotions or their studies, and inspiring those who have untapped potential, I am not merely applying a band-aid on a wound, but elevating a whole community around me to tackle and prevent ailments the next decades will bring.

Years from now, I will likely have forgotten about my modest academic achievements. However, the memories of seeing someone I had mentored blossom into a strong leader and the smiles and laughter of someone I’ve helped battle through depression will forever be ingrained in my mind.

Serving food at school carnivals, embellishing the local marsh, tutoring students after school, and discharging patients at my local hospital were some of the ways I actively supported my city. However, a distinct way of being engaged in my community involved being selected for the Youth Development Program last summer. This organization works with the Torrance Refinery and selects thirty out of hundreds of applicants. The first week of this program involved activities that trained students for college and eventually their careers by making them adept in communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. For the next four weeks, students were assigned a specific job around the City of Torrance and Torrance Unified School District (TUSD).

I was placed in the TUSD Information Technology Department, along with six other students, and we essentially helped deal with technology-based issues around the district. Even though my professional desire incorporates biology and chemistry, I had a compelling interest and math and technology. I gave back to my community by utilizing the technological skills I gained at work. My colleagues and I traveled daily to several schools around the district and assisted in technological advancements: testing network ports and preparing schools for newer phones, imaging and updating new laptops and desktops, and arranging and setting up new computer labs and Chrome book carts.

Today, many people globally use technological and visual aids to assist their education. My summer job also allowed me to make a difference in the education of others. With the faster internet, newer telephones and computers, teachers could instruct more efficiently and students can be educated more effectively, thus improving their academic performance in the future. This program helped me a lot by boosting my teamwork and leadership skills, which will be extremely valuable as I will be pursuing many president/vice-president positions in my senior year. However, this program has allowed me to make a stronger impact on other people rather than myself; I feel delighted that my work in summer will be beneficial to twenty-thousand students across Torrance.

UC PIQ #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? (350 words max)

In 2011, I started at a newly built school spanning sixth to twelfth grade. The school’s inception was not the greatest with gang culture and issues plaguing the school and nearby community. From this moment I knew wanted to make a change, improving the school and local community.

For example, two years ago a bicyclist was crushed by a container truck across the street from my school, several peers of mine and I advocated for a bike lane to get installed on the street to protect cyclists from the busy traffic. I worked day and night for three weeks using my connection with the city’s public works director to meet with city officials and make a change. I looked for solutions and ways to improve my community and lead the charge to better our street. When we met with city officials they agreed and ultimately approved our bike lane proposal. This civic action started with a group of three concerned high school students, in which I helped facilitate the conversations resulting into a bike lane project, that will be built the summer of 2018 after I graduate high school. Ultimately helping solve an issue in my community.

Using my influence as part of the Associated Student Body I advocated for a new medical academy on my school’s campus to address the growing interest in medicine and health careers of many students at my school. While I am not personally interested in a health related field, I recognized that many students at my school did and teachers agreed. I came in as an intermediary, who because of my position in ASB was also a member of my School’s Shared Leadership Council (SLC), through these means I motivated other ASB officers to support the academy’s inception and after a grueling amount of meetings in which we went through logistics the academy was approved for the benefit of students.

I am a student who will attend a UC pursuing my passions in journalism, education, and history; while being an involved student making the campus a better place than when I first arrived.

Rather than relying on pure intellect, I choose to excel through continual self-improvement, my ability to overpower obstacles, and an unrelenting force of determination. There are thousands of students smarter than me, students with better test scores, students with more volunteer hours, and quite possibly, a more socially acceptable sense of humor. I can assert, however, that my determination and ambition is hard to match.

I am willing to look in the face of the impossible without fear; in fact, the only emotion flowing through my body would be excitement. There are thousands of intelligent students, however many are unable or are unwilling to utilize their full potential. Although not a genius, I have shown my ability to improve drastically in capability over time.

At some point in my middle school career I was not technically supposed to still be enrolled because my grades were too low; now I'm on track to be valedictorian of my class. I am willing to do whatever it takes to meet my goal; if there were a service event across the country I would be willing to walk the entire way; if I could take a million AP's I would. I understand that it is a big jump to go from Bellflower High School to a UC in terms of academic difficulty; however, that is part of the excitement. I am not afraid of failure, it does nothing but make me stronger. Am I capable of making a jump of such a magnitude? It is not my judgment to make; I am only here to try.

The spin-the-wheel slows down and eventually stops at ‘try again next time’. That is, until I secretly push it one slot over to ‘princess tiara’. As the child hurries away to the next carnival game with the tiara in her hair, her mom turns back at me with a warm smile and mouths the words “thank you”. Seeing genuine happiness in the people of my community while volunteering at events such as my school carnival always remind me why I love my community so much.

I hold a lot of pride in how I’ve become a prominent figure in my community. From volunteering at festivals for my local elementary school to becoming employed by the City of American Canyon Parks and Recreation Department, I relish being in the hub of the community. I love our annual Fourth of July parades and Easter egg hunts, where I am stopped every 15 minutes to catch up with the crazy kids I worked with at summer camp or even just with the staff I’ve met from school. Growing up and connecting with such a diverse community is and will always be a large part of who I am. From kindergarten up until my senior year of high school, both my small community and I as an individual have grown immensely. By volunteering at local events, connecting with the people of my community, and finally getting employed by my city, I know that I have contributed to the successful growth of my community.

Although I really love my community here in the small town of American Canyon, I cannot help but think of the other great communities that I can potentially be a part of as well. I believe that by going to the University of California, I will be able to thrive in the liveliness of the communities that the campuses are well-known for. A major contribution I believe that I can bring to the University of California is integrating, being involved in, and building the school’s community so that both I and the school can grow together for each other.

What can you learn from these UC Berkeley essays?

If you want to get into UC Berkeley in 2022, you need to write great essays that help make you stand out. From these 18 Berkeley essays that worked, here are some takeaways:

• Use specific examples of places and events (name them) ( #8 , #17 )
• Tell a story ( #6 , #18 , #7 )
• Demonstrate your background, identity, or culture ( #3 , #15 , #4 )

If you enjoyed these UC Berkeley essays, you'll also like reading our top UCLA essays that worked. They answer the same PIQ prompts, but quite differently.

Applying to other public universities? Check out these awesome University of Michigan essays.

