essay required for uc santa cruz

• Welcome to UC Santa Cruz
• Introducing UC Santa Cruz
• Academic Programs
• Academic Units
• Undergraduate Admission
• Undergraduate Expenses
• Planning Your Academic Program
• Graduation Requirements
• American History and Institutions

Entry Level Writing Requirement

• Senior Residence
• General Education Requirements
• College Requirements
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• Credit for Transfer Students
• Major and Minor Requirements
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• Advising: From Course Selection to Careers
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2023-24 UCSC General Catalog > Undergraduate Information > Undergraduate Academic Program > University Requirements > Entry Level Writing Requirement

Every candidate for a bachelor’s degree must demonstrate an acceptable level of ability in English composition. Prior to enrollment in your fourth quarter, you must fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement in one of the following ways:

Test Scores and Credits

30 or better on the ACT, English Language Arts; or

30 or better on the ACT, Combined English/Writing (last administered June 2015); or

680 or better on the SAT, Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing*; or

680 or better on the SAT Reasoning Test, Writing (last administered January 2016); or

scores of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition exam, AP English Literature and Composition exam, AP Seminar exam, or AP assessment in Research; * or

5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Higher Level English A1 exam); or

6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Standard Level English A1 exam); or

5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Language and Literature exam; or

6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Language and Literature exam.

* Revised : 04/08/24

Transfer work

The Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) can also be met by earning a grade of C or higher in an acceptable English composition course offered by a college or university.

Satisfying ELWR at UC Santa Cruz

Incoming students who have not satisfied ELWR via test or transfer credits will follow a directed self-placement process to enroll in an appropriate writing course at UCSC: WRIT 25 , WRIT 26 , WRIT 1 , or WRIT 1E . Courses are offered in sequence depending on placement. Students who successfully pass WRIT 1  or WRIT 1E  will satisfy Entry Level Writing. For additional information on ELWR, please see the Writing Program website .

* All students who enter UCSC as frosh in 2020 or after must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the ELWR before enrolling in their fourth quarter. However, students placed into Writing 25 have until the end of their fourth quarter of enrollment to satisfy the ELWR.

For additional information on fulfilling UCSC's writing requirements, please visit the Writing Program's website .

Freshman requirements

• Subject requirement (A-G)
• GPA requirement
• Exam requirement
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• English language proficiency
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Transfer requirements

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Santa Cruz: Freshman admission profile

This is a snapshot of the admitted freshman class for fall 2019.

Please be cautious in drawing conclusions from this information. Use it as a general guide to selectivity and   not   as a predictor of your chance for admission to UC Santa Cruz.

Applicants:

Overall admit rate:

More UC Santa Cruz stats & selection

• Fall 2018 Santa Cruz admits: Ranges for GPA, test scores and courses completed [PDF]
• Freshman selection at UC Santa Cruz

Undergraduate admission data

For more systemwide and campus data on applicants, admits and enrollees, visit  UC's Information Center.

• UC's Information Center

Beyond the numbers

We know you're more than just your grades and test scores. Using a process called comprehensive review, we look at how hard you've worked to take advantage of the opportunities you've had to excel at school, in your favorite extracurricular activities and in your community.

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UC Santa Cruz Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are UC Santa Cruz's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into UC Santa Cruz and build a strong application.

School location: Santa Cruz, CA

This school is also known as: UCSC, UC Santa Cruz, University of California, Santa Cruz

Admissions Rate: 47.1%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at UC Santa Cruz is 47.1% . For every 100 applicants, 47 are admitted.

This means the school is moderately selective . The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they're more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in. But if you don't, you might be one of the unlucky minority that gets a rejection letter.

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UC Santa Cruz GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.98

The average GPA at UC Santa Cruz is 3.98 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.98, UC Santa Cruz requires you to be at the top of your class . You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes - AP or IB courses - to show that college-level academics is a breeze.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.98, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate . This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

UC Santa Cruz hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to UC Santa Cruz will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

UC Santa Cruz SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1285

The average SAT score composite at UC Santa Cruz is a 1285 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes UC Santa Cruz Competitive for SAT test scores.

UC Santa Cruz SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1170, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1400. In other words, a 1170 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1400 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

UC Santa Cruz has the Score Choice policy of "All Scores."

This means that UC Santa Cruz requires you to send all SAT scores you've ever taken to their office.

This sounds daunting, but most schools don't actually consider all your scores equally. For example, if you scored an 1300 on one test and a 1500 on another, they won't actually average the two tests.

More commonly, the school will take your highest score on a single test date. Even better, some schools form a Superscore - that is, they take your highest section score across all your test dates and combine them.

Some students are still worried about submitting too many test scores. They're afraid that UC Santa Cruz will look down on too many attempts to raise your score. But how many is too many?

From our research and talking to admissions officers, we've learned that 4-6 tests is a safe number to submit . The college understands that you want to have the best chance of admission, and retaking the test is a good way to do this. Within a reasonable number of tests, they honestly don't care how many times you've taken it. They'll just focus on your score.

If you take it more than 6 times, colleges start wondering why you're not improving with each test. They'll question your study skills and ability to improve.

But below 6 tests, we strongly encourage retaking the test to maximize your chances. If your SAT score is currently below a 1285, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it . You don't have much to lose, and you can potentially raise your score and significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

UC Santa Cruz ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, UC Santa Cruz likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 28

The average ACT score at UC Santa Cruz is 28. This score makes UC Santa Cruz Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 24, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 31.

Even though UC Santa Cruz likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 24 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 28 and above that a 24 will look academically weak.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 28 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to UC Santa Cruz, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 28.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

UC Santa Cruz considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is moderately selective, strong academic performance will almost guarantee you admission . Scoring a 1400 SAT or a 31 ACT or above will nearly guarantee you admission. Because the school admits 47.1% of all applicants, being far above average raises the admission rate for you to nearly 100%.

If you can achieve a high SAT/ACT score, the rest of your application essentially doesn't matter. You still need to meet the rest of the application requirements, and your GPA shouldn't be too far off from the school average of 3.98. But you won't need dazzling extracurriculars and breathtaking letters of recommendation to get in. You can get in based on the merits of your score alone.

But if your score is a 1170 SAT or a 24 ACT and below, you have a good chance of being one of the unlucky few to be rejected.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

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Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of UC Santa Cruz here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Not accepted
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $70
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes Minimum high school GPA of 3.0 for California residents, 3.4 for non-residents required for freshmen

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Not used if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests
• Scores Due in Office None

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language 2
• Social Studies 1
• Electives 1

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes November 30 March 31

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 1156 Santa Cruz, CA 95064
• Phone: (831) 459-0111 x0111
• Fax: (831) 459-4452
• Email: [email protected]

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in UC Santa Cruz, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to UC Santa Cruz.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than UC Santa Cruz. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for UC Santa Cruz, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for UC Santa Cruz, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If UC Santa Cruz is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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• Welcome to UC Santa Cruz
• Introducing UC Santa Cruz
• Academic Programs
• Academic Units
• Undergraduate Admission
• Undergraduate Expenses
• Planning Your Academic Program
• Graduation Requirements

American History and Institutions

Entry level writing requirement.

Senior Residence

• General Education Requirements
• College Requirements
• Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Examinations
• Credit for Transfer Students
• Major and Minor Requirements
• Evaluating Academic Performance
• Advising: From Course Selection to Careers
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• Global Engagement
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2023-24 UCSC General Catalog > Undergraduate Information > Undergraduate Academic Program > University Requirements

University Requirements

UC Santa Cruz administers three requirements from the University of California: (1) American history and institutions, (2) Entry level writing, and (3) UCSC senior residence.

Every candidate for a bachelor’s degree must demonstrate knowledge of American history and institutions. Fulfill this requirement in one of the following ways:*

• Achieving a score of 550 or higher on the SAT Subject Examination in U.S. History
• Achieving a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in U.S. History, or by achieving a score of 5, 6, or 7 on the IBH History of the Americas Examination
• Completing a college-level course in U.S. history and institutions
• Certification of completion of the requirement on a transcript from an accredited California institution of higher education
• Completing an acceptable history or government course in high school that satisfies the subject requirement for admission to the university, described in Subject Requirements.

A list of courses that fulfill the American History and Institutions requirement, as well as information for satisfying this requirement outside UCSC, is available here . Students may also search for AH&I courses from California Community Colleges via ASSIST.org 's transfer articulation agreements.

Every candidate for a bachelor’s degree must demonstrate an acceptable level of ability in English composition. Prior to enrollment in your fourth quarter, you must fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement in one of the following ways:

Test Scores and Credits

30 or better on the ACT, English Language Arts; or

30 or better on the ACT, Combined English/Writing (last administered June 2015); or

680 or better on the SAT, Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing*; or

680 or better on the SAT Reasoning Test, Writing (last administered January 2016); or

scores of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition exam, AP English Literature and Composition exam, AP Seminar exam, or AP assessment in Research; * or

5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Higher Level English A1 exam); or

6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Standard Level English A1 exam); or

5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Language and Literature exam; or

6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Language and Literature exam.

* Revised : 04/08/24

Transfer work

The Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) can also be met by earning a grade of C or higher in an acceptable English composition course offered by a college or university.

Satisfying ELWR at UC Santa Cruz

Incoming students who have not satisfied ELWR via test or transfer credits will follow a directed self-placement process to enroll in an appropriate writing course at UCSC: WRIT 25 , WRIT 26 , WRIT 1 , or WRIT 1E . Courses are offered in sequence depending on placement. Students who successfully pass WRIT 1  or WRIT 1E  will satisfy Entry Level Writing. For additional information on ELWR, please see the Writing Program website .

* All students who enter UCSC as frosh in 2020 or after must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the ELWR before enrolling in their fourth quarter. However, students placed into Writing 25 have until the end of their fourth quarter of enrollment to satisfy the ELWR.

For additional information on fulfilling UCSC's writing requirements, please visit the Writing Program's website .

Every candidate for a bachelor’s degree must be registered at UCSC for a minimum of three quarters. In addition, of the final 45 quarter credits, 35 must be in regular courses of instruction taken as a registered student at UCSC (including during the summer session).

The credit requirement for residence is applied differently to students participating in one or more of the off-campus study programs approved by the Academic Senate or the division. Participating students may satisfy the requirement in either of two ways:

• Complete 35 of their final 45 credits before leaving the Santa Cruz campus to participate in one or more off-campus approved study programs . In this scenario, students do not have to return to Santa Cruz for any additional coursework after they have finished the program(s).
• Complete 35 of their last 90 credits at the Santa Cruz campus, with a minimum of 10 credits completed at UCSC after their return from the off-campus approved study program(s) .

A student who takes courses outside UCSC, e.g., at community college, may choose at the time of graduation to have only some of the credits completed outside counted toward the 180-credit graduation requirement in order to meet the residency requirement. Subject credit will still be given for lower-division courses and courses at other campuses of the University of California that are not counted toward the graduation requirement. This will not require a petition, and the credit will be reduced by the Office of the Registrar, in consultation with department or college advisors, or the Admissions Office, as needed.

Open campus / Concurrent Enrollment: For students who have been admitted and matriculated at UC Santa Cruz, but who have not yet graduated, the grades earned in Open Campus/ Concurrent Enrollment courses taken after their first matriculation at UCSC appear on the student’s UC Santa Cruz transcript, are notated as Open Campus courses, count toward University of California and UC Santa Cruz Grade Point Average (GPA), and count toward senior residency requirements.

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UC Santa Cruz draws students who plan to change the world—in ways big and small. Whether you’re ready to fill out the application or in the planning stages, find the information you need online.

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UC Santa Cruz is famed worldwide not only for its high-impact research but also for its redwood forests, breathtaking vistas, and the kind of serenity that expands the mind . Students also experience the vibe of Santa Cruz —a laid-back beach town with a vibrant downtown and cultural scene.

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Studying in the U.S. at UC Santa Cruz is a wonderful opportunity for you and your family. Your degree acts like a passport, opening access to many opportunities for your future career and personal life. 

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Located in the global center of high tech and innovation, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension offers accredited, convenient professional courses for every stage of your career.

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UC’s financial aid program is one of the best out there. It supports students in all kinds of ways, with grants, scholarships, low-interest loans, and more. And it’s worth it.

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Set in a serene redwood forest above the Monterey Bay, our campus was once considered a bold experiment. Now we’re routinely ranked among the top universities in the world for research excellence and impact.

University of California, Santa Cruz Admissions

University of California, Santa Cruz has an acceptance rate of 47%. The application deadline at University of California, Santa Cruz is Nov. 30.

Admissions officials at University of California, Santa Cruz consider a student's GPA a very important academic factor. An applicant's high school class rank and letters of recommendation are not considered by admissions officials at University of California, Santa Cruz. To see additional academic factors along with other school data, learn more about College Compass .

University of California--Santa Cruz Admissions Stats

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University of California, Santa Cruz Admissions Requirements

Admission interview

Neither required/recommended

Required Standardized Tests

Neither SAT nor ACT

SAT/ACT Scores Must Be Received By

UNLOCK WITH COMPASS

University of California, Santa Cruz Applications

Application Deadline

Early Decision Deadline

Common Application Accepted

Deadline for housing deposit

Entering Class Stats

Selectivity

Acceptance rate

Early Decision Acceptance Rate

SATs on 1600 scale

Transfer Students

Accepting applications

Fall, Winter

Minimum credits to apply

Minimum required college GPA

Guaranteed admission agreement URL

International Students

Separate Application Form Required

Conditional admission offered

Early decision or early action options available

Neither early decision nor early action

TOEFL (paper)

Required of some

TOEFL (internet-based)

Michigan Test

Advance deposit required

TOEFL accepted instead of SAT or ACT

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MA/C Program Admission Requirements

1.    3.0 gpa or above  , 2.    transcripts from all undergraduate & graduate work .

Transcripts must be submitted directly to the UCSC Online Application.  

If you have not yet completed your degree , you may submit an unofficial transcript with your application. If you have already completed your degree you may submit either an official or unofficial transcript that verifies your degree with your application.

Please note that if you are admitted to UCSC, two official, sealed transcripts will be required from your degree-granting institution: one sent directly from your college to the Graduate Application Processing Center (either with your application or after your admission; detailed instructions from the Graduate Division may be found  here .), and one copy hand delivered by December 1st to the Education Department for your credentialing file.

