In one of our previous blogs, we introduced the University of California school system and covered how to use a narrative approach to write the UC application’s first Personal Insight Question (PIQ) on leadership. In this post we’ll be offering tips on how to answer PIQ #2.
The second PIQ requires students to show off a unique and creative aspect of their identity in 350 words:
Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
Before we put pen to paper, let’s first take a step back and consider the 13 factors used by the UC system to evaluate applicants. In brief, they are:
- Grade-point average
- Performance in and number of courses beyond minimum A-G requirements
- UC-approved honors courses and advanced courses
- Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) (CA residents only)
- Quality of senior-year program of study
- Academic opportunities in California high schools
- Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas
- Achievements in special projects
- Improvement in academic performance
- Special talents, achievements, and awards
- Participation in educational preparation programs
- Academic accomplishment in light of life experiences
- Geographic location
We advise applicants to use the PIQs to connect their experiences back to these 13 factors. PIQ #2 presents an opportunity to share experiences relevant to factors 8, and 10, and to tell a more interesting and detailed story about your academic life or extracurricular activities.
Pick a topic
The first step to tackling this question is to choose a topic, ideally something from your UC application activities list. Pick something you have devoted serious and quality time to. If you were never passionate about learning piano, but took private classes for many years out of obligation, this may not be a great topic to write about. Go for something you feel excited about and can write about at length.
Identify the common/uncommon associations
If our first objective is to connect our words to the 13 factors, our second one is to stand out from the thousands of other essays that the UC admissions officers read each admissions cycle. Brainstorm the most common values your average person would associate with your topic. For example, your topic might be working on the school newspaper, and your values might be teamwork, creative writing, working under a deadline. These are clichés; values and associations that are too common and too obvious. If you want to write an essay that stands out, think of associations and values that are uncommon.
Using the example above, we might add, managing expectations, learning the right decision isn’t always the most popular one, and to think more critically.
A stand-out essay will make uncommon associations that show your creativity and the ways it is expressed.
Consider this introductory paragraph for PIQ#2:
Seeing an Ansel Adams photograph during a 7th grade field trip really changed my perspective on the world. It set me on a path to learn about photography, led me to become more informed about environmentalism and has ultimately brought me a lot of joy. Now, I express my creative side through my passion for digital photography. Through this rewarding hobby, I’ve learned to take beautiful photographs of my natural surroundings, participated in art exhibitions with my friends and learned to publish my photographs through my own website. Last summer, I took my passion to the next-level by minting my first original NFT.
While this student is, without a doubt, a creative person, the way they’ve presented themselves sounds flat and one-dimensional. This student has chosen to focus on learning to make beautiful photographs, participating in exhibitions, learning to publish photographs and making an NFT. It does not take a lot of imagination to make any of these associations with photography. However, with a bit of thought, each of the associations can be an avenue for a more uncommon association.
This paragraph contains the same ideas but with more uncommon associations as well as the narrative approach we used in our PIQ #1 blog.
Standing before the large black and white Ansel Adams prints of Yosemite, I felt I was peering through a window into a different world. The beauty of the gray mountainside sucked me in and I was suddenly faced with something pure and raw. I never imagined a work of art could do that. Suddenly, the museum walls around disappeared, the quiet chatter muted, and I was engaged, one-on-one with the work of art. Looking back, this was my inflection point; the moment that set me on a path to mastering digital photography. More importantly, through photography, I’ve learned to appreciate nature, be more independent and use my art to advocate for environmentalism. Looking back on that moment, it’s hard to imagine how a simple trip to the San Francisco MoMA would lead to starting my own Climate Crisis digital photo series.
This version includes many of the same ideas but adds uncommon associations; appreciation of nature, independence and using art for a greater purpose. This expresses their creativity but also shows how they may be an innovative thinker or a problem-solver. We’ve also used creative language in this first paragraph to help the reader visualize an important experience. Lastly, we’ve ended the paragraph with a hook, something that keeps the reader engaged, in this case, unanswered questions about the “climate crisis series”.
In the next paragraph, the writer can move on to write about how she learned digital photography and how this creative expression led to one of her values—an appreciation of nature. The following paragraphs would build on these associations, covering how photography led to being more independent and finally to using their hobby to engage in advocating for environmentalism.
Conclusion
A good conclusion would tie these ideas together and reinforce the values we’ve talked about. This is also an opportunity to call back to the visualization from the introductory paragraph.
When I see my photos used to spread awareness on climate change, there are times when I’m reminded of that field trip so many years ago. It seems only natural that my encounter with a beautiful photograph of that snowcapped mountain would be such a catalyst. Through art, we can capture some of the most beautiful aspects of our planet, but unless we do something and make a meaningful change, there may not be much of a planet left for future generations to live on, let alone photograph.
Be sure to edit your work once you’ve finished your first draft. For tips on editing your writing, be sure to check out our blog post on editing your own work.
Stay tuned for more Transcend Admissions blogs on how to tackle the UC and other admissions essays!