Let me know, which UC Berkeley essay was your favorite and why?

Ryan Chiang , Founder of EssaysThatWorked.com

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University of California 2023-24 Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Nov 30

You Have: 

University of California  2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 4 out of 8 essays, 350 words each.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball , Community , Activity

The UC application sounds like a riddle. Every student must write four essays, but choose from eight prompts. The rules may be unfamiliar, but the game is the same: tell admissions something they don’t know – and then do it three more times! The instructions counsel you to “select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances,” and frankly, we couldn’t agree more. A strategic applicant will choose a constellation of prompts that highlight vastly different aspects of their lives and personalities, leaving an admissions officer with a deep and complete picture of who they are. Don’t get hung up on trying to divine the questions admissions wants you to answer. In the end, they just want to get to know the real you, plus the application swears that “there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.” So follow your heart (!) and don’t let the fatigue get to you. Avoid robotically starting every answer by restating the question and be as anecdotal as possible. With each essay, your goal isn’t just to answer the question, but to tell a very short story about yourself!

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.  

Things to consider: a leadership role can mean more than just a title. it can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. what were your responsibilities, did you lead a team how did your experience change your perspective on leading others did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization and your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. for example, do you help out or take care of your family.

When answering this question, avoid the siren song of your resume. This question isn’t asking you for a list! Remember: it’s your job, as an applicant, to use every essay as an opportunity to reveal something new about yourself. Think of a moment when you were in a position where you worked really hard to help a group of people. Maybe you are always the one helping your younger siblings with their homework, and you struggled to find ways to engage your dyslexic younger brother with math. Maybe, as a camp counselor or church volunteer, you were in charge of choreographing and instructing a number for a group of seven-year-old hip hop dancers to perform. Perhaps, on a Habitat for Humanity school trip, you became the head cook, whipping up everything from pancakes to chicken fajitas while galvanizing a team of sous chefs to pitch in.  

The point is, try to isolate a single leadership moment, and bring it to life with vivid details. Describe where you were, what was happening around you, and what you were feeling. Discuss what challenges you faced, and what you ultimately learned from the experience. Don’t shy away from challenges or even failures, since these are exactly the sorts of character-building experiences that can demonstrate resilience and quick thinking.

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.

Things to consider: what does creativity mean to you do you have a creative skill that is important to you what have you been able to do with that skill if you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution what are the steps you took to solve the problem, how does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom does your creativity relate to your major or a future career.

You may think that this question was geared towards the artistically inclined, but take a closer look. The wording offers many potential definitions that veer away from traditional conceptions of creativity (and actually, it asks you for your personal definition!). Creativity lies in your outlook: seeing the opportunity to use one of your skills in a novel situation; looking at a problem from a new angle to find the solution that no one else could see. This question is, in reality, ideal for the more scientifically oriented to create a more well-rounded profile. Creative types, on the other hand, might want to proceed with caution since, really, every question is an opportunity to show off your talents and describe your artistic endeavors.

No matter who you are, though, remember this classic writing advice: show don’t tell. So, you claim that gardening, or Calculus, or painting is how you show your creative side. Okay. So, then immerse the reader in this activity with you . If you enjoy gardening, describe the plants, their qualities, and how you make your horticultural choices; are you drawn to the aesthetics or are you botanically inquisitive? Similarly, if your subject is Calculus, show the reader how you sat in your dad’s office for six hours straight trying to calculate Pi on a three dozen sheets of paper using red crayon.  If you love to paint, show the reader where you paint, what you paint, and why you paint, describing the colors, textures, materials—the essential process behind your art. Write descriptively so that the reader can feel as if he or she were experiencing your creative passion with you.

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

Things to consider: if there’s a talent or skill that you’re proud of, this is the time to share it. you don’t necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about it, feel free to do so). why is this talent or skill meaningful to you, does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom if so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule.

If question 3 reminds you of question 2, you’re not alone. Often, when we talk about a talent or skill that we have honed over the course of a lifetime, we’re inclined to describe it as an art — a creative extension of who we are. So if you choose to respond to both of these questions, make sure to highlight distinct skills in each. 

The good news is: finding your subject should be easy! You just need to answer this question: what makes you proud? Think about the stories that your friends and family like to share about you. Think about moments when your hard work paid off. When you can zero in on an experience that makes your heart swell, you’ll be able to pinpoint your essential subject. If the memory of your first swim meet victory still makes you smile, draw us into your rigorous training schedule; describe the aspects of the sport that motivate you to wake up early and push yourself. What were your challenges? What has this experience taught you? This narrative should have a clear timeline that traces your growth from the past to the present and into the future. How do you plan to further develop your talent in college and/or after college? Show not only that you have grown, but that you will continue to grow as you take your first steps into adulthood.

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

Things to consider: an educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. for example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that’s geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you — just to name a few. , if you choose to write about educational barriers you’ve faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them what personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge how did overcoming this barrier help shape who are you today.

This question is tricky because it has two parts. So first break the question down: You can write about either A.) How you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity OR B.) How you have worked to overcome an educational barrier. The “or” is key. You are not being asked to write about both parts of this question. Just write about one.

If you have participated in an afterschool program, internship, honors program, or a special class that was meaningful or inspiring to you, you will want to think about choosing option A.  Maybe it was an afterschool program for young, aspiring lawyers, or an advanced history class that you took at your local community college. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your ambition and highlight the kinds of challenges that engage and excite you. Beyond underscoring an academic interest, reflect on the personal qualities required for you to succeed. And remember to show, not tell! It will save you from accidentally humble-bragging your way through this assignment. 

Now, for option B. If you have worked to overcome a disability, struggled in school because you have a different background than your peers, suffered financial hardship, or something along those lines, you can choose to write about option B. To nail this tricky task, you will need to highlight not only the ways you struggled, but also the qualities that helped you succeed. How would you define yourself? Resilient? Hardworking? Brave? Zero in on a quality that resonates with you, and write targeted descriptions that bring it to life. (No one is going to believe you if you just write, “I am resilient,” and leave it at that.) Lastly, reflect on how this barrier shaped who you are today, and what skills you gained through facing this educational barrier.

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?

Things to consider: a challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. why was the challenge significant to you this is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone, if you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life for example, ask yourself, “how has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family”.