College coursework is evaluated with attention to content and grades or narrative evaluations, as well as consideration of the appropriateness of courses taken for the credential sought. 

i.    Multiple Subject applicants:

Students should have an extensive breadth of courses in the core subject areas taught in elementary school—math, science, social science, and English.

ii.   Single Subject applicants:

Students should have an extensive body of coursework in the content area.

3.   Cultural/Linguistic Diversity

UC Santa Cruz is committed to preparing teachers to work in underserved, high-needs schools that serve low-income communities. Given this programmatic emphasis, describe in your Statement of Purpose how your university coursework, personal experience, and/or professional experiences have addressed aspects of diversity similar to what we see in K-12 public schools. Be specific in listing relevant courses and experiences.

The following UC Santa Cruz undergraduate education courses are examples of courses that meet this requirement:  EDUC 128 , Immigrants and Education;  EDUC 141 , Bilingualism and Schooling;  EDUC 164 , Urban Education;  EDUC 181 , Race, Class, and Culture in Education. Other courses within and outside the Education Department may also be acceptable. When applying to the program, note any outside coursework in your Statement of Purpose along with an explanation as to how your coursework addresses cultural and linguistic diversity.

4.  Field Experience

Document field experiences in formal or informal educational settings with youth at the same age level that you aspire to teach. Experiences such as directed observation, substitute teaching, work in after-school programs, camp counseling, school tutoring, outdoor education, instructional aide, or the equivalent are acceptable experiences. List field experiences below (include field setting and dates). You must fulfill a minimum of 30 hours in an educational setting documented by at least one letter of recommendation.

5.    3 - 5 Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required; no more than five are accepted.

Please follow these guidelines:

• Provide 1 or more letters (recommendation is 2) written by university faculty who can address your academic merit.
• Provide 1 or more letters written by a professional in the field who has observed your work with children or youth in the applicable age group for the credential you are seeking through the UCSC Credential Program. This will serve as documentation of your field experience requirement.

** Please note that if your recommender(s) address your experience and/or coursework related to cultural and linguistic diversity, this will strengthen your applic ation.

6.    California Basic Skills Requirement 

All admitted applicants must verify completion of the California Basic Skills Requirement by meeting one of the options A through H below. The deadline to complete this requirement: June 10th of each year (prior to official enrollment in the program) . However, it is highly recommended that documentation of completion be submitted with the application. Exam registration confirmations, and/or exam score reports, or verification of meeting an alternate option for the Basic Skills Requirement must be submitted at the time of application via the online application.

• The  California Basic Skills Test (CBEST).
• The  California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET): Multiple Subjects Subtests I-III plus the CSET: Writing Skills subtest #142 ( passing these tests also meets the Subject Matter Competency requirement for Multiple Subject candidates; see below ).
• CSU EAP ('Ready' in English and Math) or CSU Placement Exams (English Placement Test (EPT) and Entry Level Math (ELM)).
• SAT (Taken before March 2016 Math 550, English Critical Thinking 500 - taken after March 2016 Math 570, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 560).
• AP English (3 or higher) and AP Calculus or AP Statistics (3 or higher). 
• ACT (Math 23, English 22).
• Coursework - courses must have been taken at a regionally-accredited college or university for credit, passed with a grade of B or better, be degree applicable, and be at least 3-semester units or 4 quarter units for more information please read below.
•   Coursework and Exams  can be met through a combination of applicable courses and qualifying exams                                        

Contact our Credential Analyst for coursework evaluation at [email protected]

For more information on these additional options please see:  https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl667.pdf

7.    Subject Matter Competency

California state law mandates that all teachers provide evidence of their subject-matter knowledge. Exam registration confirmations, exam score reports, or documentation of an approved waiver program must be submitted on the online application. The deadline to complete this requirement is June 10th of each year (prior to official enrollment in the program). However, it is highly recommended that documentation of meeting the subject matter requirement be submitted with the application. Please note that admission priority may be given to applicants who provide documentation at the time of application. Contact our Credential Analyst for coursework evaluation at [email protected]

i.    Multiple Subject Applicants:

Individuals can verify subject-matter competence by passing all required subtests of the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET). Passing exam scores are valid for ten years. 

The CSET Multiple Subjects exams are comprised of three required subtests. Admitted MA/Credential applicants are required to submit passing test scores for the following:

• CSET: Multiple Subjects - Subtest I (test code 101)
• CSET: Multiple Subjects - Subtest II (test code 214)
• CSET: Multiple Subjects - Subtest III (test code 103)

Additionally,  Multiple  Subject applicants may satisfy Subject Matter Competency via a  CTC-Approved Subject Matter Program .

The deadline to submit evidence of satisfying the Subject Matter Competency Requirement is June 10. However, it is   highly recommended   that documentation of satisfying the Subject Matter Competency Requirement be submitted at the time of application.   Please note that admission priority may be given to applicants with passing test scores at the time of application. 

ii.    Single Subject Applicants:

Individuals may verify subject-matter competence by passing all required subtests of the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) by content area. Passing exam scores are valid for ten years.

Admitted MA/Credential applicants are required to submit passing test scores for the following:

Additionally, Single Subject applicants may satisfy Subject Matter Competency via a   CTC-Approved Subject Matter Program . 

Subject Matter Requirement Coursework

Successful completion of coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282, as verified by a Commission-approved program of professional preparation.

To meet the state Subject Matter Requirement (SMR) with applicable college coursework, you will need a college course (or courses) that a ddresses each domain listed for each of the CSET subtests . At this time, each course that you use to meet a subject matter domain must have a grade of C- or better. 

Another option is to use a combination of coursework and CSET examination(s): some combination of coursework and examinations to meet the content for all required subtests. 

If you would like additional information about the subject matter domains, you may review the domain and drill down into domain elements on the CTC website  here .  The elements provide greater insight into the domains. However, to meet the subject matter requirement, qualifying coursework does not need to address each of the listed domain elements.

8.    Certificate of Clearance

In accordance with Education Code Section 44320(b), each credential candidate for an initial credential, prior to admission to any credential program, must obtain a Certificate of Clearance from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). This Certificate is a document issued by the Commission to an individual who has completed the Commission’s fingerprint character and identification process. Please note that the CTC requires either a United States-issued Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for a Certificate of Clearance. The IRS issues ITINs regardless of immigration status, primarily for the purpose of federal tax reporting. Detailed instructions for obtaining a Certificate of Clearance may be found here and Form 41-LS.

A Certificate of Clearance must  be submitted directly to the UCSC Online Application.  Please upload a copy of your valid Certificate of Clearance or Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit into the online application. 

• To comply with this regulation the UCSC Education Department must have on file a copy of the Certificate of Clearance before allowing a person to begin public school fieldwork or student teaching.
• If you hold a valid (non-expired)  Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit , you are not required to apply for another Certificate of Clearance. Please upload a copy (pdf is accepted) of your valid permit.
• Out-of-state/international applicants must contact the UCSC Education Department for further instructions:  [email protected].

Directions to obtain a Certificate of Clearance

CTC Video with step-by-step directions for applying for a Certificate of Clearance is here .

• Download  Form 41-LS.
• Complete it, ensuring that you have accurate information (i.e. no typos), and then print three copies.
• Take the three copies of your completed 41-LS form with you to obtain your livescan fingerprints.
• Go to the CTC website here . Either create an account if you do not already have one, or log into your account.
• Go to the Educator Profile tab. At the bottom of the screen, below " Apply for a Certificate of Clearance or Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate," " Click “Create New” to start. " Submit the transaction fee of $52.65 (all online transactions are subject to a $2.65 service fee effective November 22, 2022, in addition to the $50.00 application fee) using a credit or debit card. Immediately following the successful submission of the online application, an email will be sent containing a confirmation number. This email is your receipt for your Certificate of Clearance application. 
• If your Certificate of Clearance does not arrive in time to upload with your application, you may upload a PDF copy of the email confirmation. 

9.    Statement of Purpose

Describe your motivation, academic preparation, and plans for your future occupation as a teacher. Include: (i) an explanation of why you want to become a teacher; (ii) how your experience has contributed to your motivation and potential to be an educational leade r, and (iii) a description of your experiences with youth in formal or informal educational settings, experiences with cultural and linguistic diversity and community involvement.  Discuss how your experiences and academic coursework have informed your decision to pursue a master's degree and teaching credential at UC Santa Cruz. Please include in your statement any interest or desire to work with specific populations of students or communities (e.g. low-income, English learner) and how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field, as this statement may be considered for possible scholarships. The recommended length is a concise 2-4 double-spaced pages.  Include your name in the footer of each page of your Statement of Purpose.

10.    Personal History Statement

UC Santa Cruz is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree and teaching credential. Include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey. 

The Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose. The recommended length is a concise 2-5 double-spaced pages. Include your name in the footer of each page.

11.    Academic Writing Sample

A sample of your writing ( no more than 10 double-spaced pages ). A research-based paper is preferred, such as a paper written on an educational topic or a paper written in your content area. Alternatively, applicants may choose to submit a formal essay or to write a brief piece specifically for this application.

12.    Résumé

Include an employment history, relevant volunteer or community work, (especially in schools and/or with children), and experiences in multicultural and multilingual settings. Include information on languages ( other than English ) in which you have competence.

Additional Items for Bilingual Authorization Applicants:

Applicants seeking Bilingual Authorization must obtain it concurrently with a preliminary multiple subjects or single subject credential. While the state allows the Bilingual Authorization to be obtained after the candidate receives their credential, the UCSC program is a concurrent model. Applicants seeking the Bilingual Authorization also submit:

One to three-page essay in Spanish - Submit with your application

Bilingual Program applicants will be required to submit a one to three page essay in Spanish with their application to the MA/Credential Program. The essay should address one of the following prompts: 

• Describa  el  contexto  en  que   usted  aprendió el español.
• Describa su historia personal y cultural con las comunidades hispanohablantes.
• Describa sus experiencias con la educación bilingüe.
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Last modified: March 23, 2024 128.114.113.87

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, need info on uc santa cruz admission requirements.

Hey peeps! I'm considering applying to UC Santa Cruz and I'd like to know more about their admission requirements. If any of you know what the admissions officers at UCSC prioritize or have any tips, please chime in! Thanks!

Hey there! I'm happy to help you with information on UC Santa Cruz admission requirements and what admissions officers prioritize. As part of the University of California (UC) system, UC Santa Cruz applications follow the general UC application process and requirements. Here's an overview for you:

1. Completed UC Application: UCSC has a shared application with other UC schools, so you'll fill out a single application for multiple UC campuses. The application filing period is from October 1 to November 30.

2. GPA: Admissions officers at UCSC will look at your UC GPA from 10th and 11th grades. UCSC does not have a set minimum GPA requirement, but to be competitive, aim for a UC GPA of around 3.86-4.22 or higher.

3. Test Scores: UCSC is currently test-blind, which means that they do not consider standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) in the admission process.

4. Personal Insight Questions: You will need to answer four of the eight personal insight questions within the UC application (up to 350 words each). These questions provide you an opportunity to showcase your character, extracurriculars, achievements, leadership skills, and how you've overcome challenges, among other things. Make sure to use this section to effectively convey your unique qualities and experiences.

5. A-G Course Requirements: UCSC requires a minimum set of college-preparatory courses ("a-g" courses) in specific subjects. You'll need to complete at least 15 "a-g" course credits, with 11 of those completed prior to your senior year.

6. Extracurriculars: While not explicitly required in the application, having a strong background in extracurricular activities (preferably with demonstrated leadership and involvement in your areas of passion) will help you stand out in the admissions process.

As for what UCSC admissions officers prioritize, they use a holistic admissions process, evaluating not only academics but also extracurricular achievements, personal qualities, and potential contributions to the campus community. It's important to present yourself as a well-rounded candidate by highlighting your involvement in extracurricular activities, success in challenging courses or school work, unique personal experiences, or examples of overcoming obstacles.

My top tip for your UCSC application is to be authentic when answering the personal insight questions. Use these essays to tell a powerful story about who you are and what you bring to the table, making sure to highlight your strengths and individuality. Also, ensure that you've met the "a-g" course requirements and maintain a strong GPA.

Best of 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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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Home / Academics / Graduate Program / For Prospective Students / Admissions

Criteria for Admissions

Applications for admission to the M.A. and Ph.D. programs are invited from students who have completed undergraduate degrees in biology or who have demonstrated excellence in some related discipline (e.g., environmental sciences, marine sciences, botany, or evolutionary anthropology, for example).

Admission to the program is based on the applicant’s application, consisting of the statement of purpose, transcripts of undergraduate work (and previous graduate-level work, if any), three letters of recommendation, and the recommendation of EEB faculty. Note: the GRE is NOT a requiremnt for admission. 

**We highly encourage applicants to email the EEB faculty with whom they are interested in working prior to submitting their application materials for consideration. This is the only way to confirm that they are accepting students for the upcoming academic cycle.

Application Procedure + Important Dates

Step 1: Check the EEB website for faculty whose research interests complement yours, and read their prospective students pages. Consider reading some of their publications in addition to their website materials to assess their research interests, as well as their philosophy for mentoring students. Some faculty will provide information on their lab webpages about whether they plan to admit students in the coming application cycle.

Step 2: Reach out through email. If you are interested in working with a faculty member, reach out to those individuals well ahead of the application deadline. Most inquiries about graduate school start in the summer prior to the application deadline. Make this email succinct, but provide enough information for the faculty to understand your research and/or professional experience and why you are interested in their lab. It is most compelling if you can connect those two themes (e.g., how your previous academic, research, or professional experience has led you to or prepared you for research in their lab). You do not need to have a specific research project defined. Rather, you should be prepared to discuss the types of questions you find interesting, as well as how you could envision addressing those types of questions in the faculty member’s lab.

This email should include your curriculum vitae (the academic version of your resume), which lists your degrees, research and professional experience, and any publications or presentations you have given. In addition, some faculty may request additional materials, such as a writing sample and a personal statement. Check their websites to see if they have other requests. 

If a faculty member does not respond right away to your email, it is perfectly acceptable to resend the email after a few weeks. Most faculty get a lot of email, so it is easy for messages to fall through the cracks.

