uc berkeley college essays

18 UC Berkeley Essay Examples that Worked (2023)

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

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People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is... uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable...

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Her baking is not confined to an amalgamation of sugar, butter, and flour. It's an outstretched hand, an open invitation, a makeshift bridge thrown across the divides of age and culture. Thanks to Buni, the reason I bake has evolved. What started as stress relief is now a lifeline to my heritage, a language that allows me to communicate with my family in ways my tongue cannot. By rolling dough for saratele and crushing walnuts for cornulete, my baking speaks more fluently to my Romanian heritage than my broken Romanian ever could....

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A cow gave birth and I watched. Staring from the window of our stopped car, I experienced two beginnings that day: the small bovine life and my future. Both emerged when I was only 10 years old and cruising along the twisting roads of rural Maryland...

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Personal Insight Questions

As a vital part of your application, the personal insight questions—short-answer questions you will choose from—are reviewed by both the admissions and scholarship offices., at berkeley we use personal insight questions to:.

Discover and evaluate distinctions among applicants whose academic records are often very similar
Gain insight into your level of academic, personal and extracurricular achievement
Provide us with information that may not be evident in other parts of the application

What we look for:

Initiative, motivation, leadership, persistence, service to others, special potential and substantial experience with other cultures
All achievement in light of the opportunities available to you
How you confronted and overcame your challenges, rather than describing a hardship just for the sake of including it in your application
What you learned from or achieved in spite of these circumstances

Academic achievement

For first-year applicants:

Academic accomplishments, beyond those shown in your transcript

For transfer students:

Include interest in your intended major, explain the way in which your academic interests developed, and describe any related work or volunteer experience.
Explain your reason for transferring if you are applying from a four-year institution or a community college outside of California. For example, you may substantiate your choice of a particular major or your interest in studying with certain faculty on our campus.

How to answer your personal insight questions

Thoughtfully describe not only what you’ve done, but also the choices you have made and what you have gained as a result.
Allow sufficient time for preparation, revisions, and careful composition. Your answers are not evaluated on correct grammar, spelling, or sentence structure, but these qualities will enhance overall presentation and readability.

If you are applying…

Your intended field of study
Your interest in your specific major
Any school or work-related experience
for a scholarship, we recommend that you elaborate on the academic and extracurricular information in the application that demonstrates your motivation, achievement, leadership, and commitment .
Discuss how the program might benefit you
Tell us about your determination to succeed even though you may have lacked academic or financial support

Keep in mind

You can use the Additional Comments box to convey any information that will help us understand the context of your achievement; to list any additional honors awards, activities, leadership elements, volunteer activities, etc.; to share information regarding a nontraditional school environment or unusual circumstances that has not been included in any other area of the application. And, finally, after we read your personal insight questions, we will ask the question, “What do we know about this individual?” If we have learned very little about you, your answers were not successful.

Personal Insight Questions (University of California)
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What Leadership Looks Like

How I got in: 2 college students share the essays that got them into University of California, Berkeley

Personal essays are a crucial part of college admissions and are often one of the best ways students can stand out in a crowded applicant field where acceptance is increasingly dictated by numbers and test scores.
No two essays are the same, and it can be difficult to determine what specific colleges and universities want out of their essays.
To shed some light on this process, Insider is reaching out to students all around the world and asking them to share the essay that got them into college.
The week, Insider spoke to a senior and a sophomore at UC Berkeley who shared their success stories.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The dreaded college essay. For many high school seniors, those few hundred words can manifest into an unyielding sense of existential, unwavering angst. They might seem daunting, but these few paragraphs often present one of the best opportunities for students to write honestly and express themselves in a college application process dominated by standardized tests, high school transcripts, and other numbers first metrics.

Knowing what to write about, or how to write it, can be challenging. Luckily, millions of other students have already gone through the process. To shed some much-needed light on what types of essays work for which schools, Insider is reaching out to students from all around the world and publishing the essays that got them into their dream schools. This week, Insider took a look at the University of California at Berkeley.

UC Berkeley is the most competitive public school in the United States

UC Berkeley is one of nine schools that fall under the "University of California" umbrella. While many of the UC schools are competitive, none are more difficult to get into than the Berkeley location. According to data released by the school , just over 89,000 students applied last year and only 13,558 were offered admissions — an acceptance rate of 15.1%.

The California university consistently appears listed next to other "elite" schools like Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton but it differs from these competitors in one key area: UC Berkeley is a public school. The school is also massive, with just about 42,000 undergraduates and over 350 degree programs.

In addition to an application, high school transcript, and standardized test scores, first-year applicants are presented with eight "personal insight questions." Students answer four of these and each are around 350 words long. A full listing of the prompts used for the 2018-2019 admissions cycle can be viewed here.

Insider reviewed over half a dozen admissions essays from current UC Berkeley students. While their exact answers differed depending on the questions they answered and their own writing style, all of them tended to focus in on personal experiences. The best essays Insider reviewed showed off the students' writing chops and gave the reader a quick glimpse into the applicant's mind.

Here's one of the essay questions prospective Berkeley students are asked to answer.

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?

In his vivid response, UC Berkeley senior Robbie Li used the space to revisit his time as a foreign exchange student at St. Andrew's High School in Austin, Texas. (Robbie is an international student from Shanghai, China.)

I kept trembling; the thirty-second-long standing ovation overwhelmed me. I stepped up to the front of the stage, took a bow towards the chapel full of students and teachers, and felt incredibly relieved and proud. Speaking out the hard truth about a community I so loved was no easy task, but I was glad that I made it through.

Two months before my exchange year ended at St. Andrew's, the upper school chaplain came to me and invited me to deliver a senior homily during a chapel service. "We all would love to hear your perspective," he said. What an honor. I agreed immediately, promising him a good talk and gave him a big smile. However, when I started to craft my ten-minute script, I fell into utter bewilderment.

It was not that I had nothing to say about this community; a year's observation gave me more than enough material. I knew I wanted to direct people's attention to the issue of inclusion, telling them how grueling my first few months were as a newcomer, and encouraging them to open up their worlds for the next new kid on campus. But I had a huge concern – the topic was so drenched with personal feelings that it might come off as a cacophonous accusation, one of those I-was-struggling-but-no-one-cared complaints. I did have a difficult time at the beginning, but it was nobody's fault. I would hate to see my friends take upon themselves for the institutionalized indifference; I would hate to see them suffer.

Watch: 15 college students on how COVID-19 derailed their lives

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Successful UC Berkeley Essays

Uc berkeley essays →, uc berkeley mentors →.

UC PIQ: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? | Sabria

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Overtime, I learned that Armani wants to be spoken to as…...