If you skipped question 4 or chose to write about option A, this question is a gift: a second chance to showcase your resilience in the face of obstacles. On the other hand, if you chose to write about option B in question 4, this might feel redundant. You are free to write about both, but again, proceed with caution and be sure to select a totally different challenge.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: questions that ask you to describe a struggle or failure are really probing for stories about success. What pro-active steps did you take to address the problem at hand? Even if your solution didn’t work out perfectly, what did you learn? In facing this challenge, did you discover a courageous, creative, or hard-working side of yourself? Did you learn something valuable about yourself or others? Highlight the upside. How did this challenge shape who you are today? And how will the skills that you gained dealing with this challenge will help you in college and beyond?

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

Things to consider: many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can’t get enough of. if that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom — such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs — and what you have gained from your involvement., has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, ap, ib, college or university work) are you inspired to pursue this subject further at uc, and how might you do that.

If you’ve ever referred to yourself as a “nerd” or “geek”, this question is probably for you. To nail down a topic for this bad boy, you can work in two directions: (1) think about how your favorite academic subject has impacted your extracurricular pursuits, or (2) trace one of your favorite hobbies back to its origins in the classroom. Maybe your love of languages led you to take a job at a coffee shop frequented by multilingual tourists. Or perhaps your now-extensive coin collection was resurrected when you did a research project on ancient Roman currency. Whichever way you go about it, building a bridge between the scholarly and the personal lies at the heart of answering this prompt.

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

Things to consider: think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place —like your high school, hometown or home. you can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community, why were you inspired to act what did you learn from your effort how did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community.

Some backwards advice: When writing about community service, you should always start with yourself. Community service essays are cliché minefields. To avoid drifting into platitudes, you need to ground your writing in the specificity of your life. Don’t start with the action and end with what you learned. Instead, dig into your motivations. If you spent weeks petitioning your school community to raise the hourly wage for custodial staff, what prompted you to act? What assumptions did you have about income inequality and what did you learn about your community in the process? Or, maybe you weren’t too enthused about your community service. Maybe you participated in a soccer-team-mandated day of coaching a pee-wee team. What caused your skepticism? How did you turn the experience around?

Also, don’t just choose a topic that sounds impressive. “This year I acted as the co-chair of the Honors Society, presiding over twenty different cases.” If you didn’t, in fact, really enjoy Honors Society, write about a topic that means something to you instead. Think of a moment where you felt like you made a change in your local community. It can be something small; it does not have to be monumental, but it should mean a great deal to you. Describe the moment, using detail to bring it to life, and then reflect on what that experience taught you, and how you hope to continue these activities in the future.

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?

Things to consider: if there’s anything you want us to know about you, but didn’t find a question or place in the application to tell us, now’s your change. what have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better, from your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for uc don’t be afraid to brag a little..

This question is really just what it says it is—an open-ended, choose-your-own-adventure question.  Is there something that you really, really want to tell the UC admissions team that you feel makes you a strong and unique candidate that is not showcased in the other three personal insight questions? As with the other questions, whatever topic you choose, please use detail and description to bring this topic to life for the reader, and include thoughtful reflection on why this topic matters to you. Also, be sure to explain why your chosen topic makes you stand out as a strong candidate for the UC schools, since the question specifically asks you to do that!

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How to Write the UC Berkeley/University of California Application Essays 2016-2017

Check out the university of california application essays for 2017-2018.

The University of California system is comprised of ten public research universities all over California, from San Diego to Berkeley. UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara are all ranked in the top 75 national universities.

The flagship institution, UC Berkeley, is the oldest institution of the University of California universities, all of which are public research universities. With over 38,000 students, Berkeley is an academic powerhouse in a wide range of fields, and currently ranks fourth on U.S. News’ Best Global Universities list for its worldwide reputation.

In addition, it is consistently ranked among the very top of public universities. It is particularly well known in science and especially chemistry, claiming 16 of the periodic table’s elements (including number 97, the eponymous Berkelium) and 72 Nobel Prizes.

Berkeley’s 106 bachelor’s majors are offered across 7 colleges and schools, and the most popular majors are Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Political Science, Molecular and Cell Biology, Environmental Science, and Economics.

The campus is located in beautiful northern California, and encompasses 1232 acres, though only about 178 are occupied by the central campus (the rest include various laboratories and institutes, museums, an 800-acre ecological preserve, and a botanical garden). Berkeley is known to have a diverse student body as well and holds a long-standing sports rivalry with Stanford.

For the entering class of 2016, Berkeley received 82,539 applications and admitted 12,226 for an admission rate of 14.8%. Its admissions rate has been steadily declining over the past five years.

The University of California system has just developed a new set of eight application prompts, from which you choose four. Each essay has a maximum of 350 words. Fortunately for you, these prompts come with some questions to get you started in your brainstorming!

The University of California Application Essay Prompts

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

Things to consider: A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking lead role in organizing an event or project.

Think about your accomplishments and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church in your community, or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family?

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.  

Things to consider: What does creativity mean to you? Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do with that skill? If you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution? What are the steps you took to solve the problem? How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career?

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

Things to consider: If there’s a talent or skill that you’re proud of, this is the time to share it. You don’t necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about, feel free to do so).

Why is this talent or skill meaningful to you? Does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent? Does your talent or skill allow you opportunities inside or outside the classroom? If so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule?

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

Things to consider: An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. For example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that’s geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you — just to name a few.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you’ve faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them? What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who are you today?

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?

Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, “How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family?”

 Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.

Things to consider: Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom — such as volunteer work, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or activities — and what you have gained from your involvement. Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)?

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

Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place — like your high school, hometown, or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community.

Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community? Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community, or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community?

What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?

Things to consider: Don’t be afraid to brag a little. Even if you don’t think you’re unique, you are — remember, there’s only one of you in the world. From your point of view, what do you feel makes you belong on one of UC’s campuses? When looking at your life, what does a stranger need to understand in order to know you? What have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge, or opportunity that you think will help us know you better? We’re not necessarily looking for what makes you unique compared to others, but what makes you, YOU.

When choosing your four prompts, keep in mind that you will want to cover a very broad range in your four essays.