Step 3: Set up a meeting with your prospective advisor (often via phone or zoom) to discuss your research interests and their advising approach, etc.

After meeting (online or in person) with a faculty member, you can ask whether they encourage you to apply. This will give you more insight into whether your application will be seriously considered. You may also consider talking to other graduate students in the lab or previous students to gain more information about lab culture. Armed with this information, you can then formally apply to the program through the UCSC Graduate Division website.

Graduate students at UCSC are funded through faculty grants, teaching assistant positions, or fellowships . Prospective students are highly encouraged to apply for fellowships (e.g. the NSF GRFP , usually due in October or early November), and ask their prospective advisors if they have funding that could support new students. Students that are not supported by either a fellowship or research funding from their advisor will be supported by teaching assistantships .

All applications are submitted online via the  UCSC Graduate Division website . Your application will only be reviewed once all materials are received and your application fee has been paid.

Applications are reviewed on yearly admissions cycles, for Fall Quarter start-times. The Graduate Division’s online application system open on October 1 each application cycle. The EEB Ph.D. and M.A. program applications submission deadline is December 10 .

Applications are reviewed and responded to by the national April 15 graduate program response deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the minimum GPA and GRE subscores needed for applicants to be accepted to the program? As a rule, the Department considers only applicants with GPAs of 3.0 or higher. This is a University of California admissions requirement. Please note, GRE scores are no longer required for admissions.

Do I need to take the GRE Biology Exam for admission to EEB? 

No, the GRE Biology Exam is not a requirement for applying to our graduate program - but do send us your scores if you take the exam!

What's UCSC's Test Reporting Code? 

I'm an international applicant. Where can I find information on English language and academic records requirements?

International applicants can find answers to all application-related questions on the UCSC Graduate Division's International Applicants informational webpage . 

Should I contact any professors before applying to the grad program in EEB?

Yes! We  strongly encourage all applicants to our Ph.D. and M.A. programs to email EEB faculty with whom they are interested in working before submitting their applications. Our admissions committee relies on the input our faculty to make their admissions decisions, and all students in the EEB graduate program are admitted directly into their advisors' labs. Contacting faculty whose labs you are interested in joining before submitting your application is a crucial step to ensuring a good research - and admissions - fit! In the online application you will be asked to indicate your faculty preference. You are allowed to enter up to 3 choices if you are in the process of choosing a mentor. 

Is any funding available to graduate students in EEB? 

The Department is committed to admitting applicants to the program with full financial support awards in place. These financial support awards may be comprised of various types of funding: fellowship awards, Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Student Research assignments, and/or outside fellowship awards (e.g. NSF GRFP, etc.). M.A. students are generally not eligible for Teaching Assistantships and we ask that you can show proof of funding for two calendar years. All applications are automatically considered for the UC systemwide fellowships and awards . Your faculty contact will let you know if you are under consideration for a university award or if you need to apply for your own funding. 

What writing Samples should I prepare? 

The required application materials include:

• Résumé
• Please describe your plans for graduate study or research and for your future occupation or profession. Include any information that may aid the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and qualifications for graduate study at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Recommended length is a concise 2-4 pages.
• Required of all applicants. This statement will be used in conjunction with your application for graduate admission and financial support. Note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose. Recommended length is a concise 1-3 pages. 
• UC Santa Cruz is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.

I've read all I can about the program and faculty interests on the website. Whom may I contact if I have more questions about the program?

You may contact the Graduate Program Coordinator via email at Judy Straub, [email protected].

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Last modified: June 27, 2022 128.114.113.87

UC Essay Prompts 2023-24

Uc essay prompts 2023-2024.

Students applying to UC schools must be prepared to answer the UC prompts as part of the application process. Each year, the University of California receives over 200,000 undergraduate freshmen applications. An important part of these applications are the UC Personal Insight Questions, also known as UC PIQs. In this article, we’ll break down the UC essay prompts to help you ace your UC application.

In addition to reviewing each of the UC essay prompts, we will discuss unique aspects of the UC application. We will also share tips to help you choose the UC prompts that are best suited to you. Finally, we’ll share additional resources that can aid you in writing your UC PIQs, including UC essay examples.

Applying to the University of California

Many of the University of California’s campuses are ranked among the best colleges in the nation. Not only that, the UCs are also some of the most affordable schools, especially for California residents. So, it’s no surprise the number of students that end up applying to UC schools. With so many qualified applicants, it’s important to start early and put dedicated time and effort into your UC PIQs.

Ready to learn more about UC Personal Insight Questions? Before we dive into the UC PIQs, we’d like to share a bit about the UC application process . The UC admissions process differs in several ways from many other U.S. schools. Here are a few key facts to keep in mind before you start responding to the UC essay prompts:

You must apply through the UC system’s application, known as UC Apply .

The UC schools do not accept the Common Application or the Coalition Application. As such, they will not see the personal statement that many schools require you to submit via these applications. Ensure anything you want to share comes across in your responses to the UC Personal Insight Questions.

The UC Apply deadline is November 30 .

The UC schools do not have special deadlines like early action or early decision. However, their general application deadline is earlier than it is at most other schools. The UC application is available to fill out from October 1 to November 30 each year. As a result, we recommend choosing your UC essay prompts as soon as they become available. That way, you can write several drafts of your UC essays and polish them in advance of the November deadline.

The UCs use a holistic admissions process.

After reading your UC Personal Insight Questions, each UC school will consider your application as a whole. That means your grades, courses, special research projects, talents, and high school rank, among many other factors, are all important. As such, put effort into every part of your application. Notably, the UC schools are test blind , meaning they do not review test scores. Hence, do not lose sight of the importance of answering your UC prompts fully. Each of the UC Personal Insight Questions is a chance to prove yourself as a candidate for admission. 

We hope this provides more context as to how the UC Personal Insight Questions fit into the broader application process. Next, we’ll explore the UC schools more in-depth.

How many UCs are there?

There are ten University of California schools in total. However, only nine have undergraduate programs. These nine schools are the following, in order of most selective to least selective:

UC Acceptance Rates

• UCLA – 9% acceptance rate
• UC Berkeley – 11% acceptance rate
• UC Irvine – 21% acceptance rate
• UC San Diego – 24% acceptance rate
• UC Santa Barbara – 26% acceptance rate
• UC Davis – 37% acceptance rate
• UC Santa Cruz – 47% acceptance rate
• UC Riverside – 69% acceptance rate
• UC Merced – 89% acceptance rate

Several of these schools rank among the best colleges in California . Keep in mind that you can apply to all nine with the same application using UC Apply. While this makes applying convenient, it also means that all the UCs you apply to will receive the same UC essays. As a result, your UC Berkeley essays will be identical to your UC Davis essays and UC Irvine essays.

With this in mind, you might be wondering how to make your application stand out to a specific UC. First, start by reviewing the admissions processes for each of the UC schools you wish to attend. Then, identify key characteristics those UC schools are looking for in their applicants.

For example, consider UCLA. A successful UCLA application will demonstrate a student’s academic and personal achievements, despite any challenges they may have faced. Touching on these themes in your UCLA essay can help you build a strong UCLA application.

Make sure that your UC essays reflect your best characteristics in some form. Since the UC schools are part of the same system, they share many of the same values. Common characteristics they are looking for include creativity, problem-solving, persistence, leadership, and diversity. Use your responses to UC essay prompts to highlight how you demonstrate these qualities.

Which UCs require essay prompts?

All of the UCs require students to respond to UC Personal Insight Questions as part of their UC application. When you submit your responses to the UC PIQs on UC Apply, you’ll select which UCs to send them to. Unlike the school-specific nature of some supplemental essays, your UC essays should not mention a specific school. They are, instead, solely focused on your personal experiences.  

Furthermore, each of the UCs you apply to will review your application independently. Schools are not aware of which other UCs you applied to. Nor are they able to tell whether you were admitted to another UC. In short, although the UC essay prompts are the same at every school, they are evaluated separately by each school.

How many UC Personal Insight Questions are required?

Freshmen are required to submit responses to four of the eight available UC Personal Insight Questions. Meanwhile, transfer students must only respond to three. However, in addition to these UC essay prompts, transfer students must also submit a response to one additional required question.

Later, we’ll explore each of the eight UC PIQ prompts in depth. We’ll also share tips for selecting the right UC PIQs for you. Before we get to the prompts, let’s look at how long your responses to the UC essay prompts should be.

How long are UC Personal Insight Questions?

Each of your four responses to the UC Personal Insight Questions can be up to 350 words long. With limited space, you should focus on sharing only the most important reflections and details to strengthen your story. Once you’ve written drafts, ask a friend or mentor to help edit your responses to the UC essay prompts. A second set of eyes can help you remove unnecessary words or phrases, finding space for more critical ideas. 

While 350 words for one essay is not a lot of space, remember you are writing four essays in total. As such, you have 1400 words in total to express who you are in your UC PIQs. 

Next, we’ll share the UC essay prompts that you can respond to for your PIQs. 

What are the UC Essay Prompts?

As we mentioned above, there are eight UC essay prompts. Remember, all eight UC essay prompts are the same no matter which school you are applying to. So, you can use the same prompt for your UC Irvine essay, UC San Diego essay, or UC Davis essay. 

Here are the eight UC prompts for the UC PIQs:

Below, we’ll explore each UC essay prompt in greater detail. And, we’ll provide tips and reflection questions to ensure your responses answer the prompt effectively .

UC Essay Prompt #1: Leadership

The first of the eight UC essay prompts is about leadership. The question is as follows:

UC Personal Insight Question #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..

The word leadership often calls to mind a formal title, such as president of a club or head of student council. However, that is not how these UC prompts define leadership. In fact, the UC essay prompts allude to the fact that leadership occurs in many different scenarios. Colleges also value informal forms of leadership, such as the examples listed in the prompt.

Importantly, the UC essay prompts ask for an example of your leadership. Be sure to provide a specific example in your essay, rather than simply stating that you are a leader. For instance, maybe you stood up for a friend who was being bullied. Or maybe you created a study group to help your classmates do well on a difficult test. These are instances of informal leadership that would be excellent ideas for UC PIQ prompts.

Writing UC Personal Insight Questions about leadership can be intimidating if you feel like you haven’t had much formal leadership experience. However, almost everyone has had some experience where they’ve positively influenced others. Use these tips to discover and capture your leadership experience when answering your UC PIQ prompts:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #1

1. ask friends, family, and mentors for examples..

Sometimes, it can be hard to see our own accomplishments. Consider surveying your friends, family, and mentors, like teachers or coaches, for examples. Ask them how they have seen you positively influence others. From there, note if any examples feel particularly meaningful to you.

2. Be specific.

As with all UC essays, you’ll want to be specific to make a captivating argument. Spend time brainstorming specific details about your experience so that you can write about it in a compelling manner. For example, if you stood up for a friend who was being bullied, consider including details about the incident. How did you feel in the moment? What stands out to you now? 

3. Highlight your impact.

In this UC PIQ, admissions is looking for an example of how you made an impact on others. So, don’t forget to include what the effect of your involvement was. Perhaps in the bullying example, your friend told you they felt supported and safer at school, and the bullying stopped. What you learned from your experiences is as important as what happened to you.

If you choose the leadership prompt as one of your UC PIQ prompts, be sure to use these tips. Thoroughly reflecting on an experience is key to writing successful UC PIQs. Strong UC PIQ examples demonstrate strong critical thinking, another valuable trait to demonstrate in your UC Personal Insight Questions.

UC PIQ #1 Reflection Questions

As you review your draft response to the leadership UC PIQ, consider whether your response answers the following questions:

• Does your response clearly demonstrate a positive impact you had on others?
• Did you provide details to illustrate your story?
• Does your essay have an insightful reflection on what you learned about leadership?

Responding effectively to PIQ #1 requires answering yes to all these questions. Now, let’s continue looking at the UC prompts with UC PIQ #2.

UC Essay #2: Creativity 

The second of the eight available UC PIQ prompts focuses on creativity. Like the leadership question, you should interpret creativity broadly. Here is the second of the UC prompts:

UC Personal Insight Question #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..

You might read this question and think: “I’m not creative!” However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t choose it for one of your UC Personal Insight Questions. As the UC prompts state, every person is creative. We simply express our creativity differently. Creativity can include finding new routes to school in the morning to evade traffic. It might also look like discovering new ingredients and recipes for your school lunches. However you define or express your creativity is valid and could make a great topic for your UC PIQs.

When selecting a topic for your UC essay prompts, think about moments when you were particularly mentally energized. Reflect on what you were doing and how you approached that situation. Then consider whether you can tell an engaging story about that situation that demonstrates your creativity. 

Here are some tips for writing strong responses to UC essay prompts on creativity:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #2

1. think outside the box..

Creativity at its core is about tapping into your individual passions and interests. Allow yourself to think broadly about your own creativity and release any assumptions about what it means to be traditionally creative. Your UC essay prompts are a space for you to be yourself.

2. Pick a passion.

This prompt is designed to let you highlight personal passions. Maybe that passion is drawing or singing, or maybe it is solving math problems. Whatever you choose to describe, make sure it is a topic that matters deeply to you. 

3. Paint a picture.

Even if your chosen topic has nothing to do with art, use details that awaken the reader’s senses. Help us feel the joy behind your creative endeavor by giving us specific sensory details that excite you. Make your UC PIQs enjoyable and exciting to read.

Of all the UC essay prompts, this one is about creativity – so be creative and have fun writing! That will translate into an interesting response. If you’re feeling stuck, it might be helpful to review other UC PIQ examples. That way, you can get a sense of how different students respond to their UC essay prompts.

UC PIQ #2 Reflection Questions

As you finish drafting your UC Personal Insight Questions, use these questions to reflect upon your response:

• Does your topic reflect a unique way of thinking or creating?
• Does your response reflect your passion for a creative endeavor?
• Do you include sensory details that make your creativity come to life?

Whether you are working on a UC Irvine essay or a UC San Diego essay, ask yourself these questions. That way, you can feel confident you’ve done a comprehensive job responding to your UC prompts.

