does uc davis require an essay

2023-2024 General Catalog

Entry level writing requirement (elwr).

The Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) is a University of California requirement. Every first-year student in the UC system must demonstrate their college-level proficiency in writing by fulfilling the ELWR. University-level writing requires students to read carefully, analyze readings with understanding, and draw conclusions about what is read. For more information, see Entry Level Writing Requirement .

Students must fulfill ELWR by the end of their third quarter of enrollment; students who do not fulfill ELWR by the end of their third quarter of enrollment face disenrollment from the university. 

Before enrolling at UC Davis, students can fulfill ELWR two ways: 1

• 30 or better on the ACT, English Language Arts.
• 63 or better on the ACT English exam + the ACT Reading exam.
• 680 or better on the SAT, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.
• 3 or above on either Advanced Placement (AP) Examination in English (Language and Composition or Literature and Composition).
• 3 or above on  Advanced Placement Seminar  exam.
• 3 or above on  Advanced Placement Research .
• 5 or above on an International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Higher Level English A1 exam).
• 6 or above on an International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Standard Level English A1 exam).
• 5 or above on an International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level English A: Language and Literature exam.
• 6 or above on an International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level English A: Language and Literature exam.
• Earning a passing grade in a transferable college writing course. For more information about transferable college writing courses, see Assist.org . NOTE: Official score reports/transcripts must be sent to UC Davis for ELWR fulfillment.

After enrolling at UC Davis,  students can fulfill ELWR three ways:

• UC Davis Writing Placement Survey. Writing Placement Survey can be taken only once and is only available to incoming first-year undergraduate students. For more information, see Entry Level Writing Requirement .
• UWP 007, a face-to-face 4 unit writing course.
• UWP 007Y, a hybrid 4 unit writing course with weekly in-person, synchronous meetings and asynchronous components.
• UWP 007V, a fully online 4 unit writing course with some synchronous and asynchronous components.
• UWP 007M, a face-to-face 4 unit writing course that offers additional academic English language development instruction and support for non-native English speakers.
• UWP 001A, a face-to-face 2 unit writing co-course that must be taken concurrently with UWP 001, UWP 1Y, or UWP 1V.
• ENL 003A, a face-to-face 2 unit writing co-course that must be taken concurrently with ENL 003.
• NAS 005A, a face-to-face 2 unit writing co-course that must be taken concurrently with NAS 005. NOTE: Currently, P/NP grade mode is not permitted if the course is used for ELWR fulfillment.
• WR 040, a fully online 4 unit writing course offered through Cross-Campus enrollment and taught by UC Irvine. NOTE: Students must meet certain eligibility criteria to enroll through Cross-Campus enrollment and should check in with the advisors in their Dean's Office prior to enrollment.

Item #1 updated after publication; Aug 18, 2023. Added:

Entry Level Writing

About the Requirement

The Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) is a University of California requirement. Every first-year student in the UC system must demonstrate their college-level proficiency in writing by fulfilling the ELWR. University-level writing requires students to read carefully, analyze readings with understanding, and draw conclusions about what is read.

There are four writing requirements that all UC Davis students must fulfill: Entry Level Writing, English Composition (8 units; most colleges at UCD require one lower division and one upper division course), and Writing Experience. Satisfaction of the ELWR is a prerequisite to English Composition and Writing Experience courses.

Tips for applying to UC Davis as a freshman

Learn best practices for filling out the  UC application .

Reporting coursework and grades

Your academic record is the core of your application. It’s important to report all your UC-approved college preparatory coursework — whether taken at a high school or college — completely and accurately. Include courses in which you have enrolled, regardless of grades, transferability, withdrawal or if they were repeated.

Honors courses

The honors box on the UC application form is used to designate a course for which an extra grade point is awarded for a letter grade of C or better. There are four different types of honors courses:

• Advanced Placement (AP)
• Designated International Baccalaureate (IB) courses
• College courses (CL); applies only to UC-transferable college courses
• UC-approved school-designated honors-level courses (HL)

If you attend a California public high school, see your high school’s UC-approved course list for more information about honors courses. Only UC-approved courses that are listed as honors are eligible to receive an extra grade point.

Nonresident applicants should check the honors box (AP, IB, CL)  for AP, IB and UC-transferable college courses as appropriate for all of the above.

