How to Approach the UC Personal Insight Questions
If you’re applying to any of the University of California’s ten campuses this cycle, you’ll need to respond to the UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). Each of these questions is slightly different, and in future posts, we’ll provide specific advice for each one. But for now, here are our four main tips on how you should devise your overall strategy for the UC essays.
Write the PIQs before attempting the Common App main essay
We know you’re nervous about your college admissions essays, and you’re probably especially worried about how you’re going to approach the all-important Common App main essay. This is totally understandable; the Common App essay will go to virtually every school you apply to, and the pressure will be on for you to really distinguish yourself from your peers.
That’s why the UC PIQs are the best way we know to get you in the mood for writing college essays. Unlike the Common App prompts, which are extremely general, the UC Personal Insight Questions are focused and specific. They give you the chance to reflect on your background and experiences – and the great thing is that once you start doing this, your other application essays will feel much less daunting.
So do yourself a favor, and start working on your PIQs as soon as possible.
Pick your prompts strategically before you start writing
The UC PIQs are highly varied, and they give you the chance to reflect on your leadership skills, your creativity, your talents, your educational experiences, and more. This is a clear indication that the UCs are hoping to attract students with a wide range of interests, not students who are focused on only one thing. You may find yourself asking: “Which UC PIQ prompts should I choose?” Our advice is: try not to repeat yourself. Instead, pick the four best prompts that allow you to give a full sense of yourself.
How should you approach this? We recommend you go over the prompts with someone you trust. This could be a friend, a parent, a teacher, or a college essay tutor – but whoever it is, make sure you verbalize how you would approach each one. By the end of the process, try to decipher which four prompts you have the most to say about, and as long as there’s no overlap, go with those.
Give specific examples
When you start brainstorming the content of your college essays, don’t fall into the trap of making general points that anyone could come up with. Instead, focus on what you’ve learned from your own specific experiences.
Remember that the admissions officers reading your PIQs don’t know you. So if they read about how you’re creative because you love music, or how you loved taking a college extension course because it was interesting, or how you believe in leadership in the workplace – well, that isn’t going to tell them very much. You’re going to sound just like everyone else.
But if you go into the specifics of your experience with music, or if you discuss what you learned from the college course you took, or if you describe how you navigated a horrible encounter you had at work, then they’re going to get a much clearer sense of who you are.
Use an effective structure
Unlike the Common App main essay, which is a formal, 650-word essay with an introduction and conclusion, each of your Personal Insight Questions is limited to 350 words. This means that your PIQs should get to the point as quickly as possible. For most responses, three paragraphs is ideal, and you should use each of your paragraphs to showcase specific experiences you’ve had.
We understand that this might all be more easily said than done, so if you have any questions or would like support as you embark on the process, please reach out to us, and we’ll match you with a fantastic college essay coach!