UC Essay Prompt #3: Talent

When choosing among the UC essay prompts, you might be drawn to one that allows you to talk about one of your strengths. This is your opportunity to brag about yourself, while also having self-awareness and reflecting upon your skills or talents. The third prompt on our list of the UC prompts is as follows:

UC Personal Insight Question #3

What would you say is your greatest talent or skill how have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time.

The key to answering this question well is to respond to all parts of the question. Start by reflecting on talents and skills that you have. A talent is anything you feel you can naturally do well, while a skill is something you’ve acquired over time. Both require work to hone. Sharing how you put work into your passions is important for any student including this talent prompt in their UC PIQs.

Again, keep an open mind as you reflect. We often associate talents and skills with huge accomplishments, like being a famous singer or an Olympic swimmer. In fact, talents can be seemingly small abilities, like memorizing difficult rap lyrics or putting together a stylish outfit. Skills can include everything from planning fun birthday parties to listening well to others. No talent or skill is too small to mention, so long as you provide engaging descriptions and meaningful reflections. (You might hear that caveat a lot when reviewing the UC prompts.)

Here are some tips for acing the third of the UC essay prompts:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #3

1. brag a little..

As we mentioned, these UC prompts are designed to learn more about you. If you don’t tell UC admissions officers about your accomplishments, they won’t know about them. The strongest UC essay examples share achievements that may not be evident elsewhere on an application.

2. Be honest and vulnerable.

Just because you have a skill doesn’t mean you are perfect. Feel free to share what you find challenging about this activity or how you have sought to improve. Several UC PIQ examples highlight where students have struggled or failed in learning a new skill. Whether writing a UC Davis or UC San Diego essay, this vulnerability will stand out.

3. Focus on growth.

A strong response to UC prompts always includes self-reflection. Find the balance between bragging and highlighting weaknesses by finding the lessons you learned from this experience. Maybe you have always had a knack for predicting the weather, but one day predicted wrong and ended up soaked by a downpour. Perhaps your lesson is to be humble and always find secondary evidence to back up your predictions. 

As with all UC essay prompts, try to pick a topic you enjoy writing about. That genuine interest will come across, whether you’re writing a UCLA essay or UC Berkeley essay.

UC PIQ #3 Reflection Questions

After capturing your talent for one of your four UC PIQs, consider these reflection questions:

• Did you highlight a talent or skill that is important to you?
• Did you find a balance between bragging and reflecting upon your growth?
• Did you describe your talent or skill with descriptions that make it come to life?

Check out other UC essay examples in this guide for ideas of how other students approached their UC prompts. But for now, let’s continue our exploration of the UC prompts.

UC PIQ #4: Educational opportunities and barriers

Uc personal insight question #4, describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced..

The fourth of the UC essay prompts is a unique question that asks you to share an educational opportunity or barrier. Other UC prompts thus far have asked you to focus on experiences you chose. However, this question opens the door to discuss an experience that happened to you. But remember, your PIQs should always focus on you. Just as you would for other UC essay prompts, you must make a point to highlight your own growth or learnings.

Indeed, the UC school system is very aware of educational inequities across the state and country. This question acknowledges that disparity, providing space for UC admissions officers to consider a student’s educational experience in their evaluation. Students working on their UC Berkeley essay or UCLA essay might be worried about their grades not being strong enough. Those students may wish to choose this prompt if their grades or course choices don’t reflect their best abilities. 

On the flip side, applicants can also use this PIQ to share further details about an opportunity they took advantage of. For example, maybe your UCLA application includes your summer research experiences but doesn’t offer space to elaborate on them. In that case, you may want to choose PIQ #4 as one of your four UC essay prompts.

When writing about education barriers or opportunities, you should be cautious about how you explain your experience. Here is some guidance about responding to this question as one of your UC PIQs effectively:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #4

1. choose a barrier or an opportunity that had significant impact on your academic career..

Your UC PIQs must highlight experiences which shaped you profoundly. Some UC PIQ examples highlight how students were accepted into programs that exposed them to a new career path. Other UC essay examples discuss how their school’s lack of classes for students with special needs prevented them from excelling. Use your UC essay prompts to your advantage by being strategic about which experiences to highlight. 

2. Remain an active participant in your story.

The goal of these UC prompts is to learn more about how you approach life. After describing the barrier or opportunity, share how it shaped you. What did you learn from the experience? What did you put into the experience to make sure you could succeed? A UC Davis essay passively complaining about a high school’s lack of advanced courses is unlikely to impress UC Admissions.

3. Focus on your growth and goals.

In many of the UC essay prompts, you have an opportunity to share your intentions for the future. Whether you grew up extremely privileged or lacking resources, UC Admissions wants to understand the quality of your character. Share how you have grown and what you hope to accomplish next.

No matter which UC prompts you select, give your full effort towards making sure they reflect your best qualities. 

UC PIQ #4 Reflection Questions

In contrast to other UC prompts, this response can be answered in two distinct ways. By focusing on an educational barrier or an educational opportunity. Regardless of which route you take, you’ll want to review your response to ensure it answers these reflection questions:

• Does your response highlight an opportunity or barrier that is academic in nature?
• Do you demonstrate how you played an active role in overcoming the barrier or making the most of the opportunity you chose?
• Does your response demonstrate how you grew or learned from your experience?  

As much as your UC essay prompts are about your experiences, they are ultimately about you. Make sure you demonstrate how you became who you are in your responses to the UC essay prompts.

Alright, we’re halfway through reviewing the UC essay prompts! If these first four UC prompts didn’t speak to you, there are four more you can choose from. Keep reading to learn about PIQ #5.

UC Essay Prompt #5: Significant Challenge

Next is the significant challenge prompt. Of the UC prompts, this UC PIQ is considered the challenge essay. This is a common topic – you’ve probably encountered similar prompts for supplemental essays on other applications. The prompt for #5 of the UC PIQS is as follows:

UC Personal Insight Question #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.

Like all the UC essay prompts, this requires some thought before diving in — what do successful UC essays cover here? Firstly, remember all of the UC PIQ prompts are very particular with their wording. Note “overcome” and “affected” in this UC PIQ. These are the “whats” of your essay.

The UC essay prompts ask for essays that reveal more about who you are as a person and a learner. Therefore, if you use this prompt for one of your UC PIQs, your challenge should be linked to your academics. That is to say, while not all successful UC essay examples for this prompt concern academic challenges, many do.

So, what topics are ideal for these UC essay prompts? Although you may have faced many academic challenges, the best UC Personal Insight Questions go above and beyond. Some UC PIQs discuss challenges that have little to do with academics but nevertheless have an effect. When brainstorming here, think about times that you struggled academically, and pinpoint the source. Common challenges are not off-limits, provided you tackle them with specificity and nuance in your UC PIQs.

Your responses to UC essay prompts should give your readers a better sense of who you are. Think of how many UC PIQs the UC Berkeley essay readers or UC Irvine essay review team see every year. The strongest UC PIQs will discuss a challenge and the writer’s reaction in a compelling way. Here are some tips to consider when answering #5 of the UC essay prompts:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #5

1. consider your personal narrative..

Once you’ve decided on your topic, consider the most unique or interesting aspect of your journey with your challenge. Answering UC essay prompts starts with determining how your topic relates to your personal narrative . Let your writing capture something about your personality while highlighting certain aspects of your background.

2. Focus on the journey.

It may be tempting to get caught up in the what and the why of the challenge. While these are important details to include in your essay, be sure to detail what you did to overcome this challenge. Effective responses to UC essay prompts about challenges illustrate the writer’s character through their response to adversity. 

3. Connect back to academics.

Even if your challenge was not directly related to academics, it should connect back to some aspect of your education. Emphasize ways in which you continued to apply yourself academically, despite or in spite of this challenge. Successful UC essay examples demonstrate academic tenacity—not necessarily unbroken success—throughout hardship. 

Remember, this prompt is about overcoming a challenge. Frame the challenge as something you surmounted when drafting your UC PIQs. 

UC PIQ #5 Reflection Questions

Here are some reflection questions to consider if you choose to write about #5 of the UC PIQ prompts:

• Does your essay clearly define the challenge you overcame?
• Does your approach to the challenge highlight your unique and compelling traits?
• Do you describe the effect of the challenge on your academic achievement?

Keep these questions in mind to keep your response focused and continually engaged with the prompt.

UC PIQ #6: Academic Interests

Next on our list of UC essay prompts is the academic interests essay. Among the UC prompts, this is one of the most straightforward:

UC Personal Insight Question #6

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom..

Some of the UC essay prompts give a lot of room for interpretation and exploration. However, academic interest UC PIQs are rather simple. These UC essays should discuss the writer’s academic passion and their track record engaging with it. As with other UC essay prompts, look closely at the wording. Your focus may be “inside and/or outside of the classroom.” Let’s say you’ve researched astronomy on your own but your school doesn’t offer an astronomy class. If it inspires you, that’s still a great topic for this essay prompt!

Your topic can be any academic subject that you’ve pursued in a tangible way. Of course, if you’ve undertaken research or other work in that field, that experience is an excellent start. However, you could also write about personal research projects, or maybe school organizations and events you’ve been a part of. Like the other UC essay prompts, this PIQ asks not just what you like, but how you pursue your interests.

UC prompts invite you to showcase what makes you unique, from your academic passions to your creative drive. Consider these tips when writing your own responses to the UC essay prompts:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #6

1. ground your essay in an anecdote..

Think about when you first engaged in this topic – what inspired you? How did you get involved? If it is directly aligned with your intended college major, when did you decide you wanted to continue your studies? Or make a career out of it? Grounding your essay in a specific moment can demonstrate your passion while bringing life to the person behind that passion.

2. Showcase your drive.

A strong UC PIQ essay for this prompt will be unambiguous in describing your interest and how you pursue it. But great UC essays will describe these in a way that leaves little doubt about your force of will. Learning, particularly at a college level, does not end in a classroom. A curious and driven student will take any chance to learn. Will a UC San Diego essay reader see you as a passionate, driven, inspired person? Strong responses to the UC prompts should leave the reader with no doubt that you will excel at a UC.

3. Tell a story.

Make sure there is movement in your essay. That means telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end, propelled forward through change and action. Is there a way your UC PIQ can demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for your topic through your actions? The best responses for UC essay prompts exhibit out-of-the-box thinking and a willingness to pursue—or make—opportunities.

When writing responses to the UC essay questions, reading UC essay examples may inspire you. If you’re unclear on ideal approaches for UC prompts, UC PIQ examples can steer you in the right direction. Since the UC PIQ prompts often overlap through UC application cycles, you may find guidance in past UC PIQs.

UC PIQ #6 Reflection Questions

Use these reflection questions to keep you on track during the writing process:

• Do you clearly identify your academic passion and ways you’ve pursued it?
• Do you highlight positive traits about yourself (persistence, creativity, curiosity, etc.) through your actions?
• Does your essay portray you as a flexible learner who goes beyond textbooks in pursuit of understanding?

This academic PIQ is one of the best opportunities you have to characterize yourself as a student and a learner.

UC Essay Prompt #7: Community

The next of the UC prompts asks a question common to college essays. Other UC essay prompts ask about you—your background and qualities, your leadership potential. In contrast to those UC Personal Insight Questions, this one asks about your contributions to a community. Here is the prompt:

UC Personal Insight Question #7

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place.

Like with the other UC Personal Insight Questions, the wording here matters. UC PIQ examples for community UC prompts, past and present, discuss a variety of communities, including school. Your community may be a religious or cultural community, or one centered on a particular identity. Your UC Davis essay or UC San Diego essay may even center around a hobby community, like a knitting circle.

In a similar vein, “a better place” is a key point here. Poorly thought-out UC PIQs may simply rehash a scenario where the writer exhibited leadership or initiated something. However, remember that responses to the UC prompts should address the prompt directly. Therefore, effective UC Personal Insight Questions will emphasize the positive impact the writers had on their community. Consider how your leadership or initiative improved the community and the experiences of its members and beyond.

Strong UC PIQ examples build on the personal narrative constructed elsewhere in the UC application. UC Personal Insight Questions should show the writer demonstrating core traits that they want UC admissions to know. Here are some tips to help you be clear about your contribution(s) to the community and your impact:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #7

1. identify your community..

When responding to UC essay prompts about community, the obvious first step is to identify the community and its significance. Touch on how you got involved and what this community means to you.

2. Measure your impact.

Answering these UC essay prompts can feel somewhat similar to completing your Common App extracurriculars section. That is to say, strong UC essays often use concrete figures and details when discussing impact. Would the UC Irvine essay review team have a clear picture of your impact from your essay? Can a UC Berkeley essay reader understand exactly what you’ve accomplished from your UC essays?

3. Be honest and realistic.

Be honest about your efforts and the difference you’ve made, however large or small. The connection between action and effect should be logical. A shared calendar for your gardening club may not save lives, but organizing mutual aid through a community organization might. Don’t oversell the impact your actions have had. Of course, your UC application (and college applications in general) should portray you as an ideal candidate—but not through exaggeration. 

Finally, take pride in your contribution. Certainly, leadership tends to make for strong UC PIQs. However, you can improve your community even without being in an official leadership role. Think deeply about your community participation and how you can best highlight your impact in your UC Personal Insight Questions.

UC PIQ #7 Reflection Questions

Use these questions during the editing process to ensure you submit as strong an essay as possible to UC Admissions:

• Do you clearly identify your community and your contribution—with statistics where applicable?
• Does your UC PIQ showcase positive personal traits in the way you improved your community?
• Do you portray yourself as a helpful member of your community?

Next, we’ll review the final UC PIQ prompt.

UC PIQ #8: Beyond Your Application

The last of the UC essay prompts gives applicants carte blanche to cover anything not mentioned in other UC PIQs. Let’s look at the final item on the list of UC prompts:

UC Personal Insight Question #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.

This is distinct from other UC essay prompts in that it is very open-ended. While it may seem easy to write this essay, it can be much more challenging than the other UC PIQs. Whatever topic you choose, your essay should ultimately strengthen your case for admission. Particularly if this is a UC Berkeley essay or UCLA essay, this UC PIQ should be highly individualized and impressive.

Think carefully about your topic and whether it could be used for other UC essay prompts. A chronic health condition may be better suited for the challenge essay. Efforts in activism might be a better answer to the leadership, creativity, or community UC Personal Insight Questions. Of the UC prompts, this may lend itself best to preparation through reading UC PIQ examples. Successful UC essay examples can help you figure out what kinds of experiences you may have that fit this prompt.