UC PIQ: Think about an academic subject that inspires you | Sabria

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. It was not until…...

UC PIQ: Describe an example of your leadership experience | Sabria

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

UC PIQ: What do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? | Tevin

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

UC PIQ: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? | Tevin

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? “It’s near impossible, your seniors have tried”, I was told. Zhengyang…...

UC PIQ: Describe an example of your leadership experience | Tevin

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

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Write well at UC.

Writing effectively is an important part of the undergraduate experience. The Entry Level Writing Requirement is designed to ensure you are prepared to succeed at any UC campus.

How do I satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement?

The University of California’s Entry Level Writing Requirement is a writing proficiency expectation for first year success. The ability to read carefully, analyze what you’ve read, and write effective essays is an essential part of thriving at UC. All students entering UC as freshmen must fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement, either by demonstrating proficiency through qualifying test scores, UC-transferable college English composition courses or by following your campus’s instructions for meeting the Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Visit your campus web page to learn about campus-specific guidelines for meeting the ELWR: UC Berkeley , UC Davis , UC Irvine , UCLA , UC Merced , UC Riverside , UC San Diego , UC Santa Barbara , and UC Santa Cruz .

Note: The ELWR must be satisfied either before beginning courses on a UC campus or during the first three quarters or two semesters of enrollment. Check with your campus if you have questions about the ELWR time limit.

ELWR qualifying test scores

Test score information.

While UC will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admission decisions or awarding Regents and Chancellor’s scholarships, test scores can be used for course placement after you enroll. If you have a qualifying test score that satisfies the Entry Level Writing Requirement that you have not reported to UC, you can arrange for the testing agency to send your scores to your UC campus. Official scores from testing agencies are due by July 15.

Note: The ACT English alone will not fulfill the ELWR. For the ACT English + Reading scores, the combined scores must come from the same exam sitting.

3 or above on either the AP English Language and Composition exam, the AP English Literature and Composition exam, AP Seminar exam or AP assessment in Research. AP and IB scores should be sent to your intended UC campus by July 15.

International Baccalaureate Exam

Score 5 or higher on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination or 6 or higher on the Standard Level Examination in English (Language A only).

ELWR Qualifying College Courses

Students may also meet the requirement by earning a grade of "C" or better in a UC-transferable English composition course from a college or university accredited by one of the seven former regional accreditation agencies, prior to enrollment at UC. The course must be worth 3 semester or 4 quarter units.

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Essays help us learn about who you are as a person and how you will add to our community. We seek candidates from a broad range of industries, backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences.

Our distinctive culture is defined by four key principles - Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. We encourage you to reflect on your experiences, values, and passions so that you may craft thoughtful and authentic responses that demonstrate your alignment with our principles.

Below are the required essays, supplemental essays, and optional essays for the Fall 2023-2024 application cycle.

Required Essay #1

What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why? (300 words maximum)

Required Essay #2

How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words max)

Required Essay #3 - Video

Required Essay #4 - Short Answer

Optional Essays

The admissions team takes a holistic approach to application review and seeks to understand all aspects of a candidate’s character, qualifications, and experiences. We will consider achievements in the context of the opportunities available to a candidate. Some applicants may have faced hardships or unusual life circumstances, and we will consider the maturity, perseverance, and thoughtfulness with which they have responded to and/or overcome them.

Optional Information #1

We invite you to help us better understand the context of your opportunities and achievements.

Optional Information #2

Supplemental Information

If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain. If not applicable, enter N/A.
Name of organization or activity
Nature of organization or activity
Size of organization
Dates of involvement
Offices held
Average number of hours spent per month
List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.
If you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended, or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission.)

Video: Extracurricular Supplement Tips

Senior Associate Director of Full-time Admissions, Cindy Jennings Millette, shares how we look at, and evaluate, extracurricular and community involvement.

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Supplemental Essay Prompts

Freshman admissions.

The Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) program seeks inquisitive, self-motivated students with a passion for finding and solving big problems.

The following essay question is designed to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. It gives you the opportunity to provide unique information about yourself, your interests, and your reasons for applying to the program. In addition to content, essays are evaluated for writing and critical thinking ability, skill in organizing and presenting thoughts, and the relevance of your answer to the question posed. Your response is limited to 350 words.

Required Essay: (350 words maximum)

Your supplemental essays must be submitted by 11:59 pm PST on December 15, 2023 .

Describe how the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program in Engineering and Business at UC Berkeley will help you to achieve your goals. Share with us the world you come from (for example, your family, school, community, city, or town). What unique experiences from your world motivated you to apply to our program?

Video Essay Invitation

Some applicants may receive a request to record a video essay. Video essay requests are by invitation only and will be requested starting in November. Videos must be submitted by 11:59 pm PST on January 12, 2024 . Check your email for an invitation and if requested, be sure to submit your video essay by the deadline.

The questions are:

How have you contributed to and bolstered the communities you are a part of? (Communities can = school, extracurriculars, family, etc.)
How will your admittance into the program catapult your educational journey or complement your career plans?
What has been your biggest failure and how did you respond?

Continuing Student Admissions

The following essay questions were created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. They’re framed within the context of The Haas School of Business’s four Defining Leadership Principles and the College of Engineering’s mission and vision, and give you the opportunity to provide unique information about yourself and your interests. These essays are the principal means we have of gaining insight about you and your reasons for applying to the Berkeley M.E.T. Program. In addition to content, essays are evaluated for critical thinking and writing ability, skill in organizing and presenting thoughts, and the relevance of your answers to the questions posed.

All applicants are required to answer question A and to choose either topic B or C. The Admission Committee does not have a preference for either question B or C. They’re given equal weight in the review process. Essay D is optional.

Required Essay A: (500 words maximum) Describe your post-undergraduate goals. Why is the Berkeley M.E.T. Program essential in helping you achieve these goals?

Tip: We understand that both Haas and the College of Engineering (COE) have world-renowned reputations and faculty, strong alumni networks, and that majors have priority access to business and COE courses. Aside from these factors, why do you feel that studying both COE and Business is a necessary step in pursuit of your immediate post-undergraduate goals? You’re not required to include a detailed post-undergraduate plan, but you should address how the program will help you achieve your goals broadly.

Choose either Essay B or C: (500 words maximum)

Essay B: Describe a time when something important to you did not work out as planned. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the situation?

Tip : If you applied to M.E.T. as a freshman, this is an opportunity for you to share with us what has been enhanced since then.

Essay C: If admitted to Berkeley M.E.T., how would you help develop a sense of belonging for classmates from diverse communities? What challenges do you anticipate, and how will you respond to them?

Optional Essay D: (250 words maximum) Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application?