If you find yourself repeating topics in a couple of the essays, you may want to diversify. For example, if you are writing an essay for the fourth prompt about an educational barrier, and also one for the fifth prompt about overcoming a significant challenge, make sure that the essays are different from each other. You want to say as much as you can about yourself, and you only have a total of 1400 words to do so, so don’t waste precious words repeating yourself!

Also, don’t necessarily start drafting ideas until you’ve thought about all of the prompts. Do any of these questions provoke an immediate, strong response from you? If yes, then definitely write about those. However, it is likely that you will not have immediate responses to four of the prompts, and that is perfectly fine. You can also approach the process from the opposite direction — what topics are important to you, and how can you use those topics as responses to some of these questions?

In general, remember that the UC system wants to see you as a real person. Think about what makes you special, use your own voice, and tell your own story! 

Check out our blog post The Ultimate Guide to Applying to the University of California to get a comprehensive understanding of how to apply to the UC system.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Major requirements

Major requirements.

The English Major consists of no fewer than 12 courses , of which a minimum of 7 need to be upper-division (#100-199) :

• English 45A - Literature in English: Through Milton
• English 45B - Literature in English: The Late-17th through the Mid-19th Century
• English 45C - Literature in English: The Mid-19th through the Mid-20th Century
• A course in Shakespeare (17, 117A, 117B, 117J, or 117S)

English 90 Practices of Literary Study ( English 90 is a prerequisite for English 100)

English 100 The Seminar in Criticism (English 90 and English 100 must be taken in sequence and in separate semesters prior to enrolling in English 190)

English 190 The Research Seminar or H195A/B - The Honors Seminar 

Five English Department electives

    8. English elective: (Literatures in English)  

    9.  English elective: (Literature Before 1800)

    10. English elective

    11. English elective

    12. English elective

Of the 5 electives listed above, one must fall in the area of pre-1800 English Literature, and another in the area of "Literatures in English." For a list of course offerings this upcoming term in those areas, visit the classes page .

For the 3 remaining electives, choose any four-unit course in the English Department that is of interest to you (Note: no more than 2 English Creative Writing courses; see detailed requirements below). 

If you haven't declared the English major yet, see our Major Completion Sheet . This will help you plan your schedule. Once you declare, make sure to  consistently check your  Academic Progress Report (APR)  to make sure you are on track for graduation.

Transfer Students

Articulated coursework, detailed requirements, policies about letter grades, p/np courses, summer session and creative writing rule, gpa etc ..

• Students majoring in English are expected to complete at least seven courses in the English Department here. Other courses counted toward the major can total  no more than five  and may not be taken concurrently while a student is enrolled at UC Berkeley.  (Note, in other words, that students cannot take community college/ other UC/ Cal State courses towards the major English after they have enrolled here at Cal) . For more about transferable courses, see the  Extra-Departmental Work and Study Abroad tab at left.
• English 45A, 45B, 45C, and Shakespeare are required of all majors and must be taken for a letter grade. 
• Electives: Of the twelve courses required for the English major, 5 are elective courses in the English Department. Elective courses are those that you take based on your personal interest in the study of English; an elective course is any four-unit course in the English Department.  Two of the five elective courses for the major may be taken P/NP.  The P/NP option in English is subject to the regulations set forth in the  L&S Announcement.
• No more than two 4-unit English Department Summer Session courses  taken at UCB may be counted toward the major 
• No more than two Creative Writing courses  may be counted toward the major (English 43, 141, English 143 A, B, C, E, etc). English 141  cannot  be taken twice.
• To graduate with a degree in English, a student must achieve at least a 2.0 GPA in: a) all work undertaken at the University of California (all campuses); b) all courses required for the English major, and; c) all upper-division courses in the English major.

Course-specific details ​​​​​​​​

English 90: practices of literary study.

This course is a small, faculty-led seminar on the practice and discipline of literary analysis. It is meant for all students who seek an introductory literature course and would like to improve their ability to read and write critically, including those who may wish to major in English. Focusing on the close study of a few works, rather than a survey of many, the seminar will help students develop college-level skills for interpreting literature while gaining awareness of different strategies and approaches for making sense of literary language, genres, forms, and contexts. The seminar also will develop students’ ability to write about literature and to communicate meaningfully the stakes of their analysis to an audience.

For students who started at Cal their Freshman year, it is recomended to take English 90 your Freshman or Sophomore year. This will set you up to take English 100 your Junior year and English 190 your Senior year.

ENGLISH 90   and   ENGLISH 100   must be taken in sequence prior to   ENGLISH 190 . Doing so will give you your best preparation for the capstone research seminar and, in fact, all your English Department courses.  ​

English 100: The Seminar on Criticism

This seminar is designed to provide English majors with intensive and closely supervised work in critical reading and writing. Although sections of the course may address any literary question, period, or genre, they all provide an introduction to critical and methodological problems in literary studies.

English 190: The Research Seminar

This seminar is an intensive examination of critical approaches, literary theory, or a special topic in literary and cultural studies. This course is research-oriented and designed for upper-division English majors who have completed their foundational courses and at least some exploration in their electives.  Students who complete additional sections of English 190 may use them as electives for the major.  Students pursuing honors in English take H195A/B instead of 190.

English H195A/B: The Honors Course

English H195A/B is a year-long seminar that always begins in the fall and may be taken instead of English 190. The successful completion of the Honors Course is required to obtain Honors in English. This course is an instructor-approved course open only to senior English majors with an overall G.P.A. of 3.51 or higher and a major G.P.A. of 3.65 or higher in courses taken at Berkeley towards the major.  In order to be considered for admission to the Honors Course, Junior students in their second semester must electronically apply, using the link on the course listing in the "Announcement of Classes" available beginning in early April.

Shakespeare

English 17, 117A, 117B, 117J, or 117S all satisfy the Shakespeare requirement. English 117T does not satisfy the Shakespeare requirement.

Literatures in English

• One elective (or else an appropriate 90, 100 or 190) must satisfy the Literatures in English breadth requirement.
• Standard course offerings that would meet this requirement include but are not limited to: 31AC, 33, 37, 53, 133A, 133B, 133T, 135AC, 137A, 137B, 137T, 138, 139, 166AC, 175. There also may be special topics courses (English 165 or 166) or seminar courses (English 100 or 90) offered in a semester that are designated as satisfying the "Literatures in English" requirement.
• To see which courses satisfy this requirement in a given semester, see the link on the Classes page.