So you’ve chosen your topic and decided it doesn’t fit any other UC essay prompts as well as this one. How can you approach this essay? Here are some tips to help you get started:

Tips for approaching UC PIQ #8

1. focus on character..

Like with other UC prompts, there’s a question that you need to answer: why are you an outstanding candidate? Strong candidates are curious, self-driven students whose values align with those of the institution to which they are applying. Consider the qualities that make you prepared to take on challenging coursework and enrich the campus community. 

2. Fill in the gaps.

Consider how your personality and character show in your other three UC essay prompts answers. Is there another trait that a UC Davis essay reviewer would miss if they read your UC Personal Insight Questions? Maybe you mentioned a non-academic interest that you could expand on to add depth to your UC Irvine or UCLA application. Either way, this UC PIQ should add additional, essential context that wouldn’t suit the other UC prompts.

3. Save it for last.

It may be best to finish the other UC Personal Insight Questions before this one. In doing so, you can review your responses to other UC prompts to see what’s missing from your application. And, you can be sure your response connects back and complements your other essays.

If, while writing, you find that your topic fits the other UC essay prompts better, roll with it! Unlike UC prompts 1 through 7, not everyone will have something to say for this prompt. Since you can choose four of the eight UC Personal Insight Questions, you’ll have ample opportunity to reflect elsewhere.

UC PIQ #8 Reflection Questions

Keep these questions in mind throughout the writing process, from choosing a topic to revising your drafts:

• Is your essay topic best suited to this topic out of the eight UC essay prompts?
• Does your essay introduce new information or context that bolsters the strength of your application?
• Does your essay build on the narrative you’ve built in your other UC Personal Insight Questions?

Now, we’ve covered all eight of the UC essay prompts. Next, let’s discuss how to choose the right UC prompts for you.

Choosing the Right UC PIQs for You

Of the eight UC essay prompts, you can only write four UC essays. So which ones should you pick? The first step to choosing your UC prompts is to read them thoroughly and see which ones stand out. Trust your gut and start brainstorming —you may even end up making ideas for all eight UC essay prompts. There are tons of writing exercises you can use when searching for essay topics, and you may need to try several.

Once you’ve thought of essay topics, figure out which ones are most viable. Which ideas could spark great UC PIQ examples, written with genuine enthusiasm and clarity? If you can’t avoid a somewhat cliche topic, can you write about it in a compelling way? What insights can you find in your experiences that nobody else would—and how do you show them? Choose the UC prompts that excite you and enable you to showcase the traits that make you a strong candidate. 

Every strong UC San Diego essay or UC Davis essay will be personally inspiring and aspirational. It may take a few brainstorming sessions for you to figure out which UC essay prompts inspire your best writing. Be flexible when planning your essays: ideas for one of the UC PIQ prompts may end up fitting other UC prompts. In those cases, be willing to change your chosen UC essay prompts to get the best fit for your ideas.

How to Make Your UC Essays Stand Out

Once you’ve chosen your UC essay prompts and drafted your UC essays, there’s still work to be done. Between writing a first draft and submitting an Irvine or UCLA application, you must revise your essays. Above, we gave you reflection questions for each of the UC prompts. Now, here are a few questions you should ask yourself about your responses to UC essay prompts as a whole.

Do your UC PIQs paint a vivid picture of who you are and what you’ll bring to the campus community?

At heart, the UC essay prompts ask you to explain who you are and how you navigate the world. Remember, every aspect of your application is evaluated holistically, whether it’s a UCLA application or a UC Davis application. And, since UC Apply doesn’t use standardized test scores for admission decisions, your essays must help make your case. Your UC Personal Insight Questions should explore key parts of your experience in an interesting, authentic fashion. After reviewing your PIQs, a reader should have no doubt that you’re a great fit for your UCs of choice.

Have you gotten feedback from a trusted peer or mentor about how well your essays describe you?

Getting a fresh pair of eyes on a UC PIQ is an often-underrated style of editing. After you’ve reviewed them on your own, ask someone you trust to review your responses to the UC essay prompts. They may have suggestions on ways to help your voice shine through. Or even notes on if you’ve misrepresented yourself in your writing. Before putting anything in UC Apply, try to have another person read your UC PIQs.

Are there any technical errors in your UC PIQs?

This is pretty obvious, but the last thing you want in your essays is a spelling or grammar mistake. This is another reason a second opinion can be helpful! Ensuring your essays are error-free is an easy way to help polish your UC Personal Insight Questions.

UC Application Deadlines

After all that effort you’ve put into your UC Personal Insight Questions, don’t let a missed deadline ruin your chances. Since all UC schools from UCLA to UC Davis use the UC Apply portal , they have the same deadline: November 30 . Note that UC Apply does not have early decision or early action application options .

Contrary to the Common Application, which can be submitted as early as September, UC Apply opens its filing period in October. Of course, just because you can’t submit your UC application before October 1 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start early. Your UCSD or UCLA essay writing should start well before the deadline. That way, you can ensure you have time to plan, draft, revise, and make your application stand out . Especially in light of the competitiveness of top schools like Berkeley and UCLA , you don’t want to rush the process.

Another benefit of starting early is that you get plenty of time to research the UC Personal Insight Questions. You’ll have time to read the UC prompts, find UC PIQ examples, and learn what UC admissions officers look for. If you browse UC sites, you may even find additional tips for writing your UC Personal Insight Questions.

More Essay UC Resources from CollegeAdvisor

CollegeAdvisor has a lot of experience helping students through the UC admissions process. To help more students, we’ve put our wisdom into free resources. Our online resources are open to all, providing helpful advice from current and former students, as well as admissions officers.

We have an array of broad-scope “how to get into” guides for the UCs and beyond. Our UCLA guide covers everything from the ideal GPA to UCLA essay strategies. Other UC schools we’ve covered include UC Irvine , UC Berkeley , and UC Santa Barbara . If you’re interested in other UCs, search our website for other schools on your list!

Maybe you’re still focused on the UC essay prompts. In that case, we have other UC essay guides that may be helpful to your writing process. Since the UC prompts haven’t changed significantly in the past few years, a winning UC Irvine essay approach from 2020 still holds up. We have 2021-2022 UC essay examples to inspire you as you write your own. Another excellent resource is our article on common college essay questions , which covers challenge essays and unique essays.

As some of the best schools in California, the UC schools can be challenging to get into without excellent essays. But, with in-depth, free resources from CollegeAdvisor.com, you’ll be better equipped to craft knockout UC PIQs.

UC Essay Prompts 2023-2024 – Final Thoughts

With schools from UC Berkeley to UC Santa Barbara , the UC system serves thousands of students from across the world. Applying to the best UC schools can seem daunting, especially given the eight different UC essay prompts. Even if you have impressive extracurriculars, a high GPA, and California residency, UC essays can tip your admissions odds.

In this article, we took a deep dive into the UC essay prompts, also called the UC Personal Insight Questions. We discussed each of the UC PIQ prompts and what sorts of topics may be best suited for each. Then, we went into more detail about approaching each essay, from exploring ideas to putting them together. Additionally, we provided some advice on reflecting on your experiences and choosing your four UC essay prompts. Finally, we left you with a hearty helping of UC essay examples and guides.

Your UC Essay matter

Whether you’re applying to UC Santa Cruz or ticking off boxes from UCLA to UCSD, you need strong UC essays. We hope this article has given you a steady foundation from which to start your essay writing journey. With the tips and tricks we provided, you’re better prepared to write essays to wow UC Admissions.

Still looking for more support? CollegeAdvisor.com specializes in personalized, one-on-one college advising, even before senior year. If you’re looking for individual guidance for your UC essays, reach out for a consultation with our admissions experts.

This essay guide was written by Gina Goosby and senior advisor, Courtney Ng . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Home / Students / Graduate & Professional Schools / Application Process

• Application Process

THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

Statements of Purpose/Personal Statements

• Graduate Admissions Exams
• Letters of Recommendation
• UCSC Graduate Reference Letter Service
• Additional Career Center Resources

Clustering:  Apply in clusters. Apply to programs where the average GRE score for the most recent entering class is lower than yours. Apply to programs where the average score is on par with yours. Apply to programs where the average score is above yours. Don't rule yourself out of a program you really want--you don't know how the admissions committee will weigh the different components of your application.

Most graduate/professional schools will have specific questions they wish you to address. Be sure to respond directly to those questions. Commonly asked questions include:

• What are your immediate and long-term career goals?
• What experiences, demonstrated skills and accomplishments have made you decide on and prepare you for this program?
• How will this graduate/professional school and the specific program assist you in reaching your goals?  (you may mention specific faculty, research, program emphases, courses, etc.)

Allow sufficient time to write the essay and have revisions of it reviewed by many people. Customize each essay to each program if possible. Follow the "show, don't tell" rule -- describe experiences you've had that demonstrate your abilities instead of just naming them. Don't include your entire life story, unless specifically requested to do so. Don't make your essay any longer than it absolutely needs to be.

For a complete handout about personal statement click here

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Graduate Admissions Exams  (GRE'S, GMAT's, LSAT'S, etc.)

Yes, they ARE very important! Test scores are often a key factor when a program is doing its initial screening. You want your scores to be good enough that the committee considers looking at the rest of your application. 

TAKE NO RISKS!  Take a practice test, study extensively, or take a prep course! For GRE and with the  ScoreSelect ® you will have the option to select the ScoreSelect  Most Recent  option or ScoreSelect  All  option for up to four institutions for free. You also can choose not to send any scores at that time. You can decide which test scores to send to the institutions you designate, so you can send the scores you feel show your personal best, giving you more confidence on test day

While most programs require the General GRE Test, some programs also will require the Subject Test in the discipline. It is recommended that the tests be taken on separate days. Few students can complete six hours of intensive examination and score well. While the general GRE is a computerized test offered all year long, the subject tests are paper-based and are held in April, November and December. Although your GRE scores are held for five years, some programs will only accept scores completed within the past three years. 

Unlike the SAT's, programs will see the scores of any LSAT or MCAT test you've taken within the last 5 years. Don't comfort yourself by thinking that if you score low the first time, you can take it again. Although you can take it again, it may very well work against you as the schools will know your first score. Treat these exams as though you only have one opportunity for testing. 

There are varying opinions on when you should take exams. Some students do better on exams if they take them right before or after graduation when course material is fresh (this is especially true for medical programs). However, other students perform better when they've had some time away from school and have a clear objective for attending a graduate or professional program. Take the test when you will be best prepared!

The following organizations offer prep courses:

Cabrillo College (on-line classes;  http://www.ed2go.com/cabrillo )  Kaplan: 1 800 KAP-TEST  Princeton Review: 1 800-2REVIEW Testing for the Public 1-888-3-TESTING

Letters of Recommendation Most graduate/professional programs require three letters of recommendation. The following are commonly asked questions regarding letters of reference. 

1. Who should write my letters?

You should have letters from people who can comment on your experience and abilities relevant to graduate study in your chosen field and relevant to the professional work you will ultimately be doing. Generally, it is best to have some letters from professors in your academic major. Professional schools often look for letters from employers as well as from instructors. As Ph.D. programs focus a great deal on research and teaching, they put special emphasis on letters from professors who can attest to the applicant's scholarly potential. The strongest letters of reference grow out of an established relationship. Start early! Visit your professors and make sure that you take some small classes or individual study. 

2. What materials should I give my letter writers to help them write a well-informed recommendation?

The materials you give your letter writers should help them write letters that are personalized as well as customized to the field and programs you have chosen.  Include a copy of your statement of purpose (give them a rough draft if that's all you have), a copy of relevant class and employer evaluations, papers you have written for them (with their comments), your resume, and any other product or description of relevant accomplishments. Even provide a brief outline of what points you would like the letter to include. 

You can request that letter writers address certain skills or achievements about which they have first-hand knowledge and/or use letters of recommendation to compensate for a weaker part of your application. For instance, let's say you tend to do very poorly on standardized tests so you've received a low verbal score on the GRE's. You have an instructor, however, who has consistently praised your verbal abilities. Make sure you specifically request that they address this in their letter. Yes, they can even acknowledge your trouble with standardized tests. It is wise to put any request like this in writing so the letter writer won't forget. Note that you can't benefit from this if you didn't take the GRE's early enough to have the results already!

3. Is it better to have a high prestige/status instructor write the letter even if they don't know me as well, or is it better to have a lower-ranked instructor write it if they know my abilities better?

Remember, these letters should be as personalized as possible. A letter that begins, "I don’t know this student very well…" will not help in admittance to a graduate program. It is better to have a strong, personalized letter from a junior faculty member than a mediocre letter from a senior person who really doesn't know you. Some prestigious graduate programs will not accept letters from TA’s. Make an effort to meet faculty. If a TA knows you well, ask them if they would write comments that can be included in the professor's letter. 

4. Is it better for me to waive my legal right to see the letters of reference that are written about me? 

There are varying opinions on this issue. You should discuss your decision with your letter writers. While some people who serve on graduate admissions committees prefer waived letters, feeling they have more credibility, others give equal credibility to all letters. Some go further and are offended by the pressure put on students to waive a legal right. Remember that even members of the same admissions committee may not have the same perspective on this. In addition, members of admissions committees often change year to year so you will be unlikely to know who is on your admissions committee much less the perspective of each member. 

Your decision, then, needs to be based on something else. Pay attention to your own values and concerns. How do you feel about waiving this legal right? 

In summary, there are advantages to waiving your legal right to review your letters and there are different advantages to maintaining that right.

Due to a change in California law, admission committees will be informed whether you waived your right to read the letter. If you waived your right, you may not read or receive a copy of the letter, nor can the GRLS coordinator inform you of the contents.

5. If a letter mentions a weakness of mine, will the letter work against me? 

Particularly if you waive your right to review the letter, ask the letter writer if s/he can write you a positive letter. If an overall glowing letter mentions one or two areas for improvement, the letter may be taken even more seriously than one that makes you sound perfect. The admissions committee is being assured that your letter writer sees you realistically and is willing to be honest. However, if the overall tone of the letter is not positive, this WILL likely count against you. If you want to see a letter because you are concerned that it may not be positive, consider asking someone else to write the reference letter! 