Reporting international education

Non-letter grades

If you are a domestic applicant and your school uses a non-letter grade system, you will need to take some additional steps in completing the application. First, check with your high school counseling office to see if there is a conversion scale to the A-B-C-D-F letter grade system. If a conversion scale does not exist, do not attempt to translate your grades yourself. List the grades exactly as they appear on your transcript, and check the box that indicates your school uses a grading system other than A-B-C-D-F. Your application will be reviewed by a UC advisor who will translate these marks accordingly.  

College courses taken while in high school

If any college/university-level courses were completed while in high school, add the college information after the high school information.

If UC-transferable courses were taken at a California community college (CCC), a course list will appear:

• Select the course(s) taken, grade earned (or enter IP for In Progress, PL for Planned courses) and the "a-g" subject area in which the course fits. UC-transferable courses taken at a CCC can be found on Assist.org under the “College courses taken while in high school” section.

If non-UC-transferable or non-CCC courses were taken while in high school, students must manually input course information:

• Only non-UC-transferable courses in English and math can be reported in this section of the application.
• If there are other CCC courses that are non-UC-transferable, report them in the ‘Non a-g Coursework’ area later in the application.
• If college/university courses were not taken at a CCC, enter each course and grade earned as it appears on the official academic record from the college/university attended.

Any gaps in your educational chronology should be explained in the Additional Information section of the UC application; only a brief description of what you were doing during these breaks in your education is necessary.  Letters of recommendation and other materials

Please do not include letters of recommendation, copies of awards, transcripts or samples of your academic or creative work with your application. They will not be reviewed or returned to you.

Choosing a major

You should apply to a major that interests you, rather than to one in which you think you have the best chance of admission. We also suggest that you include an alternate major in case you are not admitted in your first choice.

How your application is reviewed

During the selection process, UC Davis conducts a comprehensive review of every freshman application to ensure each applicant is assessed thoroughly and fairly.

We evaluate every application using 13 criteria that all UC campuses adhere to. We consider a broad range of factors, from traditional academics to extracurricular achievement and response to life challenges, but we're looking beyond the numbers to find out who you really are!

Checking your status

In December, you should receive a confirmation email from UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions containing your UC Davis student ID number. Use your student ID number to set up your MyAdmissions account.

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UC Davis Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are UC Davis'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 Davis and build a strong application.

School location: Davis, CA

This school is also known as: UC Davis, UCD, University of California, Davis

Admissions Rate: 46.3%

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 Davis is 46.3% . For every 100 applicants, 46 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 Davis 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: 4

The average GPA at UC Davis is 4 .

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

With a GPA of 4, UC Davis 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 4, 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 Davis 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 Davis 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 Davis 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: 1280

The average SAT score composite at UC Davis is a 1280 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes UC Davis Competitive for SAT test scores.

UC Davis SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1150, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1410. In other words, a 1150 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1410 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 Davis has the Score Choice policy of "All Scores."

This means that UC Davis 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 Davis 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 1280, 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 Davis ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, UC Davis 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 Davis is 28. This score makes UC Davis Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

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

Even though UC Davis likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 25 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 25 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 Davis, 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 Davis 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 1410 SAT or a 31 ACT or above will nearly guarantee you admission. Because the school admits 46.3% 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 4. 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 1150 SAT or a 25 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?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses . You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
• We've gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. Read about our score results and reviews from our happy customers .

There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT/ACT prep program. Click to learn more about our program , or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:

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 Davis 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 High school subject requirements 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

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes November 30 March 15

Admissions Office Information

• Address: One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616
• Phone: (530) 752-1011
• Fax: (530) 752-6363
• Email: [email protected]

Our Expert's Notes

We did more detailed research into this school's admissions process and found the following information:

UC Davis, like the other UC schools, does not require you to submit transcripts or letters of recommendation as part of their official application. You will submit their application and your SAT/ACT score, as well as any scholarship applications. The application can only be submitted during November, so make sure you meet the deadline.

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in UC Davis, 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 Davis.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than UC Davis. 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 Davis, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for UC Davis, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If UC Davis 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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Application resources

Gaining admission to UC Davis requires focus and preparation. But the journey doesn’t end once you’re accepted. Students face many important decisions along the path to graduation, and beyond. Whether you need help writing your application or finding your community on campus, these tips from advisors, alumni and students can put you on the path to success.

