University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) supplemental essays
University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) asks for four supplemental essays in 2026-27, chosen from eight options. UC Portal.
That is four pieces of writing in all; University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) takes no personal statement. The application closes November 30, 2026. The prompts carry this limit: 350 words. Every University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) prompt is printed on this page in full, with its word limit and who has to answer it, checked against the college’s own admissions page.
Deadlines
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Application deadline | November 30, 2026 |
Checked against admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/personal-insight-questions.html. Confirm on the college’s own page before you submit.
The essays, 2026-27
Required (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this promptRequired (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
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.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this promptRequired (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this promptRequired (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this promptRequired (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
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?
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this promptRequired (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this promptRequired (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this promptRequired (choose 4 of 8) · 350 words
Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
The UC personal insight questions, explained — what each of the eight asks for, UC’s own rules on length and choice, and what they say about getting feedback on a draft.
Your University of California System checklist
Four supplements, one of them required. The application deadline is November 30, 2026.
- Supplements 1 to 8Required350 words each
It saves these rows to your essay manager, where each one carries a status you set yourself and the prompt stays attached to it. Add your other schools and they land on the same page, in deadline order. Nothing written yet? The topic quiz is free as well.
Free: this page, the checklist, the essay manager and the topic quiz. Paid: a written review of a finished draft, $49 an essay.
Paste your essay for a free read
Have it in a document? or drop one here (Word, PDF, or Text).
Not sure what a review is? What an AI college essay review can and cannot do, and what a college essay grader leaves out. What the read checks against University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses)’s own prompts is on the University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) essay review page.
University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) essay questions, answered
- Does University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) have supplemental essays?
- Yes. University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) asks for four supplemental essays in 2026-27, chosen from eight options. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 350 words.
- How many essays do you write for University of California System (All 9 Undergraduate Campuses) in 2026-27?
- Four supplements, plus the UC Portal personal statement.
Schools with similar admit rates
The colleges either side of it in our set by admit rate, most selective first, each with its own prompts and deadlines: University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) (96.6%), University of Maine (96.6%), Georgia Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology (2.6%), Stanford University (3.6%), Harvard University (3.6%).