6. If I don't apply to graduate school my senior year but I'm planning to later, when should I get my letters of reference?

There is a lot of debate about this question, too. There are advantages to getting the letters in order before you leave school, but there are different advantages to waiting. Many students worry that their instructors will not remember them. It has been argued, however, that reference letters are professional not personal in nature, and that instructors do not need to remember you to write them. All the materials that you give the instructor (see question #2) should be enough to remind them of your merits as a student and the professional qualities you possess.

If you do not waive your right to see the letter, you may ask a letter writer if they will write a letter now and then refine it later if you copy it on a disk and give it to them when you know more specifically to which programs you will apply.

The  Graduate Reference Letter Service (GRLS)  at UCSC does disclose information to schools on whether or not a student has waived their legal right to review letters. Please keep this in mind when you choose a confidential or non-confidential letter.

Thank professors who write you letters of recommendation. Write a warm, sincere thank you letter to each professor who has taken the time to write a letter for you.

Only a few programs require interviews, although this varies by field. Doctoral programs in the sciences tend to interview prospective candidates. Prepare for interviews by researching the school and being clear about your goals. Be prepared to ask well-informed questions whose answers could not be easily found elsewhere. 

You can obtain handouts with tips for graduate school interviews at the Career Center from the Career Librarian or one of the Career Advisors. 

Even if schools say they will send postcards to let you know what pieces of your application are missing, it is still your responsibility to make sure all your materials have arrived. Take charge! Check early enough that if something is missing, you have time to get it in by the deadline!

Additional Career Center Resources:

Graduate School Workshops (scheduled every quarter)  The Annual Graduate School Fair in October  Career Advice Network (CAN)  Numerous Career Resource Library Books and Other Materials related to Graduate School Graduate School Test Bulletins (GRE, GMAT, LSAT)

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Last modified: March 31, 2024 128.114.113.87

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Home / Graduate / Prospective Student Information / Creative/Critical Writing Concentration

• Creative/Critical Writing Concentration

Prospective Student Information

UC Santa Cruz offers a concentration in Creative/Critical Writing for Literature Ph.D. students. This is an individualized course of study in which students can write a creative dissertation with a critical introduction or a cross-genre creative/critical project. Students have completed speculative novels, collections of poems and personal essays, experimental memoirs, biographies, cross-genre work, and translations of works of poetry and prose. Descriptions of previous qualifying exam and dissertation topics can be found with student bios here .  

Creative/Critical Writing Concentration Overview (please refer to the Literature Ph.D. Program overview for more information) Entering students complete all the requirements for the Literature Ph.D. with the addition of a creative/critical enhancement to their degree in the form of original creative work, with a critical introduction, and, if desired, work in poetics, translation, form and/or critical writing from the perspective of writerly practices.

Admissions For applicants to the Creative/Critical Writing concentration, the department requests the following additional materials: 20-25 pages of prose (at least one complete piece and an additional sample preferred), or 10-12 pages of poetry. The writing can be poetry, prose fiction, creative non-fiction or hybrid/cross-genre.

Requirements The general requirements for all Ph.D. students apply to the Creative/Critical Writing concentration:

• The Proseminar , Literature 200, to be taken in Fall Quarter of the first year;
• A one-quarter Pedagogy of Teaching/Teaching Assistant Training, Literature 201, to be taken prior to or in conjunction with the first Teaching Assistant appointment;
• One course must focus on pre-modern literature and culture. This course may, but need not, be in the student’s area of concentration; it may also be used to satisfy one of the non-English-language course requirements.
• A minimum of two courses must be in a non-English language literature.
• Four courses must be Creative/Critical concentration-designated courses (Graduate Creative Writing Workshops and Methods and Materials); 
• One two-credit advising course, Literature 291F, per quarter;
• Three quarters of supervised teaching experience; Creative/Critical Writing concentration only: Of the three quarters of supervised teaching experience required, at least two will be in the undergraduate creative writing concentration;
• The Literature Department’s intensive three-week Graduate Summer Language Program or equivalent;
• A qualifying exam portfolio (includes an oral component);
• A prospectus outlining and defining the dissertation project;
• A dissertation (written in conjunction with Literature 299, Thesis Research).

Qualifying Examination and Dissertation At least one member of the QE committee, normally the chair, must be from among the participating core faculty in Creative Writing, and at least one departmental member of the committee will not be one of these.  Students in the concentration will meet the requirements of the (revised) Ph.D. program Qualifying Examination, with the choice to substitute original creative work for the Qualifying essay requirement. This work may also be, if the student chooses, a hybrid creative/critical work.

Ph.D. candidates in the Creative/Critical concentration may choose one of two options for the dissertation:

• A book-length original creative project—novel, novella, collection of poems, collection of stories, creative nonfiction, or a hybrid/experimental form (including but not limited to digital/new media, performance/performativity/screenplay, the lyric essay) with a critical chapter or chapters totaling at least 75 pages exploring the historical, methodological, and/or theoretical foundations of the creative work;
• A dissertation on theory, form, poetics or literary history; a translation of a creative work with a 30-50-page, substantive, critical introduction; a critical edition.

Faculty The following faculty are participating Creative Writing faculty mentors: Christopher Chen Micah Perks Jennifer Tseng Rob Wilson Ronaldo Wilson

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Last modified: January 17, 2022 128.114.113.87

Watch CBS News

UC student workers expand strike to two more campuses, demanding amnesty for protestors

May 28, 2024 / 2:16 PM PDT / AP

Nearly a third of the academic and graduate student workers of the University of California are on strike after the union of 48,000 employees escalated its labor standoff by walking off the job at UCLA and UC Davis Tuesday morning. 

With as many as 2,000 UC Santa Cruz graduate students and academic workers picketing since last Monday, Tuesday's action brings 12,000 more out of classrooms and laboratories, potentially crippling the university's mission of educating the roughly 80,000 undergraduates at the three campuses just two weeks before students begin to take their end-of-quarter finals. 

Workers, including teaching assistants, academic researchers and graders, are striking not over pay and benefits but instead over the UC's response to pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested by police or suspended from their campuses. Some union members were arrested or suspended for their role in the protests. Core to the union's demands is that the UC offer "amnesty for those who experienced arrest or are facing University discipline," the union's public writings state. 

Some 60 academic workers began picketing at Royce Quad at UCLA by 9 a.m., where just weeks ago students at a large pro-Palestinian encampment were attacked by counter-protesters . "UC, UC you're no good, treat your workers like you should," the picketing academic workers chanted, their ranks gradually growing as more striking workers arrived under a gray sky. "When free speech is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back," went another chant, the rhythmic pulses of a snare drum accompanying the picketers, who grew to more than 200 by 10:30 a.m. 

UCLA's vice chancellor for strategic communications, Mary Osako, was critical of the strike.

"Our talented students are getting ready for finals, and UCLA's focus is doing whatever we can to support them," she said. "They're paying tuition and fees to learn, and we're dismayed by deliberate outside disruptions that get in the way of that."

UC's Office of the President calls the strike illegal , saying that its contract with the union — itself the result of a six-week long strike in late 2022 — includes a no-strike provision. The union, UAW 4811, vehemently disagrees with that analysis, citing legal precedent that a union can strike over unfair labor practices that fall outside the scope of a union contract. It's a view shared by at least one UCLA law professor . Both sides have leaned heavily on the state's Public Employment Relations Board to adjudicate their disputes.

Two days after police swept the encampments at UCLA and arrested scores of protesters , the union filed an unfair labor practice violation with the labor relations board. The union then filed similar violations after police cleared encampments at UC San Diego and UC Irvine that also led to arrests of protesters — and another alleging that the UC changed its disciplinary rules unilaterally to punish academic workers.

"By summoning the police to forcibly arrest and/or issuing interim suspensions to these employees, the University has violated their employee rights," the union wrote in one of its submissions to the labor relations board. The union says its workers were not only rallying against the war in Gaza but also seeking ways to remove academic research funding sources tied to the U.S. military . Workers also oppose "the discrimination and hostile work environment directed towards Palestinian, Muslim, and pro-Palestine Jewish employees and students." 

Unlike a systemwide strike, this "stand up" strike will pursue labor stoppages at certain campuses, a strategy employed by Detroit autoworkers in their successful campaign for higher compensation last year . The approach is meant to apply gradual pressure to management. Union leaders have maintained that if UC management wants to stop the spread of the strike, it should come to the table with the union to remedy the unfair labor practice charges. While the strike is technically distinct from the larger protest movement against the war, the two movements are related. 

Last Thursday, several hundred UCLA members of the UAW 4811 held a rally in support of their impending strike. Moments later, they joined a student-led protest demanding that the UC call for a ceasefire and divest from weapons manufacturers and the Israeli economy. That same day, protesters erected a short-lived encampment and temporarily took over a campus building before being pushed out by police . It was a clear sign that, despite hundreds of arrests in May, thousands of students, union members and some faculty remain passionate about their pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Almost 20,000 of the union's 48,000 represented workers voted on whether to strike two weeks ago, and nearly 80% of those who did vote approved the strike authorization. Only union members can vote.

The UC sought an injunction to legally halt the strike, but the labor relations board wrote last week that UC hadn't established that an injunction is "just and proper." The union hailed the ruling. However, the board wrote that it's leaving UC's request open in the event the university provides better evidence.

In a partial victory for the university, the board issued a complaint that the union "failed to provide adequate advance notice of its work stoppage, and failed and refused to meet and confer in good faith." The UC press office, in announcing the board's response, wrote that the labor board "found enough evidence to suggest that a violation may have occurred, and further examination is warranted."

The union argues in its latest unfair labor practice violation that the UC unilaterally implemented a disciplinary policy that affects UAW 4811 workers. The union seeks an order telling the UC to "cease and desist from unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of employment related to discipline."

A spokesperson for the UC Office of the President disputes that characterization, writing that these policies aren't new and reaffirm existing rules. The spokesperson, Heather Hansen, sought to invalidate the central thrust of the union's demands, writing to CalMatters last week: "By requesting amnesty, UAW is asking the University not to follow its processes but rather to make an exception for its members so that they are not subject to the same accountability measures applicable to all other members of the UC community."

Not all unionized workers have jobs with labor to withhold. Some are paid with fellowships to advance their own research. But most perform a job duty that's integral to the academic mission of the university. Systemwide, about 20,000 workers are graduate student teaching assistants, tutors or other instructional assistants. Graduate students teach classes, especially introductory courses, run discussion sections and grade student work.

Last week, about 60% to 70% of UC Santa Cruz workers who could withhold their labor did, estimated Rebecca Gross, the unit chair of the union at the campus. On the social media platform Reddit, individuals identifying themselves as UCLA students wrote that some of their discussion sessions are being canceled and that some of their courses are moving online. It "is tragic for me bc (sic) I learn 80% of the material from discussion and problem solving sessions," wrote one poster. Who'll pick up the work that the striking workers won't do is an open question. 

The governing body of UCLA faculty sent a message to professors that "faculty members cannot be required to take on additional responsibilities for teaching related to a work stoppage." Brandon Cruz, a fourth-year undergraduate student who's changing his major to sociology, said that a teacher's assistant who was supposed to lead a political communications class today didn't, but still told students she'd help them with their projects that are due today. "She's supporting the strike," he said, "but she's also supporting her students because she feels like it's unfair for her to drop us at the last two weeks of the quarter." 

Another undergraduate, Nico Diamond, said that one of her teaching assistants plans to continue teaching an environmental economics class. He told the class that's because he's an international student and worries he'd risk losing his visa for withholding labor during a strike that university officials view as unlawful. "I'm never annoyed by the strikes," Diamond said, who sat writing an essay at a campus picnic bench in earshot of the picketers. "The strikers are not getting in people's faces. Noise is noise, it's L.A., it's nothing new." 

But the security build-up since protesters first established the campus encampment, that's been a source of fatigue, she said. "I put the blame on the administration for calling for more security."

Most protesters, including UAW 4811 members, who were arrested were cited for failing to follow police orders to disperse. At UCLA, administrators sent a notice to students and protesters on April 30, a day before police cleared the encampment, that "the established encampment is unlawful and violates university policy" and asked the participants to leave the area or face sanctions. The notice also said that "law enforcement is prepared to arrest individuals, in accordance with applicable law."

 The notice added that "for students, those sanctions could include disciplinary measures such as interim suspension that, after proper due process through the student conduct process, could lead to dismissal." Members of the encampment replied the same day, writing in part "We will continue to remain here steadfast in our demands."

That night, counter-protesters attacked those in the encampment with pepper spray, wooden sticks and at least one firework as police stood by for hours and made no arrests. Local and national news outlets brought around-the-clock coverage to the violence.

The next afternoon, police ordered members of the encampment to disperse. Hours after those orders, police arrested more than 200 people. "In contrast to the lack of police response to the violent attack by anti-Palestine counterprotesters on April 30, 2024, the University summoned a massive number of police officers on the evening of May 1, 2024 for the purpose of ejecting and arresting the employees engaged in peaceful protest in the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment," union lawyers wrote in one of the unfair labor practice violations submitted to the state labor relations board . 

Kai Shi, a mathematics doctoral student at UCLA, pushed back on the reason to call the police in the first place. "Just because the police say it's unlawful doesn't mean that they're right," he said. "The unlawful assembly is an excuse by the university to shut us down," Shi argued. UC San Diego issued at least 40 suspensions in the middle of May related to the pro-Palestinian protests, the union wrote in one of its unfair labor practice violations. "Such extreme disciplinary measures in response to peaceful protest activity suppress free expression of ideas and violate the First Amendment," it read . "We are standing up for justice in the workplace, in a way that directly affects not just us, but our students," said Anny Viloria Winnett, the unit chair of the local UCLA union chapter. She said the union is taking on a "fight for our ability to be safe on campus, our ability to have free speech and protest on our campus, but it's also a fight that our students led … and we're just a continuation of that."

