I'm in my junior year and starting to outline my college application essays. Specifically, I'm interested in the University of California, Berkeley. If anyone's got information or resources on what the 2024 supplemental essay prompts might look like, could you please share?
Since the University of California (UC) system has a shared application, the essay prompts tend to be the same for all UC schools, including Berkeley. They use what are called Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). There are eight PIQ prompts to choose from, and students are expected to respond to four of them. Each essay has a maximum length of 350 words.
The prompts aim to understand the student's leadership skills, intellectual curiosity, social awareness, and personal challenges and growth. They were released in advance for the 2023-2024 application cycle, and they haven't changed for several years.
Here are the eight prompts:
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.
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.
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
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?
6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
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?
While it's essential to ultimately stay true to your individual journey, strategically choosing which prompts to respond to can also play a crucial role in shaping the overall narrative of your application. Each response should provide a unique perspective of who you are and what you bring to UC Berkeley's community.
Remember to focus on experiences and interests that have significantly shaped your identity and align with your future goals and aspirations, keeping in mind UC schools do not conduct interviews, so the essays are your platform to let your personality shine through.
Good luck with your essays!
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