Literature Before 1800

• One upper-division course in British, American, or Anglophone literature from an historical period before 1800. Standard course offerings that would meet this requirement include but are not limited to: English 104, 105, 110, 111, 112, 114A, 114B, 115A, 115B, 118, 119, 120, 125A, 130A.  Please note: there also may be special topics courses (English 165/166) or research seminar courses (English 190) offered in a semester that are designated as satisfying the Pre-1800 requirement.
• English 107, any Shakespeare course , or a course outside the department that does not include a substantial amount of literature in English will not fulfill this requirement.

Remaining 3 Electives

Elective courses are those that you take based on your personal interest in the study of English; an elective course is any four-unit course in the English Department. Two of the five elective courses for the major may be taken P/NP. The P/NP option in English is subject to the regulations set forth in the L&S Announcement. The “Literatures in English” and “Literature Before 1800” courses must be taken for a letter grade. No more than two Creative Writing courses may be counted toward the major electives (English 43, 141, English 143 A, B, C, E, etc). English 141 cannot be taken twice. 

R&C and English 45 series courses cannot be electives 

See both the "Berkeley Connect, Independent Study, Decal" tab and "Extra-Departmental Work and Study Abroad" for possible exceptions for electives.

How to write the UC essays

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Learn how to write an awesome University of California essay for every single prompt.

Robert will provide an in-depth breakdown of each of the UC essay prompts, discussing how to write a great essay in response to each one.

He'll also share his take on the essays and topics you shouldn't write about for each prompt.

Finally, he'll open up the floor for a Q&A session, where he'll answer any and all questions about the UC essays and talk about how to set yourself apart with your essay.

Undergrad College: Yale University '21

Major: Ethics, Politics & Economics; Classics (Intensive)

Work Experience: As a recent graduate of Yale University, I am excited to begin my first year with CollegeVine! In many ways, CV was a natural fit for me -- at Yale, I worked for over two years in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, beginning as a Senior Interviewer in the summer of 2019, during which I interviewed over 200 first-year applicants for the 2019-2020 college admissions cycle. After the summer ended, I became Lead Recruitment Coordinator, a full-time position responsible for executing and overseeing Yale’s numerous post-admissions decision yield initiatives, as well as serving as a spokesman for the university both in person and online. Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of interacting with hundreds of students and their families at all stages of the college application process.

My Admissions Story: Having always been interested in studying a variety of subjects within the Humanities and Social Sciences, I applied to a smattering of liberal arts colleges and universities (mostly on the East Coast) with strong departments in these areas, large and diverse student bodies, and varied extracurricular opportunities. When my college admissions decisions rolled in, I immediately accepted an offer from my dream school, Yale University, which I had always felt best embodied the opportunities and goals that I desired from my college experience -- and since that day, I’ve never looked back.

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College essays that worked and how yours can too.

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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 08: A view of Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University on ... [+] July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have sued the Trump administration for its decision to strip international college students of their visas if all of their courses are held online. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The college essay is a pivotal piece of the college application showcasing your individuality and differentiated outlook to admissions officers. What makes an essay truly shine? Let’s dive into the words behind three standout essays highlighted by university websites and a school newspaper's brand studio so you can get into the right mindset for crafting your own narrative.

Embracing Differences: Finding Strength In Uniqueness

Essay Excerpt: ‘Bra Shopping ’ (Harvard)

Featured by the Harvard Crimson Brand Studio , Orlee's essay recounts a student's humorous and insightful experience of bra shopping with her grandmother, weaving in her unique family dynamics and challenges at her prestigious school.

What Works:

• Humor and Honesty: The student's humor makes the essay enjoyable to read, while her honesty about her challenges adds depth.
• Self-Awareness: She demonstrates a strong sense of self-awareness, embracing her uniqueness rather than trying to fit in.
• Resilience: Her narrative highlights resilience and the ability to find strength in differences.

For Your Essay : To write an essay that embraces your uniqueness, start by identifying a quirky or challenging experience that reflects who a key insight into your experience. Think about how this experience has shaped your perspective and character. Use humor and honesty to bring your story to life, and focus on how you have embraced your differences to become stronger and more resilient.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, finding connections: humor and self-reflection.

Essay: ‘Brood X Cicadas ’ (Hamilton College)

As an example on Hamilton's admissions website, Nicholas writes about the cicadas swarming his hometown every 17 years and draws a parallel between their emergence and his own transition to college life. He uses humor and self-reflection to create a relatable and engaging narrative.

• Humor: Nicholas uses humor to make his essay entertaining and memorable. His witty comparisons between himself and cicadas add a unique twist.
• Self-Reflection: By comparing his life to the cicadas’, he reflects on his own growth and readiness for change.
• Relatability: His narrative about facing new experiences and challenges resonates with readers who have undergone similar transitions.

For Your Essay: To infuse humor and self-reflection into your essay, start by identifying an ordinary experience or object and think about how it relates to your life. Write down funny or insightful observations about this connection. Use humor to make your essay more engaging, but ensure it still conveys meaningful self-reflection. This balance can make your essay both entertaining and profound.

Persistence and Multicultural Identity: Life Lessons From Tortilla Making

Essay: ‘ Facing The Hot Griddle ’ (Johns Hopkins University)

In this essay published by Hopkins Insider, Rocio uses the process of making tortillas to explore her multicultural identity and the challenges she has faced. Her story beautifully weaves together her Guatemalan heritage and her experiences growing up in the United States.

• Metaphor and Symbolism: The process of making tortillas becomes a powerful metaphor for the student’s journey and struggles. The symbolism of the masa harina and water mixing parallels her blending of cultural identities.
• Personal Growth: The essay highlights her perseverance and adaptability, qualities that are crucial for success in college.
• Cultural Insight: She provides a rich, personal insight into her multicultural background, making her story unique and compelling.

For Your Essay: To write an essay that explores your identity through a metaphor, start by thinking about an activity or tradition that holds significant meaning for you. Consider how this activity relates to your life experiences and personal growth. Use detailed descriptions to bring the activity to life and draw connections between the process and your own journey. Reflect on the lessons you've learned and how they've shaped your identity.

A winning college essay isn’t simply about parading your best accomplishment or dramatizing your challenges. It’s not a contest for which student is the most original or entertaining. Rather, the essay is a chance for you to showcase your authenticity, passion, resilience, social awareness, and intellectual vitality . By sharing genuine stories and insights, you can create an essay that resonates with admissions committees and highlights your unique qualities.

