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.”

This prompt is perfect if you’ve had a leadership experience that required you to work through challenges. Make sure your role was significant; otherwise, it will be difficult to come up with the nuances that add substance to the story.

Use this essay to define and illustrate what leadership means to you, shown through your actions, trials, tribulations, responses, and ultimate results.

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.”

This prompt isn’t just for art majors; almost any activity is an opportunity to display creative thinking. The topic you choose to write about should be something you’ve done repeatedly, as you want to demonstrate persistence.

To show off your creative side, dive into the details about your process; don’t just talk about the results you’ve achieved. Make sure you discuss the importance of creativity. When writing admissions essays, don’t just list your awards and activities. Instead, emphasize the meaning of this activity to you.

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

Good topics for PIQ 3 include everything from personal hobbies to extracurricular activities and athletics. Be careful not to write a stereotypical sports story about persistence or overcoming. Instead, dig deeper to identify additional skills you also gained through an activity that set you apart from average students.

Then demonstrate how you gained that skill by describing at least two separate experiences or examples in which you developed your talent. This will prove that you stuck with your skill and developed it over time.

It’s also best practice to show how you used this skill to invest in others. Remember, greatness should be defined as something greater than self-service.

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

Educational opportunities don’t have to be academic in nature. Any experience that helped you grow as a person and gain something valuable counts: summer programs, clubs, athletics, and work experiences, for example. Make sure you include a clear takeaway and explain why this opportunity is important for your future.

For an educational barrier, the key is to describe not just the problem but also the solution you achieved. How did you overcome the barrier, and what did you learn about yourself as a result?

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?”

This prompt is perfect if you encountered a challenge that ended positively or taught you something about yourself. Avoid writing about death, depression, and DRAMA. This essay isn’t about other people; it’s all about YOU, YOU, and YOU.

Also avoid any challenges that reek of privilege. For a strong response, you need to choose a challenge that was truly significant, as this will make your victorious conclusion that much more impactful.

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

This is a good prompt to write if you haven’t addressed the reason for pursuing your major in any other prompt. If you have not really furthered your interest in any subject outside of class, however, this topic is not for you.

Strong response comes from explaining what about this subject inspires you. Make sure to include concrete examples of how you’ve furthered this interest outside of class through additional studies, readings, and experiences.

Weak responses only discuss class experiences without demonstrating any initiative that the student took to learn more personally. Weak essays also tend to lack specifics describing which aspects or topics within the subject most excite you.

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

This prompt isn’t just about good intentions; rather, it’s only appropriate for experiences where you can point to concrete results demonstrating that you made a significant difference.

A strong response here just requires you to be vulnerable. Describe initial challenges and feelings you faced when getting started with your project or experience. Then compare that with how you grew along the way to show your progress.

Don’t list several unrelated volunteer experiences. Instead, stay focused on diving into the details of how you engaged in one core project that made a real difference.

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?”

The wildcard prompt can be dangerous or powerful, depending on how you use it. We recommend using this prompt to highlight a character attribute that’s somewhat unique or out of the ordinary. You can also use PIQ 8 to tell the story of overcoming a challenge that didn’t have an academic component.

If you’re sharing about a character trait, give 1-2 hallmark experiences that demonstrate that characteristic in action. Don’t use this prompt to discuss a stereotypical trait, like perseverance or acceptance, as that won’t make you stand out.

Writing Admissions Essays for the Best Public Universities in the US

Alright… that’s the total of the 8 prompts summed up with our best tips and tricks. For more help, check out this YouTube video, where we go over further tips for acing the UC PIQs.Thanks to our partners, you can find ties online to suit every preference and budget, from budget to top-of-the-range super stylish models.

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