Tip: Use this essay to explain academic issues, grade disputes or personal/family/medical circumstances you want the admission committee to be aware of. Currently, there are unique circumstances impacting applicants to Berkeley M.E.T. You may also use this essay to discuss how you’ve been impacted by matters such as the pandemic, social unrest, and/or natural disasters.

As you work on your final papers and writing projects, don't forget to make us part of your writing process! See below for service-specific information.

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.

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September 12, 2023

2023-2024 University of California Essay Prompts: Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD

A tower is featured, standing above a red-roofed building at the University of California, Berkeley.

The University of California schools have released their 2023-2024 essay prompts for applicants to the Class of 2024. Unlike most highly selective universities, the UC schools are not members of The Common Application — the school has its own application .

Just like in previous years, applicants to the University of California, Berkeley , the University of California, Los Angeles , the University of California, San Diego , and the seven other UC institutions must answer four essay prompts out of a batch of eight options. So, what are this year’s essay prompts? Let’s dive in!

2023-2024 UC Essay Topics and Questions: Personal Insights

Below are the UC essay prompts for applicants to the Class of 2028, along with the guidance issued by the UC admissions committee. These essays apply to all UC schools — including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, San Diego, the University of California, Santa Barbara , the University of California, Davis , the University of California, Santa Cruz , the University of California, Irvine , the University of California, Merced , and the the University of California, Riverside .

Applicants have up to 350 words to respond to four of the eight prompts. And, yes, applicants should go to the maximum word count to make their case!

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?

Applicants should share one small story here to demonstrate their leadership. Rather than tell the UC admissions committee about what great leaders they are, they can show it through one specific example. And it doesn’t even need to be a successful example of leadership. Instead, students can highlight what they learned from the scenario to be even better leaders.

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.

How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career?

Even in an essay that could lend itself to silliness, applicants must showcase intellectual curiosity. So, suppose a student expresses their creative side by tie-dying t-shirts and their singular hook in their activities section that they’ll be contributing to schools like UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD is math. In that case, they can write about the mathematics behind the patterns they love to create on clothing.

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 is 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?

Too many students choose to write about awards and honors they’ve received in this prompt. Some sneak it into the essay, thinking it’s a subtle way of reinforcing their success. What a mistake! Doing so will only render them unlikable, which should be the precise opposite of their objective.

Ideally, an applicant will share a skill related to their singular hook. If their hook is poetry, let’s hear all about how they became passionate about performing spoken word at open mic nights at a local establishment.

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 you are today?

If students have yet to face a genuine academic barrier, such as the ones many students in low-income communities face, it would behoove them to focus on the significant educational opportunity they’ve encountered. Was it the chance to perform research on Russian literature with a local professor? Was it a chance to do an archaeological dig in a student’s hometown? The opportunity will ideally fit with the student’s singular hook.

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?

Unless a student comes from an underprivileged background, we at Ivy Coach would encourage them to avoid choosing this essay prompt since there are going to be students who have faced significant obstacles and writing about how a school ran out of math courses while another student writes about the evictions their family has endured isn’t going to sit well with UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, and other UC admissions officers.

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?

Ideally, a student will choose an academic subject that aligns perfectly with their hook. If their activities reflect a passion for physics, they should share the origin story of their interest in the discipline — as a high schooler rather than a child. What made them fall in love with matter and energy? What made them want to better understand our universe?

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?

An applicant’s answer should align with their hook as articulated in their activities section. Suppose a student’s hook is political science. In that case, they should write an essay that shares one small story about how their political activism created the change they wished to see — or failed to create the change they hoped to see, only further motivating them to agitate for further change.

Maybe they wanted to stop developers from razing affordable housing communities. Perhaps they tried to fix un-level sidewalks. Whatever it is, applicants should share an anecdote here about their activism — whether successful or not.

8. 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?

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 chance. 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.

Since the University of California has a unique application and is not a member of The Common Application, this essay prompt presents a perfect opportunity for applicants to include an abbreviated version of their 650-word Personal Statements from their Common Applications.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with the University of California Essays

If you’re interested in optimizing your chances of admission to UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, and other UC institutions by submitting the most compelling essays possible, fill out Ivy Coach ‘s free consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to delineate our college counseling services for applicants to the Class of 2028.

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TOWARD THE CONQUEST OF ADMISSION

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College Writing Programs

College writing programs is celebrating its 30th anniversary, our history.

College Writing Programs was created in 1992 to provide first-year writing instruction to Berkeley students, helping them meet the entry level and first year writing requirements while developing writing and critical thinking skills required for academic work at the university. In over 30 years of teaching, CWP has helped thousands of Berkeley students develop their academic reading and writing through numerous sections of CWR1A and CWR4B every semester. And our program continues to grow: In spring of 2023, we are running over 40 sections of CWR1A and over 20 sections of CWR4B.

However, these foundational classes only tell part of our story. Since the department’s founding, CWP faculty and directors have worked to build a program that offers a robust array of writing classes, including Writing in the Biological Sciences, Public Speaking, Academic Writing for Multilingual Students, Creative Nonfiction, Short fiction, Poetry, and Dramatic Writing. In addition, CWP regularly hosts colloquia, workshops, and other events, such as the Chiang Research Festival and Berkeley Writers at Work .

This year, we celebrate 30 years of writing instruction at UC Berkeley with a look at our history and exciting plans for future classes and events.

CWP Student Achievements

Award winning writing and more.

We're proud of the writing achievements of our students, for work done in our classes and for what they do after they move on from CWP. For example, students submitting outstanding research projects for CWR4B (Reading, Composition, and Research) are encouraged to apply for the Charlene Conrad Liebau Library Prize for Undergraduate Research.

Read more about CWP student writers and their achievement s.

Our Amazing Faculty

Teachers, writers, and scholars.

College Writing Programs faculty bring experience from varied disciplines to the teaching of composition at UC Berkeley. In both teaching and course design, our faculty draw from backgrounds in Creative Writing, Rhetoric, Second Language Acquisition, Literature, Linguistics, Theater, and more.

Meet our faculty

Read about faculty publications and scholarship

Current and Former CWP Directors

2016-present: Maggie Sokolik , CWP 2009-2016: Jane Stanley , CWP (retired) 2006-2009: Katherine Snyder , English 2003-2006: Daniel F. Melia , Rhetoric (retired) 2000-2003: Kevin Padian , Integrative Biology (retired) 1999-2000: Robert Brentano , History (deceased) 1995-1999: Glynda A. Hull , Graduate School of Education 1992-1995: Arthur J. Quinn , Rhetoric (deceased)

Hearst Gymnasium, CWP's home during the renovation of Wheeler Hall in 2017-2018

CWP at a glance

Student achievements
Our faculty
The Chiang Research Festival
Berkeley Writers at Work

Dwinelle Annex, CWP's first home on campus

Art Quinn, first director of CWP

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, uc berkeley essay examples and tips.