For you to have the best possible essay, mindset is key. Here’s how to get into the zone:

• Reflect Deeply: Spend time thinking about your experiences, challenges, and passions. Journaling can help you uncover deep insights.
• Discuss and Share: Talking about your stories with friends, family, or mentors can provide new perspectives and emotional clarity.
• Immerse Yourself: Engage in activities that you are passionate about to reignite the feelings and memories associated with them.
• Draft Freely: Don’t worry about perfection on the first try. Write freely and honestly, then refine your narrative.

The secret to a standout college essay lies in its authenticity, depth, and emotional resonance. By learning from these successful examples and getting into the right mindset, you can craft an essay that not only stands out but also provides a meaningful insight into who you are. Remember, your essay is your story—make it a piece of writing that you will always be proud of.

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How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essays: Examples + Tips

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 6/27/24

Learn how to craft exceptional UCLA supplemental essays with examples and expert tips. Elevate your application and stand out as a top candidate.

Like every aspiring candidate who wants to attend UCLA , you are expected to write supplemental essays to compel the admission committee. These essays allow you to express yourself, your interests, and your aspirations.

Writing compelling essays starts with understanding what the school is looking for. As noted in its Core Curriculum , UCLA values an academic journey that promotes diverse exploration, reflected in its essay prompts.

This guide will provide valuable tips on how to write UCLA essays. It’ll also provide some UCLA essays that worked for you to draw inspiration from. Let’s get into it.

UCLA Personal Insight Question (PIQ) Prompts 2024-2025

Here are UCLA essay prompts :

“Describe an example of a leadership experience in which you’ve positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.”

“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.”

“ What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?”

“Describe how you’ve taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you’ve faced.”

Prompt #5  

“ Describe the most significant challenge you’ve faced and the steps you’ve taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?”

Prompt #6  

“ Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you’ve furthered this interest inside and/or outside the classroom.”

Prompt #7  

“What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?”

Prompt #8  

“Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admission to the University of California?”

How to Write Each Essay Prompt for UCLA

Let’s take a quick look at how to write each prompt.

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #1 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #1 : In this prompt, UCLA wants to understand your leadership abilities. They want to know when you've positively influenced others, mediated disputes, or contributed to a group effort. Your response should showcase your leadership skills and the impact they've had over time.

• Pick an Experience : Choose an experience, preferably from high school, that demonstrates your leadership. It could be from a school club, community service project, or personal initiative.
• Show Impact : Highlight not just what you did but the positive influence it had. How did you inspire others? How did your leadership contribute to a resolution or group success?
• Reflect on Growth : Discuss how this experience shaped you as a leader. Mention what you've learned from it and how it will contribute to your future at UCLA.

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #2 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #2 : UCLA values creativity, and this prompt encourages you to express your creative side. Whether through problem-solving, innovative thinking, or artistic works, they want to know how you unleash your creative potential.

• Pick a Niche : Determine your creative outlet, whether it's through art, science, technology, or any other field. It could be a personal project, a scientific discovery, or a piece of art.
• Tell a Story : Share a narrative about a specific instance that illustrates your creative abilities. Describe your challenge, the solution you crafted, or the artwork you produced.
• Show Impact : Explain how your creativity has made a difference. Has it solved a problem, inspired others, or resulted in an innovative solution?
• Connect to Future Goals : Link your creativity to your future aspirations. How will this creative side benefit you at UCLA and beyond?

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #3 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #3 : In this prompt, UCLA is interested in your exceptional abilities. You should discuss your greatest talent or skill, how you've developed it, and instances where you've demonstrated it.

• Identify Your Talent : Start by identifying your unique talent or skill. It could be in the arts, sports, academics, or any other area where you excel.
• Share Your Experience: Describe how you discovered and nurtured this talent. Discuss any challenges or obstacles you overcame.
• Highlight Achievements : Provide concrete examples of when you've showcased this talent. Share any awards, recognitions, or significant accomplishments.
• Connect to Growth : Explain how this talent has evolved. How has it influenced your personal development, and how might it benefit the UCLA community?

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #4 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #4 : UCLA wants to know about your educational journey. This prompt asks you to detail a significant educational opportunity you've seized or a barrier you've had to overcome.

• Pick a Story : Choose a pivotal educational opportunity or barrier in your academic journey. This could be a specific class, project, or academic challenge.
• Describe Opportunity/Barrier : Explain the situation clearly. What was the opportunity or obstacle? How did it impact your education?
• Your Response : Discuss your response to this situation. Did you seize the opportunity, and how did it enhance your education? If it was a barrier, what actions did you take to overcome it?
• Highlight Growth : Reflect on how this experience affected your academic achievement and personal growth.

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #5 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #5 : This question focuses on challenges you've faced and your efforts to overcome them. Describe your most significant challenge and how it influenced your academic achievements.

• Define the Challenge : Clearly outline the adversity you've faced. It could be personal, academic, or a combination of both.
• Explain Impact : Discuss how this challenge affected your academic performance, mindset, and determination.
• Overcoming Obstacles : Describe the steps you took to overcome this adversity. What strategies did you employ? What support did you seek?
• Show Resilience : Emphasize your resilience and determination. What have you learned from this challenge, and how have you grown?

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #6 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #6 : This question centers on your academic interests and what inspires you. Describe an academic subject that excites you and how you've pursued it inside and outside the classroom.

• Choose Your Passion : Select an academic subject that genuinely inspires you. Explain why it resonates with you.
• Show Engagement : Discuss how you've explored this subject. Mention specific courses, books, projects, or research related to it.
• Highlight Your Dedication : Highlight extracurricular activities, clubs, or personal initiatives that further your passion for this subject.
• Connect to UCLA : Explain how this academic passion aligns with your future goals and why it makes you a great fit for UCLA.

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #7 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #7 : UCLA values community engagement. Share how you've contributed to making your school or community a better place.

• Choose Your Impact : Highlight a specific project, initiative, or role where you've positively impacted your school or community.
• Demonstrate Your Contribution : Describe your role and the contributions you've made. What changes or improvements have you facilitated?
• Reflect on Values : Explain how your engagement aligns with your values and aspirations. How will your community spirit benefit UCLA?
• Inspire Others : Discuss any instances where your actions have inspired others to join your cause or carry on your work.