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UC student workers expand strike to two more campuses as they demand amnesty for protestors

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nearly a third of the academic and graduate student workers of the University of California are on strike, after the union of 48,000 employees escalated its labor standoff by walking off the job at UCLA and UC Davis this morning. With as many as 2,000 UC Santa Cruz graduate students and academic workers picketing since last Monday, today’s job action brings 12,000 more out of classrooms and laboratories, potentially crippling the university’s mission of educating the roughly 80,000 undergraduates at the three campuses just two weeks before students begin to take their end-of-quarter finals. Workers, including teaching assistants, academic researchers and graders, are striking not over pay and benefits but instead over the UC’s response to pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested by police or suspended from their campuses. Some union members were arrested or suspended for their role in the protests. Core to the union’s demands is that the UC offer “amnesty for those who experienced arrest or are facing University discipline,” the union’s public writings state. Some 60 academic workers began picketing at Royce Quad at UCLA by 9 a.m., where just weeks ago students at a large pro-Palestinian encampment were attacked by counter-protesters. “UC, UC you’re no good, treat your workers like you should,” the picketing academic workers chanted, their ranks gradually growing as more striking workers arrived under a gray sky. “When free speech is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back,” went another chant, the rhythmic pulses of a snare drum accompanying the picketers, who grew to more than 200 by 10:30 a.m. UCLA’s vice chancellor for strategic communications, Mary Osako, is critical of the strike.“Our talented students are getting ready for finals, and UCLA’s focus is doing whatever we can to support them. They’re paying tuition and fees to learn, and we’re dismayed by deliberate outside disruptions that get in the way of that.”

UC’s Office of the President calls the strike illegal , saying that its contract with the union — itself the result of a six-week long strike in late 2022 — includes a no-strike provision. The union, UAW 4811, vehemently disagrees with that analysis, citing legal precedent that a union can strike over unfair labor practices that fall outside the scope of a union contract. It’s a view shared by at least one UCLA law professor . Both sides have leaned heavily on the state’s Public Employment Relations Board to adjudicate their disputes.

Two days after police swept the encampments at UCLA and arrested scores of protesters , the union filed an unfair labor practice violation with the labor relations board. The union then filed similar violations after police cleared encampments at UC San Diego and UC Irvine that also led to arrests of protesters — and another alleging that the UC changed its disciplinary rules unilaterally to punish academic workers.

“By summoning the police to forcibly arrest and/or issuing interim suspensions to these employees, the University has violated their employee rights,“ the union wrote in one of its submissions to the labor relations board. The union says its workers were not only rallying against the war in Gaza but also seeking ways to remove academic research funding sources tied to the U.S. military . Workers also oppose “the discrimination and hostile work environment directed towards Palestinian, Muslim, and pro-Palestine Jewish employees and students.” Unlike a systemwide strike, this “stand up” strike will pursue labor stoppages at certain campuses, a strategy employed by Detroit autoworkers in their successful campaign for higher compensation last year . The approach is meant to apply gradual pressure to management. Union leaders have maintained that if UC management wants to stop the spread of the strike, it should come to the table with the union to remedy the unfair labor practice charges. While the strike is technically distinct from the larger protest movement against the war, the two movements are related. Last Thursday, several hundred UCLA members of the UAW 4811 held a rally in support of their impending strike. Moments later, they joined a student-led protest demanding that the UC call for a ceasefire and divest from weapons manufacturers and the Israeli economy. That same day, protesters erected a short-lived encampment and temporarily took over a campus building before being pushed out by police . It was a clear sign that, despite hundreds of arrests in May, thousands of students, union members and some faculty remain passionate about their pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Almost 20,000 of the union’s 48,000 represented workers voted on whether to strike two weeks ago, and nearly 80% of those who did vote approved the strike authorization. Only union members can vote.

The UC sought an injunction to legally halt the strike, but the labor relations board wrote last week that UC hadn’t established that an injunction is “just and proper.” The union hailed the ruling. However, the board wrote that it’s leaving UC’s request open in the event the university provides better evidence.

In a partial victory for the university, the board issued a complaint that the union “failed to provide adequate advance notice of its work stoppage, and failed and refused to meet and confer in good faith.” The UC press office, in announcing the board’s response, wrote that the labor board “found enough evidence to suggest that a violation may have occurred, and further examination is warranted.”

The union argues in its latest unfair labor practice violation that the UC unilaterally implemented a disciplinary policy that affects UAW 4811 workers. The union seeks an order telling the UC to “cease and desist from unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of employment related to discipline.”

A spokesperson for the UC Office of the President disputes that characterization, writing that these policies aren’t new and reaffirm existing rules. The spokesperson, Heather Hansen, sought to invalidate the central thrust of the union’s demands, writing to CalMatters last week: “By requesting amnesty, UAW is asking the University not to follow its processes but rather to make an exception for its members so that they are not subject to the same accountability measures applicable to all other members of the UC community.”

Not all unionized workers have jobs with labor to withhold. Some are paid with fellowships to advance their own research. But most perform a job duty that’s integral to the academic mission of the university. Systemwide, about 20,000 workers are graduate student teaching assistants, tutors or other instructional assistants. Graduate students teach classes, especially introductory courses, run discussion sections and grade student work.

Last week, about 60% to 70% of UC Santa Cruz workers who could withhold their labor did, estimated Rebecca Gross, the unit chair of the union at the campus. On the social media platform Reddit, individuals identifying themselves as UCLA students wrote that some of their discussion sessions are being canceled and that some of their courses are moving online. It “is tragic for me bc (sic) I learn 80% of the material from discussion and problem solving sessions,” wrote one poster. Who’ll pick up the work that the striking workers won’t do is an open question. The governing body of UCLA faculty sent a message to professors that “faculty members cannot be required to take on additional responsibilities for teaching related to a work stoppage.” Brandon Cruz, a fourth-year undergraduate student who’s changing his major to sociology, said that a teacher’s assistant who was supposed to lead a political communications class today didn’t, but still told students she’d help them with their projects that are due today. “She’s supporting the strike,” he said, “but she’s also supporting her students because she feels like it’s unfair for her to drop us at the last two weeks of the quarter.” Another undergraduate, Nico Diamond, said that one of her teaching assistants plans to continue teaching an environmental economics class. He told the class that’s because he’s an international student and worries he’d risk losing his visa for withholding labor during a strike that university officials view as unlawful. “I’m never annoyed by the strikes,” Diamond said, who sat writing an essay at a campus picnic bench in earshot of the picketers. “The strikers are not getting in people’s faces. Noise is noise, it’s L.A., it’s nothing new.” But the security build-up since protesters first established the campus encampment, that’s been a source of fatigue, she said. “I put the blame on the administration for calling for more security.”

Most protesters, including UAW 4811 members, who were arrested were cited for failing to follow police orders to disperse . At UCLA, administrators sent a notice to students and protesters on April 30, a day before police cleared the encampment, that “the established encampment is unlawful and violates university policy” and asked the participants to leave the area or face sanctions. The notice also said that “law enforcement is prepared to arrest individuals, in accordance with applicable law.” The notice added that “for students, those sanctions could include disciplinary measures such as interim suspension that, after proper due process through the student conduct process, could lead to dismissal.” Members of the encampment replied the same day, writing in part “We will continue to remain here steadfast in our demands.”

That night, counter-protesters attacked those in the encampment with pepper spray, wooden sticks and at least one firework as police stood by for hours and made no arrests. Local and national news outlets brought around-the-clock coverage to the violence.

The next afternoon, police ordered members of the encampment to disperse. Hours after those orders, police arrested more than 200 people. “In contrast to the lack of police response to the violent attack by anti-Palestine counterprotesters on April 30, 2024, the University summoned a massive number of police officers on the evening of May 1, 2024 for the purpose of ejecting and arresting the employees engaged in peaceful protest in the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment,” union lawyers wrote in one of the unfair labor practice violations submitted to the state labor relations board . Kai Shi, a mathematics doctoral student at UCLA, pushed back on the reason to call the police in the first place. “Just because the police say it’s unlawful doesn’t mean that they’re right,” he said. “The unlawful assembly is an excuse by the university to shut us down,” Shi argued. UC San Diego issued at least 40 suspensions in the middle of May related to the pro-Palestinian protests, the union wrote in one of its unfair labor practice violations. “Such extreme disciplinary measures in response to peaceful protest activity suppress free expression of ideas and violate the First Amendment,” it read . “We are standing up for justice in the workplace, in a way that directly affects not just us, but our students,” said Anny Viloria Winnett, the unit chair of the local UCLA union chapter. She said the union is taking on a “fight for our ability to be safe on campus, our ability to have free speech and protest on our campus, but it’s also a fight that our students led … and we’re just a continuation of that.”

This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

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UC student workers expand strike to two more campuses as they demand amnesty for protestors 

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After University of California students were arrested or suspended for protests, student workers are striking at three campuses. The Office of President says the strike violates the union contract.

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Nearly a third of the academic and graduate student workers of the University of California are on strike, after the union of 48,000 employees escalated its labor standoff by walking off the job at UCLA and UC Davis this morning. With as many as 2,000 UC Santa Cruz graduate students and academic workers picketing since last Monday, today’s job action brings 12,000 more out of classrooms and laboratories, potentially crippling the university’s mission of educating the roughly 80,000 undergraduates at the three campuses just two weeks before students begin to take their end-of-quarter finals. Workers, including teaching assistants, academic researchers and graders, are striking not over pay and benefits but instead over the UC’s response to pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested by police or suspended from their campuses. Some union members were arrested or suspended for their role in the protests. Core to the union’s demands is that the UC offer “amnesty for those who experienced arrest or are facing University discipline,” the union’s public writings state. Some 60 academic workers began picketing at Royce Quad at UCLA by 9 a.m., where just weeks ago students at a large pro-Palestinian encampment were attacked by counter-protesters. “UC, UC you’re no good, treat your workers like you should,” the picketing academic workers chanted, their ranks gradually growing as more striking workers arrived under a gray sky. “When free speech is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back,” went another chant, the rhythmic pulses of a snare drum accompanying the picketers, who grew to more than 200 by 10:30 a.m. UCLA’s vice chancellor for strategic communications, Mary Osako, is critical of the strike. “Our talented students are getting ready for finals, and UCLA’s focus is doing whatever we can to support them. They’re paying tuition and fees to learn, and we’re dismayed by deliberate outside disruptions that get in the way of that.

Origins of strike

UC’s Office of the President calls the strike illegal , saying that its contract with the union — itself the result of a six-week long strike in late 2022 — includes a no-strike provision. The union, UAW 4811, vehemently disagrees with that analysis, citing legal precedent that a union can strike over unfair labor practices that fall outside the scope of a union contract. It’s a view shared by at least one UCLA law professor . Both sides have leaned heavily on the state’s Public Employment Relations Board to adjudicate their disputes.

Two days after police swept the encampments at UCLA and arrested scores of protesters , the union filed an unfair labor practice violation with the labor relations board. The union then filed similar violations after police cleared encampments at UC San Diego and UC Irvine that also led to arrests of protesters — and another alleging that the UC changed its disciplinary rules unilaterally to punish academic workers. 

“By summoning the police to forcibly arrest and/or issuing interim suspensions to these employees, the University has violated their employee rights,“ the union wrote in one of its submissions to the labor relations board. The union says its workers were not only rallying against the war in Gaza but also seeking ways to remove academic research funding sources tied to the U.S. military . Workers also oppose “the discrimination and hostile work environment directed towards Palestinian, Muslim, and pro-Palestine Jewish employees and students.” Unlike a systemwide strike, this “stand up” strike will pursue labor stoppages at certain campuses, a strategy employed by Detroit autoworkers in their successful campaign for higher compensation last year . The approach is meant to apply gradual pressure to management. Union leaders have maintained that if UC management wants to stop the spread of the strike, it should come to the table with the union to remedy the unfair labor practice charges. While the strike is technically distinct from the larger protest movement against the war, the two movements are related. Last Thursday, several hundred UCLA members of the UAW 4811 held a rally in support of their impending strike. Moments later, they joined a student-led protest demanding that the UC call for a ceasefire and divest from weapons manufacturers and the Israeli economy. That same day, protesters erected a short-lived encampment and temporarily took over a campus building before being pushed out by police . It was a clear sign that, despite hundreds of arrests in May, thousands of students, union members and some faculty remain passionate about their pro-Palestinian advocacy. 

Legality of strike debated

Almost 20,000 of the union’s 48,000 represented workers voted on whether to strike two weeks ago, and nearly 80% of those who did vote approved the strike authorization. Only union members can vote.

“By summoning the police to forcibly arrest and/or issuing interim suspensions to these employees, the University has violated their employee rights.” UAW 4811 union statement

The UC sought an injunction to legally halt the strike, but the labor relations board wrote last week that UC hadn’t established that an injunction is “just and proper.” The union hailed the ruling. However, the board wrote that it’s leaving UC’s request open in the event the university provides better evidence. In a partial victory for the university, the board issued a complaint that the union “failed to provide adequate advance notice of its work stoppage, and failed and refused to meet and confer in good faith.” The UC press office, in announcing the board’s response, wrote that the labor board “found enough evidence to suggest that a violation may have occurred, and further examination is warranted.”

The union argues in its latest unfair labor practice violation that the UC unilaterally implemented a disciplinary policy that affects UAW 4811 workers. The union seeks an order telling the UC to “cease and desist from unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of employment related to discipline.”

A spokesperson for the UC Office of the President disputes that characterization, writing that these policies aren’t new and reaffirm existing rules. The spokesperson, Heather Hansen, sought to invalidate the central thrust of the union’s demands, writing to CalMatters last week: “By requesting amnesty, UAW is asking the University not to follow its processes but rather to make an exception for its members so that they are not subject to the same accountability measures applicable to all other members of the UC community.”

Effect on student learning

Not all unionized workers have jobs with labor to withhold. Some are paid with fellowships to advance their own research. But most perform a job duty that’s integral to the academic mission of the university. Systemwide, about 20,000 workers are graduate student teaching assistants, tutors or other instructional assistants. Graduate students teach classes, especially introductory courses, run discussion sections and grade student work.