Hey everyone, I'm applying to UC Berkeley and I was wondering if any of you might have some essay examples or tips to help me with my application. I want to make sure I'm putting my best foot forward. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Hello! I'm glad to see that you're eager to craft a compelling UC Berkeley application. While I cannot provide specific essay examples, I can certainly offer some tips and guidance to help you create an outstanding application.

1. Understand the essay prompts: Familiarize yourself with the Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) provided by the UC system. There are eight prompts in total, and you are required to choose four and write essays with a maximum of 350 words each. Make sure you understand what each question asks and think about how you can best address them in a clear and compelling manner.

2. Showcase different aspects of yourself: When selecting which prompts to answer, aim to demonstrate a variety of skills, interests, and experiences. This will help you present a multidimensional picture of yourself, showing that you are a well-rounded applicant with diverse interests and passions.

3. Use clear and concise language: Since each essay has a tight word limit, it is crucial to convey your story in a clear and impactful manner. Avoid using overly complex language or unnecessary filler words. Get straight to the point and ensure that every single word you use adds value to your essay.

4. Be authentic and personal: Share real, genuine experiences and insights from your life. Your essay should reflect your unique personality, values, and aspirations. Be honest and open, as this will help you connect with the reader on a deeper level.

5. Include specific, detailed examples: Rather than discussing broad concepts or experiences, dive into specific anecdotes or examples to illustrate your points. This will make your essay more engaging, relatable, and memorable.

6. Proofread and revise: Make sure to proofread your essay multiple times to catch any mistakes, ambiguities or repetitions. Seek feedback from teachers, family, or friends who can offer a fresh perspective and help you identify areas for improvement.

7. Think outside the box: Do not shy away from discussing unusual or unconventional experiences or passions. These may set you apart from other applicants and capture the attention of the admissions officers.

For more information on these essays, click here: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-california-essays

Remember, when it comes to UC Berkeley, competition is high, so taking the time to craft thoughtful, honest, and well-constructed essays may give you an edge over other applicants. Good luck with your application!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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Berkeley Berkeley Academic Guide: Academic Guide 2023-24

Creative writing.

About the Program

The Creative Writing Program is an interdisciplinary minor program offered by the Office of Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Studies in the Division of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Letters & Science. The approved courses students take to satisfy the minor course requirements are offered by over forty departments and programs on campus. Interested undergraduate students in any major may earn an interdepartmental minor in creative writing by completing the requirements listed in the Minor Requirements tab. For further information, please also see the Creative Writing Minor website and the program's Frequently Asked Questions pages .

There is no major program in Creative Writing.

Declaring and Completing the Minor

Information regarding declaring the minor and completing the minor, including deadlines, is available on the Creative Writing Minor website . See Declaring and Completing .

Students who are interested in the Creative Writing minor are encouraged to subscribe to the Creative Writing minor email list serve to receive important news about the minor, including special approval courses for the minor that are not published on the website. To subscribe, email [email protected] .

Visit Program Website

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript, but are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

All minors must be declared before the first day of classes in your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). For summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A.

All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade.

A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required in the upper-division courses to fulfill the minor requirements.

Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.

No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.

All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. If students cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, they should see a College of Letters & Science adviser.

All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Course Requirements

At least two of the three writing courses must be taken at UC Berkeley.

Students may be allowed to include courses that are not on the following lists with the approval of the creative writing minor faculty advisor. It is the responsibility of the student to provide the faculty advisor with documentary evidence to support the claim of course eligibility. Contact the creative writing minor student academic advisor at [email protected] for more information.

Contact Information

Creative writing minor.

Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Studies

235 Evans Hall

Program Director and Faculty Advisor

Fiona McFarlane, PhD (Department of English)

413 Wheeler Hall

[email protected]

Student Academic Advisor

Laura Demir

[email protected]

Print Options

When you print this page, you are actually printing everything within the tabs on the page you are on: this may include all the Related Courses and Faculty, in addition to the Requirements or Overview. If you just want to print information on specific tabs, you're better off downloading a PDF of the page, opening it, and then selecting the pages you really want to print.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Undergrad Ariana Kretz gets piece published in the Vanderbilt Historical Review

Soon to be graduating senior, Ariana Kretz '24, got her piece "The Making of Female Martyrs in the Age of Revolutions" published in Issue VIII of the Vanderbilt Historical Review.

The Vanderbilt Historical Review is an undergraduate-run, peer-reviewed research journal that annually publishes substantive articles that demonstrate exemplary historical research, argumentation, and contribute uniquely to historical scholarship.

You can read the full piece here !

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At Berkeley, a Protest at a Dean’s Home Tests the Limits of Free Speech

Pro-Palestinian supporters disrupted a dinner for law students. There was a tussle over the microphone and conflicting claims of harm.

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Erwin Chemerinsky, in a sweater, stands in a reading room lined with books on the walls and shelves.

By Vimal Patel

The dean of Berkeley’s law school is known as a staunch supporter of free speech, but things became personal for him when pro-Palestinian students disrupted a celebratory dinner party for some 60 students at his home.

Erwin Chemerinsky, the law school dean, hosted the dinner on Tuesday night in the backyard of his Oakland, Calif., home. The party was supposed to be a community building event, open to all third-year law students, with no speeches or formal activities.

But a third-year law student and a Palestinian activist, Malak Afaneh, stood up at the event, holding a microphone, and launched into a speech.

As she began to talk, Mr. Chemerinsky, a noted Constitutional scholar, can be seen shouting, “Please leave our house! You are guests in our house!”

Catherine Fisk, another Berkeley law professor and Mr. Chemerinsky’s wife, can be seen with her arm around Ms. Afaneh, trying to yank the microphone away and pulling the student up a couple steps.

Ms. Afaneh and other student protesters described Ms. Fisk’s struggle for the microphone as a disproportionate and violent response. Students, they said, had a right to speak at a university gathering.

Mr. Chemerinsky said the dinner was paid for by the university. But he said that the students, who brought their own microphone and amp, had no such free speech rights in a private home, at a dinner with no planned remarks.

In the past, Mr. Chemerinsky has supported speech rights for pro-Palestinian students, including the right to block Zionists from speaking to their groups. But this latest incident shows how the Israel-Hamas war has intensified and complicated the free speech debate. As pro-Palestinian students stage sit-ins and disrupt events at campuses across the country, some administrators, pressed by donors and politicians, have cracked down on unruly behavior, arresting and suspending students.