UC Davis Graduate Studies

Application components.

Once you’ve decided which program you want to apply for, it’s time to prepare your UC Davis graduate program application. We recommend giving yourself plenty of time prior to the application deadline to compile and complete your application materials. 

Every graduate program at UC Davis requires the following components as part of their application:

• A completed UC Davis online application
• $135 for U.S. applicants
• $155 for international applicants
• Letters of recommendation (please check your graduate program requirements!)
• Personal history and diversity statement
• Statement of purpose
• Academic transcripts from all prior institutions (see note below)

Program-Specific Application Components

It is possible your graduate program could require additional application materials, such as portfolio samples, writing samples, CV upload, or have supplemental questions on the application. Please view your program's specific admissions requirements page for a complete list of requirements and instructions on how they should be submitted. Do not submit any application materials that are not required by the program. Be sure to read all instructions carefully - most application materials must be submitted as a part of the online application process.

Letters of Recommendations Should Be Submitted Electronically

Requesting and receiving letters of recommendation can be a lengthy process. We recommend you begin this process early in your application process. UC Davis only accepts electronic letters of recommendations via the admissions applicant portal.

Instructions for Submitting Letters of Recommendation 

You May Use Unofficial Transcripts for Your Application

Transcripts are required from all college-level institutions. You may use unofficial transcripts uploaded as .pdfs for your UC Davis application.  Official transcripts  are only required if you are an admitted student. You must list every college-level institution you have attended in the online application, including all community colleges, study abroad coursework, etc. If your college or institution does not use the 4.0 scale, do not attempt to convert your GPA. On the application, enter your GPA just as it is on your transcript.

Instructions for Submitting Unofficial Transcripts

You Cannot Make Changes Once You Submit Your Application 

It is important that you review all of your applicant components carefully. You cannot make changes the content of an application once it has been submitted. For that reason, applicants are reminded to check their application carefully before they submit it. Notices reminding applicants that they will not be able to change or add any content in their application are displayed prior to submission. Do not try to correct your application by submitting a new application to the same graduate program. Your second application will not be considered.

We recommend you submit all of your application components, including test scores and transcripts, by the program's deadline . 

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Here’s a tip: read this before you apply to uc davis msba.

Get the inside scoop on essays, recommendations, interviews and more

• April 27, 2023
• Camille Mack
• Amy Russell

Have you dabbled in data? Tackled Tableau? Or perused Python? You might be ready to kick-start your business analytics career, and we’re here to help you get started. 

Demand for top analytics talent continues to outpace the supply, so the MSBA presents many opportunities for quantitatively minded individuals.

As you begin this process, we know you may have questions.

Below are several helpful resources and answers to some of your most frequent application questions. We look forward to your application to the UC Davis Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program.

Highlight Your Strengths

It’s so easy to doubt yourself during this process. We encourage you to find your strengths and highlight them while showing an awareness of your weaknesses and proactively improving them.

One thing to note: our admissions committee looks at applications holistically. You should consider what you bring to the table academically and professionally and how you can enhance our learning community.

Here’s a checklist of what you’ll need to submit a complete and competitive UC Davis MSBA application :

• A bachelor’s degree (the equivalent of 16 years of total education)
• Successful completion of coursework in statistics, calculus, linear algebra and computing.
• GRE/GMAT test score (see GRE/GMAT information here )
• TOEFL/IELTS test score for international applicants
• Two recommendations
• Your resume
• Your official transcripts (unofficial transcripts are ok for initial review)

Check Out the FAQs to Be in the Know

Often the questions you’re grappling with have been asked many times before. It’s a good idea to seek out the Frequently Asked Questions early in your application process. Check out our FAQs to get quick answers and show that you’re a resourceful candidate.

Also, many admissions teams will hold webinars that share handy advice and provide a chance to forge a deeper understanding of and relationship with the program. Review  our events calendar  to RSVP.

Polish Your Calling Card

Most admissions teams won’t be able to meet you face-to-face, so make sure your resume reflects your character and experience. We’re rather pragmatic about the resume at UC Davis, and a straightforward one does the trick. The focus should be on the content.

Think of your resume as an ideally one-page highlight showcasing you as a great addition to the program. Use the appropriate keywords to accentuate your accomplishments, and tailor your resume for each program, bringing key strengths to the top.