Last week, about 60% to 70% of UC Santa Cruz workers who could withhold their labor did, estimated Rebecca Gross, the unit chair of the union at the campus. On the social media platform Reddit, individuals identifying themselves as UCLA students wrote that some of their discussion sessions are being canceled and that some of their courses are moving online. It “is tragic for me bc (sic) I learn 80% of the material from discussion and problem solving sessions,” wrote one poster. Who’ll pick up the work that the striking workers won’t do is an open question. The governing body of UCLA faculty sent a message to professors that “faculty members cannot be required to take on additional responsibilities for teaching related to a work stoppage.” Brandon Cruz, a fourth-year undergraduate student who’s changing his major to sociology, said that a teacher’s assistant who was supposed to lead a political communications class today didn’t, but still told students she’d help them with their projects that are due today. “She’s supporting the strike,” he said, “but she’s also supporting her students because she feels like it’s unfair for her to drop us at the last two weeks of the quarter.” Another undergraduate, Nico Diamond, said that one of her teaching assistants plans to continue teaching an environmental economics class. He told the class that’s because he’s an international student and worries he’d risk losing his visa for withholding labor during a strike that university officials view as unlawful. “I’m never annoyed by the strikes,” Diamond said, who sat writing an essay at a campus picnic bench in earshot of the picketers. “The strikers are not getting in people’s faces. Noise is noise, it’s L.A., it’s nothing new.” But the security build-up since protesters first established the campus encampment, that’s been a source of fatigue, she said. “I put the blame on the administration for calling for more security.”

Graduate worker anger

Most protesters, including UAW 4811 members, who were arrested were cited for failing to follow police orders to disperse . At UCLA, administrators sent a notice to students and protesters on April 30, a day before police cleared the encampment, that “the established encampment is unlawful and violates university policy” and asked the participants to leave the area or face sanctions. The notice also said that “law enforcement is prepared to arrest individuals, in accordance with applicable law.” The notice added that “for students, those sanctions could include disciplinary measures such as interim suspension that, after proper due process through the student conduct process, could lead to dismissal.” Members of the encampment replied the same day, writing in part “We will continue to remain here steadfast in our demands.”

“By requesting amnesty, UAW is asking the University not to follow its processes but rather to make an exception for its members.” Heather Hansen, spokesperson for UC Office of the President

That night, counter-protesters attacked those in the encampment with pepper spray, wooden sticks and at least one firework as police stood by for hours and made no arrests. Local and national news outlets brought around-the-clock coverage to the violence. 

The next afternoon, police ordered members of the encampment to disperse. Hours after those orders, police arrested more than 200 people.  “In contrast to the lack of police response to the violent attack by anti-Palestine counterprotesters on April 30, 2024, the University summoned a massive number of police officers on the evening of May 1, 2024 for the purpose of ejecting and arresting the employees engaged in peaceful protest in the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment,” union lawyers wrote in one of the unfair labor practice violations submitted to the state labor relations board . Kai Shi, a mathematics doctoral student at UCLA, pushed back on the reason to call the police in the first place. “Just because the police say it’s unlawful doesn’t mean that they’re right,” he said. “The unlawful assembly is an excuse by the university to shut us down,” Shi argued. UC San Diego issued at least 40 suspensions in the middle of May related to the pro-Palestinian protests, the union wrote in one of its unfair labor practice violations. “Such extreme disciplinary measures in response to peaceful protest activity suppress free expression of ideas and violate the First Amendment,” it read . “We are standing up for justice in the workplace, in a way that directly affects not just us, but our students,” said Anny Viloria Winnett, the unit chair of the local UCLA union chapter. She said the union is taking on a “fight for our ability to be safe on campus, our ability to have free speech and protest on our campus, but it’s also a fight that our students led … and we’re just a continuation of that.”  

More on campus protests

UC’s president had a plan to deescalate protests. How did we get a night of violence at UCLA?

36 hours at UCLA protests: Police dismantle camp and arrest hundreds after late-night violence

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Social Documentation (M.F.A.)

The Social Documentation program offers a Master of Fine Arts degree. 

Important: Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation are required of all applicants. 

Read the  application instructions ​ page for full details., see the test score requirements for this program., below are specific requirements also needed for this program:.

Required application materials include:

Writing sample: (e.g., research paper, professional report, or substantial essay) that shows your mastery of analysis and/or research.This can be a paper written for an earlier class or project, an article or proposal, etc. Its subject need not have any relevance to your project, as it is your writing ability that is being assessed here. All written materials should be 12 pt. font, double spaced.

Portfolio: Please provide an online sample of your best work in documentary production in video/film, photography, or audio/radio format. Please provide web addresses/URLs for these samples in the text box below and include information citing your role(s) in the creation of the documentary.

Project proposal/description: Provide a project description of the work that you intend to carry out while in the Social Documentation program. Please specify the subject, individual, or targeted issue, and most importantly, the research questions you wish to explore.

This is one of the most important factors in selecting students for our program, so please give it careful consideration and verify that it fits within the parameters of the Social Documentation program. While thesis projects can evolve and change once students are enrolled in the program, we are very interested in learning about your current research and production goals.

A Statement of Purpose is required: 

Please describe your plans for graduate study or research and for your future occupation or profession. Include any information that may aid the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and qualifications for graduate study at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Recommended length is a concise 2-4 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt font.

Personal History Statement is required: 

This statement will be used in conjunction with your application for graduate admission and financial support. Note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose. Recommended length is a concise 1-3 pages , double-spaced, 12 pt font.

UC Santa Cruz is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.

See the application deadline

Contact the program

Read more about this program:

http://film.ucsc.edu/socdoc/admissions_process .

UC student workers expand strike as they demand amnesty for protestors

By mikhail zinshteyn and calmatters • published may 28, 2024 • updated on may 28, 2024 at 6:17 pm.

Nearly a third of the academic and graduate student workers of the University of California are on strike, after the union of 48,000 employees escalated its labor standoff by walking off the job at UCLA and UC Davis this morning.

With as many as 2,000 UC Santa Cruz graduate students and academic workers picketing since last Monday, today’s job action brings 12,000 more out of classrooms and laboratories, potentially crippling the university’s mission of educating the roughly 80,000 undergraduates at the three campuses just two weeks before students begin to take their end-of-quarter finals.

Watch NBC Bay Area News 📺 Streaming free 24/7

University of California academic workers strike to stand up for pro-Palestinian protesters

UC Berkeley pro-Palestinian protest offshoot occupies shuttered building 

Workers, including teaching assistants, academic researchers and graders, are striking not over pay and benefits but instead over the UC’s response to pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested by police or suspended from their campuses. Some union members were arrested or suspended for their role in the protests. Core to the union’s demands is that the UC offer “amnesty for those who experienced arrest or are facing University discipline,” the union’s public writings state.

Some 60 academic workers began picketing at Royce Quad at UCLA by 9 a.m., where just weeks ago students at a large pro-Palestinian encampment were attacked by counter-protesters. “UC, UC you’re no good, treat your workers like you should,” the picketing academic workers chanted, their ranks gradually growing as more striking workers arrived under a gray sky. “When free speech is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back,” went another chant, the rhythmic pulses of a snare drum accompanying the picketers, who grew to more than 200 by 10:30 a.m.

UCLA’s vice chancellor for strategic communications, Mary Osako, is critical of the strike. “Our talented students are getting ready for finals, and UCLA’s focus is doing whatever we can to support them. They’re paying tuition and fees to learn, and we’re dismayed by deliberate outside disruptions that get in the way of that."

UC’s Office of the President calls the strike illegal, saying that its contract with the union — itself the result of a six-week long strike in late 2022 — includes a no-strike provision. The union, UAW 4811, vehemently disagrees with that analysis, citing legal precedent that a union can strike over unfair labor practices that fall outside the scope of a union contract. It’s a view shared by at least one UCLA law professor. Both sides have leaned heavily on the state’s Public Employment Relations Board to adjudicate their disputes.

Two days after police swept the encampments at UCLA and arrested scores of protesters, the union filed an unfair labor practice violation with the labor relations board. The union then filed similar violations after police cleared encampments at UC San Diego and UC Irvine that also led to arrests of protesters — and another alleging that the UC changed its disciplinary rules unilaterally to punish academic workers.

“By summoning the police to forcibly arrest and/or issuing interim suspensions to these employees, the University has violated their employee rights,“ the union wrote in one of its submissions to the labor relations board. The union says its workers were not only rallying against the war in Gaza but also seeking ways to remove academic research funding sources tied to the U.S. military. Workers also oppose “the discrimination and hostile work environment directed towards Palestinian, Muslim, and pro-Palestine Jewish employees and students.”

Unlike a systemwide strike, this “stand up” strike will pursue labor stoppages at certain campuses, a strategy employed by Detroit autoworkers in their successful campaign for higher compensation last year. The approach is meant to apply gradual pressure to management. Union leaders have maintained that if UC management wants to stop the spread of the strike, it should come to the table with the union to remedy the unfair labor practice charges.

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While the strike is technically distinct from the larger protest movement against the war, the two movements are related. Last Thursday, several hundred UCLA members of the UAW 4811 held a rally in support of their impending strike. Moments later, they joined a student-led protest demanding that the UC call for a ceasefire and divest from weapons manufacturers and the Israeli economy. That same day, protesters erected a short-lived encampment and temporarily took over a campus building before being pushed out by police. It was a clear sign that, despite hundreds of arrests in May, thousands of students, union members and some faculty remain passionate about their pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Almost 20,000 of the union’s 48,000 represented workers voted on whether to strike two weeks ago, and nearly 80% of those who did vote approved the strike authorization. Only union members can vote.

The UC sought an injunction to legally halt the strike, but the labor relations board wrote last week that UC hadn’t established that an injunction is “just and proper.” The union hailed the ruling. However, the board wrote that it’s leaving UC’s request open in the event the university provides better evidence.

In a partial victory for the university, the board issued a complaint that the union “failed to provide adequate advance notice of its work stoppage, and failed and refused to meet and confer in good faith.” The UC press office, in announcing the board’s response, wrote that the labor board “found enough evidence to suggest that a violation may have occurred, and further examination is warranted.”

The union argues in its latest unfair labor practice violation that the UC unilaterally implemented a disciplinary policy that affects UAW 4811 workers. The union seeks an order telling the UC to “cease and desist from unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of employment related to discipline.”

A spokesperson for the UC Office of the President disputes that characterization, writing that these policies aren’t new and reaffirm existing rules. The spokesperson, Heather Hansen, sought to invalidate the central thrust of the union’s demands, writing to CalMatters last week: “By requesting amnesty, UAW is asking the University not to follow its processes but rather to make an exception for its members so that they are not subject to the same accountability measures applicable to all other members of the UC community.”

Not all unionized workers have jobs with labor to withhold. Some are paid with fellowships to advance their own research. But most perform a job duty that’s integral to the academic mission of the university. Systemwide, about 20,000 workers are graduate student teaching assistants, tutors or other instructional assistants. Graduate students teach classes, especially introductory courses, run discussion sections and grade student work.

Last week, about 60% to 70% of UC Santa Cruz workers who could withhold their labor did, estimated Rebecca Gross, the unit chair of the union at the campus. On the social media platform Reddit, individuals identifying themselves as UCLA students wrote that some of their discussion sessions are being canceled and that some of their courses are moving online.

It “is tragic for me bc (sic) I learn 80% of the material from discussion and problem solving sessions,” wrote one poster. Who’ll pick up the work that the striking workers won’t do is an open question. The governing body of UCLA faculty sent a message to professors that “faculty members cannot be required to take on additional responsibilities for teaching related to a work stoppage.”

Brandon Cruz, a fourth-year undergraduate student who’s changing his major to sociology, said that a teacher’s assistant who was supposed to lead a political communications class today didn’t, but still told students she’d help them with their projects that are due today.

“She’s supporting the strike,” he said, “but she’s also supporting her students because she feels like it’s unfair for her to drop us at the last two weeks of the quarter.”

Another undergraduate, Nico Diamond, said that one of her teaching assistants plans to continue teaching an environmental economics class. He told the class that’s because he’s an international student and worries he’d risk losing his visa for withholding labor during a strike that university officials view as unlawful.

“I’m never annoyed by the strikes,” Diamond said, who sat writing an essay at a campus picnic bench in earshot of the picketers. “The strikers are not getting in people’s faces. Noise is noise, it’s L.A., it’s nothing new.”

But the security build-up since protesters first established the campus encampment, that’s been a source of fatigue, she said. “I put the blame on the administration for calling for more security.”

Most protesters, including UAW 4811 members, who were arrested were cited for failing to follow police orders to disperse.

At UCLA, administrators sent a notice to students and protesters on April 30, a day before police cleared the encampment, that “the established encampment is unlawful and violates university policy” and asked the participants to leave the area or face sanctions. The notice also said that “law enforcement is prepared to arrest individuals, in accordance with applicable law.” The notice added that “for students, those sanctions could include disciplinary measures such as interim suspension that, after proper due process through the student conduct process, could lead to dismissal.” Members of the encampment replied the same day, writing in part “We will continue to remain here steadfast in our demands.”

That night, counter-protesters attacked those in the encampment with pepper spray, wooden sticks and at least one firework as police stood by for hours and made no arrests. Local and national news outlets brought around-the-clock coverage to the violence.

The next afternoon, police ordered members of the encampment to disperse. Hours after those orders, police arrested more than 200 people.

“In contrast to the lack of police response to the violent attack by anti-Palestine counterprotesters on April 30, 2024, the University summoned a massive number of police officers on the evening of May 1, 2024 for the purpose of ejecting and arresting the employees engaged in peaceful protest in the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment,” union lawyers wrote in one of the unfair labor practice violations submitted to the state labor relations board.

Kai Shi, a mathematics doctoral student at UCLA, pushed back on the reason to call the police in the first place.

“Just because the police say it’s unlawful doesn’t mean that they’re right,” he said. “The unlawful assembly is an excuse by the university to shut us down,” Shi argued.

UC San Diego issued at least 40 suspensions in the middle of May related to the pro-Palestinian protests, the union wrote in one of its unfair labor practice violations. “Such extreme disciplinary measures in response to peaceful protest activity suppress free expression of ideas and violate the First Amendment,” it read.

“We are standing up for justice in the workplace, in a way that directly affects not just us, but our students,” said Anny Viloria Winnett, the unit chair of the local UCLA union chapter. She said the union is taking on a “fight for our ability to be safe on campus, our ability to have free speech and protest on our campus, but it’s also a fight that our students led … and we’re just a continuation of that.”

This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

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