The moment has been especially fraught for the University of California, Berkeley, long a hotbed of leftist activism and the home of the ’60s Free Speech movement. As protests there continue over the Middle East conflict, some Jewish students and alumni have criticized university officials, saying that the school has tolerated activism that veers into antisemitic speech.

On Thursday night, about 15 protesters returned to Mr. Chemerinsky’s home for another student dinner, this time staying outside the house for about 90 minutes, Mr. Chemerinsky said.

“They were carrying signs and had drums,” he wrote in an email message. “They stood in front of our house chanting (some quite offensive) and banging their drums.”

In February, an event at Berkeley featuring an Israeli speaker was canceled after a crowd of protesters broke down doors, which the chancellor, Carol Christ, said was “an attack on the fundamental values of the university.” Last month, Representative Virginia Foxx, chair of the House committee on education that has been investigating antisemitism on campus, sent a letter to university officials demanding documents and information about Berkeley’s response to antisemitism.

Mr. Chemerinsky said that he himself was the subject of an antisemitic flier, circulated earlier in the week, which depicted a cartoon image of him gripping a bloody knife and fork, with the words “No Dinner With Zionist Chem While Gaza Starves.”

“I never thought I would see such blatant antisemitism,” he wrote in a statement to the law school community after the first protest, “with an image that invokes the horrible antisemitic trope of blood libel and that attacks me for no apparent reason other than I am Jewish.”

The Berkeley chapter of Law Students for Justice in Palestine, where Ms. Afaneh is co-president, did not respond to requests for an interview. But Camilo Pérez-Bustillo, the executive director of the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, said that Mr. Chemerinsky was not singled out because he is Jewish.

“He was being targeted because he’s failed to take a public position on a matter of urgency,” Mr. Pérez-Bustillo said, “which is U.S. complicity with the unfolding genocide.”

In the video, Ms. Afaneh said, the National Lawyers Guild “has informed us this is our First Amendment right.”

The Chemerinsky dinner on Tuesday fell on the last day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. As Ms. Afaneh and Professor Fisk both gripped the microphone, Ms. Afaneh said, “We refuse to break our fast on the blood of Palestinian people” and accused the university system of sending billions of dollars to weapons manufacturers.

“I have nothing to do with what the U.C. does,” Ms. Fisk said. “This is my home.”

Ms. Fisk threatened to call the police but did not. After she let go of the microphone, Ms. Afaneh and about 10 other law students left peacefully and the dinner continued, Mr. Chemerinsky said.

“I am enormously sad that we have students who are so rude as to come into my home, in my backyard, and use this social occasion for their political agenda,” Mr. Chemerinsky wrote. Through Mr. Chemerinsky, Ms. Fisk declined to be interviewed.

Many pro-Palestinian supporters argue this is not the moment for decorum, as the death toll of Israel’s bombing in Gaza tops 30,000, according to Gaza health officials. The protesting students wanted Mr. Chemerinsky, who describes himself as a Zionist, to denounce what they described as an unfolding genocide and to call for the university to divest from companies that aid Israel’s military campaign.

After the dinner altercation, the Law Students for Justice in Palestine chapter demanded the resignations of Mr. Chemerinsky and Ms. Fisk, and called for a Palestine studies program that centers on the “resistance and the right to return in a settler-colonial context.”

Richard Leib, the board chairman of the University of California system, and Ms. Christ, the Berkeley chancellor, have supported the couple.

“I am appalled and deeply disturbed by what occurred at Dean Chemerinsky’s home last night,” Ms. Christ said in a statement on Wednesday. “While our support for Free Speech is unwavering, we cannot condone using a social occasion at a person’s private residence as a platform for protest.”

Mr. Chemerinsky said he invites first-year law students to a welcome dinner in his backyard to create a sense of community. This dinner — spread over three nights with about 60 students each — was for third-year students whose traditional welcome dinner was canceled because of Covid, Mr. Chemerinsky said.

The dean said he was such a believer in the tradition that when he bought a home in 2017, he made sure the backyard could fit a crowd.

“I never could have imagined this would be divisive or a flashpoint,” he said, adding, “It’s an ugly moment.”

Vimal Patel writes about higher education with a focus on speech and campus culture. More about Vimal Patel

UCDC Spring 2024: From Campus to Capitol: An Intern's Odyssey Across the Nation

young girl with brown hair in a blazer at a podium with an American flag behind her

Interning for Senator Padilla’s office has been incredibly surreal and undoubtedly the highlight of my college journey. This marks my second visit to the East Coast, where I’ve not only adapted to the chilly weather, but also gained newfound confidence in making professional decisions. I have quickly fallen in love with the vibrant and driven culture of Capitol Hill, and I have come to appreciate the importance of networking and relationship building. Just last week, I had the privilege of engaging in four consecutive 30-minute coffee chats, reinforcing the importance of establishing connections. Similarly, my intern cohort had the privilege of participating in a “brown bag” — a Q&A with Senator Alex Padilla, where I asked him what the most valuable piece of advice he had received for his career was and he reminded me of what I had been hearing for weeks: building and maintaining relationships.

As a part of the UCDC program, I’ve had the opportunity to immerse myself in the rich environment of Washington, D.C. Unlike my experiences back at UC Berkeley, where I struggled to build strong relationships with my housemates, I have been able to quickly create lasting memories. We have been able to taste Washington DC’s spirited atmosphere: attending parades, visiting museums, and engaging in its lively nightlife. I have also formed connections with other UC students from various campuses, enriching my experience in unexpected ways. Aside from these adventures, I am often exploring local shops and have rapidly fallen in love with the historical area, including the Library of Congress and the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

As I reach the midpoint of the program, I am deeply thankful to be a Matsui Washington Fellow. The support I have received has not only allowed me to contribute to my state and nation, but has also fostered a personal and professional growth, creating unforgettable memories.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

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.

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?

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.

Economist Thomas Marschak, UC Berkeley researcher and teacher for 60 years, dies at 93

Professor Emeritus Thomas Marschak , an economist who influenced generations of students during almost 60 years of active research and teaching at Berkeley Haas, passed away Jan. 31 at his Oakland home. He was 93.

Marschak, the Cora Jane Flood Research Chair Emeritus, was known for his dry humor, his generous mentorship, and his research into the design of efficient organizations.

“In so many ways, Tom was way ahead of his time,” said Professor Rich Lyons, UC Berkeley Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and former dean of Berkeley Haas. “When you think about the center of gravity of his work—the informational and incentive aspects of the design of efficient organizations—you realize quickly that these topics are becoming ever more important.”

As a member of Haas’ Economic Analysis & Policy Group and Operations & IT Management group, Marschak continued his boundary-spanning research into his 10th decade. Just two weeks before his death, he had a paper accepted to the Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics .

“Tom was one of the sharpest, most insightful, and most admirable economists I have ever seen,” said Dong Wei, PhD 20 (economics), an assistant professor of economics at UC Santa Cruz who co-authored the recent paper with Marschak. “He had a tremendously successful academic career, and at the age of 90, he was still developing novel research ideas, conducting economic analysis with advanced mathematical tools, and writing academic papers with extreme rigor and clarity.”

“In so many ways, Tom was way ahead of his time. When you think about the center of gravity of his work—the informational and incentive aspects of the design of efficient organizations—you realize quickly that these topics are becoming ever more important.” —Professor Rich Lyons

Fleeing Nazi Germany

Marschak was born in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1930. His father, Jacob, who was Jewish and from Kyiv, Ukraine (then part of Russia), was a notable figure: As a 19-year-old student opposed to Lenin and the Bolsheviks, he served as labor secretary in a separatist republic in the Caucasus that lasted less than a year. When the Bolsheviks prevailed, Jacob Marschak—who went on to become a prominent economist—fled to Berlin. There, he met Tom Marschak’s mother Marianne, a journalist who earned her PhD and became an influential psychologist, developing the Marschak Interaction Method for observing the relationship between caregivers and children.

Although Tom’s early life in Germany was sunny, the looming threat of Nazism cast a shadow. In 1934, when Tom was 4 years old, his father insisted they flee to the United Kingdom. It was a prescient move as the family escaped the horrors of the Holocaust.

Marschak spoke about his father’s foresight in an oral history he recorded in 2005. “That was amazing foresight because all the other Jewish people with that kind of position said, ‘It’ll pass, it’s nothing, it’s a civilized country,’” Marschak said in the oral history. “He knew better.”

In England, Jacob Marschak was made a fellow of All Souls College at Oxford University while young Tom and his sister were put into school—taught in English, a language he had to learn quickly. In 1939, as the war spread, the family decamped to the United States. As they were not British citizens, and Germany had withdrawn citizenship from Jews, they were stateless for a time. Still, with the help of Tom’s father’s academic friends, they settled in New York, where Jacob Marschak took a position at the New School for Social Research.

In 1943, the family moved to Chicago, where Marschak went to University High School—an experimental school attached to the University of Chicago where students could graduate high school in 10th grade and get a bachelor’s degree by 12th grade. The Marschak home during that period was host to a circle of prominent émigrés, including Leo Szilard, the physicist who discovered the nuclear chain reaction process; atomic physicist Hyman Goldsmith; violinist Isaac Stern; and Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb.

By age 17, Marschak was a college graduate, with honors. He landed on economics as his field of study and headed to Stanford for his doctorate, followed by a job at RAND Corp. in Santa Monica under Charlie Hitch (later president of the University of California).

In 1960, he was hired as an associate professor at Berkeley Haas. “Things were very different then,” he recalled later. “You dressed in a white shirt and a tie, I can’t believe that. I was one of the very first to grow a beard—almost unheard of.”

Marschak lived in Berkeley with his first wife, Dorothy, and their children Debbie, Madeline, and Timothy. In 1968, Marschak’s life was scarred by tragedy when his eldest daughter Debbie, age 10, died in a car accident.

In 1979, he remarried, and he and his wife Merideth had sons Anthony and Daniel. He was a devoted and deeply involved father. “He took us to film festivals, summer backpacking and river trips, enrolled us in summer programs, monitored our education, and kept us in close contact with his side of the family,” recalled daughter Madeline Marschak. “He offered all four of his children unconditional love and support equally. …Tom Marschak was my hero and the best father anyone could hope to have.”

Academic boundary spanner

Academically, Marschak made his mark in economics theory, studying information gathering, information technology, and network mechanisms—complex work that was ahead of its time, Lyons said.

“Tom was an intellectual boundary-spanner from the get-go, having spanned two academic groups at Haas and having spanned in his work even more areas than these two groups traditionally have done,” Lyons said. “His work covered IT, data science, use of data to drive enterprise value: These are some of the defining issues of our current time.”

Marschak was the co-winner of the Koç University prize in 1996. He was an elected fellow of the Econometric Society and the recipient of both a Fulbright-Hays research award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Ford Foundation faculty research fellowship.

“Much of Tom’s work addressed foundational issues of organizational design, such as how the degrees of hierarchy or decentralization affect an organization’s communication costs and ability to achieve its objectives,” said Professor Emeritus Michael Katz, Sarin Chair Emeritus in Strategy and Leadership. “Although this work was abstract, it has important implications for business organizations.”

‘Dry and delicious humor’

A woman with short gray hair and black dress smiles at the camera. A man in suit jack sits at a table holding an hor d'oeuvres on a skewer.

His colleagues at Haas remember him as a generous instructor with a wry sense of humor. “Tom taught microeconomics to a generation of Haas undergraduates,” said Professor Emeritus Jonathan Leonard, George Quist Chair in Business Ethics. “If you could get him to raise an eyebrow, you knew you had said something interesting.”

Merideth Marschak also recalled her husband’s “dry and delicious” humor, as well as his love for outdoor hiking adventures and walking the Bay Area hills up until his last months. He was “unbeatable at trivia and could summon up historic facts and arcane knowledge on request” and also loved to cook for friends and family. “A crowded dinner table was the best fun,” she added. He was delighted when he became a grandfather at age 88.

“He was incredibly generous with his insight and his kindness,” Merideth Marschak said. “He taught us all the value of slowing down, enjoying life, and keeping an open mind.”

Marschak is survived by his wife, Merideth; his children, Madeline, Timothy, Anthony, and Daniel; his granddaughters Lucy and Alice; and nieces Emily and Julie Jernberg. He was predeceased by his sister, Ann Jernberg.

The post Economist Thomas Marschak, UC Berkeley researcher and teacher for 60 years, dies at 93 appeared first on Haas News | Berkeley Haas .

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Ethnic Studies Continuing Lecturer Victoria Robinson wins the 2024 UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award

Ethnic Studies Continuing Lecturer and American Cultures Program Director Victoria Robinson was named a recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) , UC Berkeley’s highest honor. The DTA recognizes faculty who consistently do an outstanding job teaching and inspiring their students. These faculty members not only make learning exciting but also help their students and fellow faculty see how classroom lessons connect to the real world. Award recipients receive a financial prize, recognition from the Academic Senate, a public ceremony on April 23, a permanent listing in the university catalog, and are frequently consulted on on-campus teaching matters.

Robinson spoke to Berkeley Social Sciences about the prestigious award and her academic career. The interview is edited for clarity.

Tell us more about yourself and your background. Victoria Robinson: I'm from England. I was born on the Welsh border across from the West Midlands, and I'm the daughter of a farming family. I came to the U.S. as an exchange student for one year at UC Berkeley when I was doing my undergraduate degree, and lived at the International House where I met my now husband.