How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essay #8 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of Prompt #8 : In this open-ended prompt, you can share something unique about yourself that hasn't been covered in other parts of your application.

• Say Something New : Use this space to provide fresh insights about yourself. Avoid repeating information from other essays.
• Talk About Your Strengths : Highlight your unique strengths, experiences, or perspectives that set you apart.
• Why UCLA : Share what makes you a strong candidate for admission to UCLA. How do your qualities and experiences align with the university's values and mission?
• Show Authenticity : Be yourself and let your genuine personality shine through in your response.

These tips should help you write each of UCLA's Personal Insight Questions effectively. If followed, you can increase your chances of standing out among numerous candidates.

Examples of UCLA Supplemental Essays That Worked

Below are some UCLA-accepted essays from admitted students to give you inspiration and insights. Take note of our expert insight into why it worked.

Sample Essay #1

Prompt #1 : “Describe an example of a leadership experience in which you’ve positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.”

Take a look at this essay example:

“It was her fourth honor council. I sat on the committee for her third that granted her one last chance. It was mid-April–just weeks before graduation, and she would walk across the stage with her diploma. The third honor council debated for hours about the best course of action. No student had ever been given 4 chances without separation from the school. One attendee argued for her future in retaining her college admission, while another suggested her negative impacts on the school community. After hours of debate, the honor council was split. It was left up to just a few of her peers to decide her fate. We reviewed her previous violation, and then it appeared: “Any future violations of school rules WILL result in separation from the school”. I believe strongly in seeking first to understand a person’s circumstances before drawing judgment, and I think there is great value in the second chance. Unfortunately, this student was unable to take responsibility after failing on multiple counts, and we eventually decided it would be best for the community if she separated from the school. She was given the opportunity to receive her diploma after successfully completing online classes.

Hard decisions like these have been a driving factor in shaping my character and values caring for the greater good of the community. I faced discrimination as a person with learning differences, which prompted me to solve issues of inequity through leadership positions. I give back to the community by leading school discussions about acts of hate and aggression that happen on and off campus, and I strive to create diversity and inclusion by attracting new people to [CITY]. I attempt to create a well-rounded incoming class of freshmen that will better the FVS community and help to solve issues of discrimination and a lack of diversity on campus. Together, my roles have heavily aligned with my values of creating diversity and solving a wide range of issues on campus.”

Why Essay #1 Worked

This essay demonstrates the applicant's commitment to fairness, accountability, and the welfare of the community. 

The opening narrative about the honor council meeting showed the applicant's involvement in challenging and impactful decisions. It portrays their dedication to upholding integrity and fairness, which aligns well with the university's values. 

The essay ties this experience to the applicant's personal growth and values, emphasizing their commitment to addressing discrimination, promoting diversity, and improving the community. 

It highlights the applicant's leadership, problem-solving abilities, and dedication to creating a more inclusive and equitable environment, making it a strong response to the prompt.

Sample Essay #2

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.”

Check out this essay example:

“The test covered L’Hopital’s Rule and Related Rates–a topic I felt I had mastered but would need extra time to complete. But there I was. Waiting patiently with everyone else for [NAME] to hand out the test. As a student with a learning difference, I had a written contract for accommodations: extended time in a distraction free setting, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t the first time this happened, and I knew how this story would unfold. He placed the test on my desk. I frantically solved as many problems as I could. I flew through the first half of the test, but just as I began solving related rates, I heard a disappointing “5 Minutes Left”. I frantically jotted down anything that came to mind on the remaining portion of the test, but it didn’t matter. Time was up.

I sat quietly in class the next day, enraged. Every question I completed was correct, but it didn’t make up for the unattempted problems. “79%” engraved in dark red ink. What’s worse, he wrote, “Why didn’t you try these problems?” across the page of unanswered questions. Nearly every problem I attempted on any quiz or test in his class was mathematically correct, but I ran out of time on almost every assessment. It didn’t matter how good I truly was at Precalculus.

Until then, I had a hard time advocating for myself. That day something ignited in me and I knew I carried the responsibility to advocate for not only myself but for other students with learning differences. I wrote a letter to the school which reviewed the rights of students with learning differences set forth by the ADA. The following semester, my teacher was obligated to allow accommodations in his class, and as a result, those of use with differences were allowed “equal playing time.” The grade I received that semester did not reflect my mastery of Honors Precalculus, but it was a very impactful experience. I now understand the mental burden true discrimination can have on a person, and I carry the motivation to fight it.”

Why Essay #2 Worked

This essay shows the applicant's resilience and advocacy in adversity. It narrates a challenging situation in a math test and conveys the frustration and injustice the student felt. 

The essay then skillfully transitions into the applicant's transformation, highlighting their decision to advocate not only for themselves but for others with learning differences, which is a compelling display of leadership and resilience. 

Additionally, the applicant's essay demonstrates growth, showing how a challenging experience can lead to meaningful change, making it a strong response to the prompt and providing valuable insights into the applicant's character and determination.

Sample Essay #3

Prompt #4 : “Describe how you’ve taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you’ve faced.”

Take a look at this UCLA essay example: 

“My grandfather delights in scenic diversions while traveling, and I am his willing companion on road trips. Our journeys have taken us to trails and prime fishing spots as memorable as our final destination. Information processing in my brain resembles these scenic journeys. I have dyslexia, and one of the greatest challenges I have overcome has been to find the beauty and advantage in the way my neural pathways function–never a direct route and usually a lengthy journey. 

Learning to read was an arduous undertaking for me. While my siblings learned to read with ease, I toiled along and avoided tasks that involved reading. After I was diagnosed with dyslexia, I drudged through hours of remediation and studied twice as hard as my neurotypical peers. I had difficulty attributing my success to natural ability because I worked so hard to attain it. It wasn’t until my freshman year that my mindset shifted. A guest speaker visited my school to talk about the gifts of neurodiversity. As I listened, I began to think about my own neural pathways as roadways for information. I realized that my destination is the same as someone with an ordinary brain, but information in my brain takes the scenic route. I then started uncovering the benefits of neurodiversity. Dyslexia has helped me excel in forming creative solutions to problems, and as my classes become more advanced, the processing differences become less apparent. What’s more, I’ve spent my life working hard to spot and rectify errors, reading and re-reading passages, and intensely persevering to meet my own high expectations. This has culminated in a work ethic for which I will always have muscle memory. Above all, I now confidently own my success.