I went back to England and started a doctoral program program in political and cultural geography at Queen Mary College, University of London. When I completed my postgraduate studies, I came back to California and my work went in a different direction. I began looking at the effects of militarization of the border and border-building projects in the Southwest, but most importantly, how communities were navigating those new kinds of state projects. I was doing that work with the Public Policy Institute of California. And then I was asked to teach at Berkeley in the Department of Ethnic Studies, and it's been wonderful.

What is your reaction to winning the 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award ? Victoria Robinson: Astounded, overwhelmed and just very honored. One of my oldest friends, Steve Tollefson, who's no longer with us, was one of the first people to organize the DTA. He was director of the Office of Educational Development and an instructor in the College Writing Program. And I could see through his eyes just how exciting it was to be part of this community of teachers. But I never thought it was going to be me as part of that DTA community of scholars. I am humbled to receive it. It just feels incredible to be recognized by the students because I absolutely love teaching. It gives me shivers up my spine.

Why did you think you were chosen? Victoria Robinson: I'd love to find out. I don't know. You know, I haven't really heard feedback from the committee yet, but I mean, I am fortunate to teach in the Department of Ethnic Studies where teaching is so centrally part of our tools to unsettle inherited racial capitalism, carceral violence and white supremacy. I think back to a quote from my department chair, Keith Feldman, “It’s always a good time for Ethnic Studies, but right now it's a really good time for Ethnic Studies.” And I think students are drawn to the idea of really thinking hard about the hardest problems we might have in our lives, especially now. Students are making the connections between many struggles between local communities and transnationally. And they are also coming up with collective approaches, if not solutions, with amazing imagination and drive. So maybe that's why. Together, my students and I, we seem to be able to forge something pretty special in understanding that we can fight and build our way out of injustice and multiple forms of violence and into liveable and joyful futures.

What do you like most about teaching at UC Berkeley? Victoria Robinson: Yeah, I mean, our Ethnic Studies students are bringing so much with them into the University. The students are coming and their communities come with them, and they know that we have important work to do, and they have an abundance of ideas of rich assets that we can draw from. And we are in the Bay Area. Talk about a richness of histories and peoples. I center my focus on my teaching, critical carceral studies and prison abolition. Oftentimes students are organizers in those spaces.

I love being able to work alongside such passionate students who are looking for liberation and racial justice in many different ways. And that's inspiring. But then I also get to teach American Cultures courses, “AC classes,” which means that I have students from all different majors in my class. By making it fun, they’ll also start to feel the opportunity to sit back and have a great exchange and conversation around ideas they may not have even thought they wanted to talk about. It’s wonderful to be in comradeship with Ethnic Studies students while also having deep, exciting and often unexpected conversations with students taking the class for AC. So those two sides of the teaching — the diverse community of my Ethnic Studies students and comradeship with different students in my AC classes — are always exciting environments to be in.

Lastly, being around all of my colleagues across the campus — my Ethnic Studies colleagues, my Librarian colleagues --- and being able to chat with them all the time is so inspiring. Seeing everybody trying to come up with ways to make their classrooms even better is even more exciting. So it’s just a rich place to teach in Berkeley. You name a subject space — housing justice, education, environmental, prison abolition, etc. — and we have a plethora of organizers, activists, scholars and movement makers to be in partnership with.

What do you like most about your students? Victoria Robinson: That’s a tough question, there's so much. My favorite time with students is after Spring Break. They'll come back and say, “Oh my gosh Professor Robinson, I had this conversation from class with friends.” And you know, I have students take readings from class and send them to their parents and go, “I just need to have a chat with my mom about this, that will be fun, perhaps :>)” And that feels so wonderful when their excitement is also coming into, you know, their larger social circles. They want to share. That feels like public education.

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House democrats split again over new iran funding vote, uc berkeley condemns student antisemitic threats, school says it can’t disclose if it’s disciplining offenders.

School president acknowledges that anti-Israel students targeted law school dean’s home reception because he’s Jewish

Malak Afaneh gives a speech at the home of the University of California, Berkeley law school's Dean Erwin Chemerinsky

Days after the posting of a video that showed the dean of the University of California, Berkeley’s law school and his wife clashing with anti-Israel students at their home during what was meant to be a congratulatory graduation dinner, the university’s president condemned the incident as “antisemitic, threatening and not [a reflection of] the values of this university.”

After the incident, in which a student grabbed a microphone to give an unauthorized speech about the plight of Palestinians at the home of law school Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, some students and local Jewish leaders are left wondering whether UC Berkeley will take disciplinary action, and are calling out the school’s leadership for a lack of transparency.

“When you don’t take [immediate] action, people have permission to continue escalating their tactics,” Tyler Gregory, CEO of the Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council, told Jewish Insider .

“What we are seeing is inaction on the administration’s part, and we know whenever a student is investigated, it goes into a black box and we don’t learn what happened,” Gregory said. “Are they going to be reprimanded or expelled? That information is not public so there’s no transparency for Jewish students, faculty and community members and that also looks like complete inaction in terms of holding someone accountable.”

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, when several third-year law students were invited to attend one of three dinners celebrating their upcoming graduation at the Oakland home of Chemerinsky and his wife, law school professor Catherine Fisk.

Held in the couple’s garden, the first dinner was disrupted when Malak Afaneh, a Palestinian American law student at the school who serves as co-president of Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine, grabbed a microphone and started giving a speech about Gazans who have been killed amid Israel’s war with Hamas. As Chemerinsky and Fisk pleaded with Afaneh to leave their backyard, and eventually threatened to call the police, she continued calling for the university to divest from corporations with ties to Israel.

Video footage shows Afaneh stating that it was her First Amendment right to speak at the dinner, to which Chemerinsky, a prominent constitutional rights lawyer and ardent defender of free speech, said, “This is my house. The First Amendment doesn’t apply.” Eventually, after much back and forth, Afaneh and a group of about 10 students left the property.

In a statement about the incident, Chemerinsky said that he was writing “with profound sadness” after the dinner was “disrupted and disturbed” by the student who “stood up with a microphone, stood on the top step in the yard, and began a speech, including about the plight of the Palestinians.”

“Any student who disrupts will be reported to student conduct and a violation of the student conduct code is reported to the [state] Bar,” he added, stating that he planned to go through with the other scheduled dinners. The dinners are an annual tradition for the couple, but security was present at the remaining two events, on Wednesday and Thursday, for the first time, he said in a statement.

“I am deeply saddened by these events and take solace that it is just a small number of our students who would behave in such a clearly inappropriate manner,” the law school dean wrote.