As I reflect on expeditions with my grandfather, it is clear my experience on the road could never be the same as my siblings, who rode with my parents in the “fast car”. I would never trade the memories made for the time spent. As for my neural pathways, I am content knowing that my brain will always take me where the fish are biting.”

Why Essay #3 Worked

This essay uniquely recounts the applicant's journey with dyslexia through road trips with their grandfather, offering a relatable analogy. It begins with the struggle of learning to read and shifts to embracing the advantages of neurodiversity, demonstrating resilience and self-awareness. 

The narrative is well-structured, engaging, and effectively addresses the prompt, showcasing the applicant's personal growth and ability to overcome challenges. 

The essay's conclusion creatively ties the road trips with the neural pathways, leaving a memorable and cohesive impression. This narrative effectively communicates the applicant's journey and growth.

Sample Essay #4

Prompt #5 : “Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you’ve furthered this interest inside and/or outside the classroom.”

Let’s go over an essay example: 

“The assignment was to scrape and organize many DNA sequences from a database. It was late on a Sunday night, and I hadn’t started the assignment. I opened my laptop and saw the article I had been reading earlier that day. “Coronavirus has now killed 250 thousand people in the United States”. I moved it aside to start the project that was due the next morning. After spending hours finding creative ways to scrape the data I desired, I began debugging. I spent another hour tirelessly fixing problems that wouldn't allow my code to run. I turned back to the web to see if Stack Overflow had the answers to my questions. Then I saw it again: “Coronavirus has now killed 250 thousand people in the United States”. I put it aside but pondered how I could apply web scraping to a real-world crisis like COVID-19. I began debugging but was overtaken by my curiosity. I diverged from my school project and began writing code to scrape a COVID database and organize it into data frames. Eventually, after scraping tons of data, I glanced at the clock: 4 AM and I still had not finished my assignment. It was time to get to work. I drudged through another hour of debugging and eventually finished. I glanced outside my window and saw bright beams of sunlight poking through the dense fog on the mountains, so I quickly grabbed my things and ran out the door for school.

 I was energized by the real-world application of what I was learning in my directed study, “Using Python for Research.” It inspired me to continue taking courses in addition to those offered at my school, such as “Analyzing Data with R” and “Multivariable Calculus.”

Why Essay #4 Worked

This essay showed the applicant's drive, problem-solving skills, and ability to connect classroom learning to real-world applications. The story of how the applicant was initially distracted by news about the pandemic but then redirected their focus towards using their coding skills to contribute to COVID-19 research is compelling. 

It demonstrates their initiative, adaptability, and genuine passion for using their education to make a meaningful impact, aligning with qualities sought by universities like UCLA.  

These essays generally work for UC schools. So, if you’re contemplating applying to UCLA, USC , or even UC Berkley, these tips will work fine. However, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the nuances of writing specific UC essays since they each have their own requirements.

Get More Samples Essays Here!

If you’re interested in reading more UCLA supplemental essays that worked, visit our admission essays database . The database has a collection of successful essays for schools across the country.

FAQs: How to Write UCLA Supplemental Essays

Here are answers to questions on how to write UCLA supplemental essays .

1. How Many Essays Does UCLA Require?

UCLA requires eight essays for freshmen applicants and four essays for transfer applicants.

2. How Important Are Essays for the University of California, Los Angeles?

Essays are highly important for UCLA admissions as they provide insights into your character, experiences, and aspirations.

3. How Much Does UCLA Supplemental Essays Matter for Transfers?

UCLA admissions essays matter very much for transfer applicants; they help evaluate their readiness and fit for the university.

4. What’s the Maximum Word Count for Each UCLA Personal Insight Question?

The maximum word count is 350 words. Each essay response should be no more than this word count. 

5. How Do I Submit My UCLA Supplemental Essays?

You submit the essays through the UC application portal when applying.

6. Are There Any Specific Formatting Requirements for UCLA Piqs?

Keep your responses in plain text (no formatting, such as bold text, italics, underlining, etc.) and avoid special characters or symbols.

Final Thoughts

Writing the UCLA supplemental essays gives you a unique opportunity to show your individuality and experiences. To craft compelling narratives that align with each prompt, focus on your personal growth and contributions. 

UCLA values these essays, so invest time in making them memorable. Highlight your strengths and aspirations while thoughtfully addressing life challenges. Good luck with your UCLA application!

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Frederick Crews, Withering Critic of Freud’s Legacy, Dies at 91

A literary critic, essayist and author, he was a leading voice among revisionist skeptics who saw Freud as a charlatan and psychoanalysis as a pseudoscience.

By Scott Veale

Frederick Crews, a literary critic and a leading skeptic in the contentious scholarly debate over the achievements and legacy of Sigmund Freud, died on Friday in Oakland, Calif. He was 91.

His wife, Elizabeth Crews, on Monday confirmed the death.

Mr. Crews, a professor emeritus of English at the University of California, Berkeley, was the author of more than a dozen books. Most recently, he wrote “Freud: The Making of an Illusion,” a deeply researched evisceration of Freud’s reputation and therapeutic insights that drew wide critical attention when it came out in 2017.

He was a longtime contributor to The New York Review of Books, where his essays and reviews explored the works Melville, Twain and Flannery O’Connor, among other authors. He also examined broader subjects like recovered memory therapy, the Rorschach test, alien abduction cases and, particularly, psychoanalysis, which he considered a pseudoscience, as well as the scourge of what he called Freudolatry.

As a young professor at Berkeley, Mr. Crews made a splash in 1963 with “The Pooh Perplex,” a best-selling collection of satirical essays lampooning popular schools of literary criticism of the time; they carried titles like “A Bourgeois Writer’s Proletarian Fables” and “A.A. Milne’s Honey-Balloon-Pit-Gun-Tail-Bathtubcomplex.”

Writing in The New York Times Book Review, Gerald Gardner called it a “virtuoso performance” and “a withering attack on the pretensions and excesses of academic criticism.” (In 2001, Professor Crews published “Postmodern Pooh,” a fresh takedown of lit-crit theories.)

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