Prior to the dinner, Chemerinsky said there was an “awful poster” spread around social media and school bulletin boards in the law school building that portrayed him holding “a bloody knife and fork, with the words in large letters, ‘No dinner with Zionist Chem while Gaza starves.’”

“I never thought I would see such blatant antisemitism, with an image that invokes the horrible antisemitic trope of blood libel and that attacks me for no apparent reason other than I am Jewish,” Chemerinsky wrote in the statement. “Although many complained to me about the posters and how it deeply offended them, I felt that though deeply offensive, they were speech protected by the First Amendment. But I was upset that those in our community had to see this disturbing, antisemitic poster around the law school.”

Chemerinsky wrote in an Oct. 29 Los Angeles Times op-ed that he has heard on campus “several times that I have been called ‘part of a Zionist conspiracy,’ which echoes antisemitic tropes that have been expressed for centuries,” adding that at 70 years old, “nothing has prepared me for the antisemitism I see on college campuses now.”

UC President Michael Drake said in a statement on Thursday, “The individuals that targeted this event did so simply because it was hosted by a dean who is Jewish. These actions were antisemitic, threatening, and do not reflect the values of this university.”

The language differed from university administrators’ condemnation in February, when an antisemitic mob forced the evacuation of Jewish students from an event where an Israel Defense Forces reservist was speaking. At the time, official statements avoided mentioning “antisemitism,” even while three Jewish students were injured and a junior was reportedly called a “dirty Jew” and a Nazi.

“It’s a great step in the right direction, to address it as what it is,” Daniel Conway, a fourth-year Berkeley student studying environmental economics and policy, told JI.

“But the larger problem,” continued Conway, who serves as president of Bears for Israel and is a founder of the campus’ chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, “is when you address antisemitism and then let it continue, and don’t take action. This is a critical component, to address antisemitism for what it is. Now it’s up to the university to decide whether they will tolerate antisemitism on campus.”

Conway described the climate on Berkeley’s campus for Jewish students as “uncomfortable,” adding that the lack of a crackdown from administration makes it “a lot more difficult to be open about my identity… it’s a climate that has been able to manifest itself just because of the lack of addressing antisemitism.”

In a statement to JI, Dan Mogulof, Berkeley’s assistant vice chancellor for executive communications, did not disclose whether disciplinary action will be taken. “We are prohibited by federal law (FERPA) from offering any comment about student conduct or discipline that can be connected to a particular student or students,” he said.

Ethan Katz, an associate professor of history and Jewish studies and the director of Berkeley’s Center for Jewish Studies, added that “confidentiality should not lead to any assumptions or conclusions as to whether the administration is taking any disciplinary action.”

Katz, who heads Berkeley’s antisemitism task force, called the incident at Chemerinsky’s home “just totally unacceptable.”

Six months after anti-Israel activity began to dominate many college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks — with minimal action taken by college presidents to quell rising levels of antisemitism — administrators at schools such as Pomona, Columbia and Vanderbilt have taken a harder line in recent weeks . As a result, Jewish leaders are wondering whether these three schools’ tougher responses could represent the leading edge of a trend that takes root across the country.

But JCRC’s Gregory said that in the Bay Area, the potential trend is nowhere to be seen, emphasizing that no local schools have addressed antisemitism in an appropriate fashion.

“We need some stronger signals, if the administration is taking concrete steps. We also still don’t know what happened from the [February] riot ,” Gregory said.

In November, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed a complaint on behalf of Jewish students in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that the Berkeley campus is a “hotbed of anti-Jewish hostility and harassment.” The lawsuit named Drake, as well as the UC Regents, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and other officials as defendants. It claimed that since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, antisemitism has been exacerbated at the school — citing several on-campus incidents of intimidation, harassment and physical violence against Jewish students.

The complaint, a copy of which was obtained by JI, detailed several incidents, including a pro-Palestinian rally following Oct. 7 in which a Jewish undergraduate who was draped in an Israeli flag was attacked by two protesters who struck him in the head with a metal water bottle.

UCB professor Steven Davidoff Solomon, who teaches an undergraduate class on antisemitism in the law, told JI at the time that he’s “not sure why a Jewish student would come to [Berkeley] law school.”

Conway added that the lack of transparency after the Tuesday night dinner is “not surprising.”

“We’ve seen from previous events this semester that students break policy, and sometimes the law, and even then the university is extremely slow to respond,” he continued. “Every time something like this happens we hope this is the time that something will come from it.”

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18 UC Berkeley Essay Examples that Worked (2023)
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For the 2023-2024 UC Berkeley essays, it's essential to make sure that the structure aligns with the prompt's requirements and effectively showcases the applicant's strengths, experiences, and fit for the university. 2. Content Depth and Relevance Analysis: Dive deep into the content of each section.
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The Structure of the Assessment. You'll begin by reading a prose passage of 700-1,000 words. This passage will be about as difficult as the readings in first-year courses at UC Berkeley. You'll have up to two hours to read the passage carefully and write an essay in response to a single topic and related questions based on the passage's content.
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3. Outline the structure of your essay, and plan out content for an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. 4. Before you start writing your essay, write one or two sentences that summarize how you would like the admissions officers to perceive you based on this essay.
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Creative Writing < University of California, Berkeley
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At UC Berkeley, a Pro-Palestinian Protest Disrupts Dinner at a Dean's
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How to Write the UC Berkeley/University of California Application
UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara are all ranked in the top 75 national universities. ... Our college essay experts go through a rigorous selection process that evaluates their writing skills and knowledge of college admissions. We also train them on how to interpret prompts, facilitate the brainstorming process ...
Soon, California educators must teach ethnic studies. UC Berkeley is
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Economist Thomas Marschak, UC Berkeley researcher and teacher for 60
Professor Emeritus Thomas Marschak, an economist who influenced generations of students during almost 60 years of active research and teaching at Berkeley Haas, passed away Jan. 31 at his Oakland home. He was 93. Professor Tom Marschak (Photo: Jane Scherr) Marschak, the Cora Jane Flood Research Chair Emeritus, was known for his dry humor, his ...
Ethnic Studies Continuing Lecturer Victoria Robinson wins the 2024 UC
Ethnic Studies Continuing Lecturer and American Cultures Program Director Victoria Robinson was named a recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA), UC Berkeley's highest honor.The DTA recognizes faculty who consistently do an outstanding job teaching and inspiring their students.
UC Berkeley condemns student antisemitic threats, school says it can't
UC Berkeley condemns student antisemitic threats, school says it can't disclose if it's disciplining offenders ... Chemerinsky said that he was writing "with profound sadness" after the dinner was "disrupted and disturbed ... Six months after anti-Israel activity began to dominate many college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas ...

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