Make it easy to see that you’ve covered the required and relevant coursework. For an analytics program, displaying programming languages or showcasing analytical tools or training are good ways to impress your reader. Better still, show your professional impact using those languages and tools. 

Keep your best experiences and accomplishments visible on the top third of your resume. List your employment in reverse chronological order to help the reader. Quantify your accomplishments by leveraging facts, figures, and numbers:

• How many people were impacted by your work?
• By what percentage did you exceed your goals?

This illustrates to the reader your impact on your company and community.

Remember, it is critical to state your work and accomplishments accurately. Anything placed on the resume is fair for further quizzing, and you want to make sure you can always deliver on the promises you’ve displayed.

Help Your Recommenders Help You

As you think about the two people you will ask to write your letters of recommendation, try to find people who can truly advocate on your behalf and speak to your unique qualities and the value you can add.

They can come from professional or academic engagements. Titles are not as important as their relationship with you. Make sure they are people who know you and are happily willing to share what a great candidate you are.

If you’re not sure, ask them with an out. Try asking them to write you a supportive letter by a certain date—at least two weeks in the future or longer usually gives them enough time to perfect it. If you get a yes, see if you can set up a conversation to share why you’re applying and why you asked them, highlight some of your strengths and accomplishments, and provide them with an updated accomplishment-heavy resume.

What About Essays?

Think of the two required essays as a chance to share your perspective and experiences that you believe will be most informative as we evaluate your candidacy and communication ability. How can you highlight your true passion for analytics, and what will you be like as a student in the program?

As you’re writing about yourself, it can be helpful to share your essays with a neutral friend and ask if they can share what they thought your main points were, and if you connected the dots clearly.

While it is tempting to try to cram everything into this essay, focus on key concepts that will showcase to the reader your ability to prioritize information, which your future hiring managers will require.

Prioritizing Your Prerequisites

Each prerequisite course can be taken at a traditional four-year university as an extension course or through an online program.

Many students have them completed before applying, so you want to consider that when you apply. However, it’s not uncommon for these classes to be “in progress” when students submit their applications, especially if they are applying to a program in earlier rounds. If this is the case, you should have a clear plan.

What Happens After You Submit?

For our program, we start processing materials as quickly as possible. You should receive an admissions decision between six to ten weeks from your application deadline. There are a few times when a decision may take longer as we balance application volumes. Remember, our goal is to bring in a well-rounded class, so we consider that each round.

After submitting your application, selected candidates will receive an email invitation for a pre-screen interview via Sparkhire. This brief interview comprises a series of pre-recorded questions that will allow us to get to know you better outside of what is on paper.

You want to prepare for this as if you would for a job screening—practice your elevator pitch, work with someone to answer practice questions and be ready to ask a few questions about us. In this process stage, we’ll ask a few behavioral-based questions and focus mostly on your background.

Interviews and Acceptance

If you are invited to move forward, the next stage is a virtual interview where we will ask questions that cover the totality of your application, from academic to professional, goals and more. 

In this section, you will see routine, technical and behavioral questions. Make sure to showcase your relevant skills, highlights and personal experiences in your answers. As with any interview, try to make this a conversation, compared to you just reciting prepared responses. Our team is truly trying to get to know you, see how you’ll engage with classmates, faculty and staff, and assess how a future recruiter might think of you for their firm.

We know this is an important interview for you, and we know this can be a stressful process. Remember what you have to offer, and show us you’re excited to join our program.

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• There is one required question you must answer.
• You must also answer 3 out of 7 additional questions.
• Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
• Which three questions you choose to answer are up to you. However, you should select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.

Keep in mind

• All questions are equal: All questions are given equal consideration in the application review process, which means there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.
• There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions: It's about getting to know your personality, background, interests and achievements in your own unique voice.

Questions & guidance

Remember, the personal insight questions are just that; personal. Which means you should use our guidance for each question just as a suggestion in case you need help The important thing is expressing who you are, what matters to you and what you want to share with UC.

Required question

Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university. Things to consider: How did your interest in your major develop? Do you have any experience related to your major outside the classroom;such as volunteer work, internships and employment, or participation in student organizations and activities? If you haven't had experience in the field, consider including experience in the classroom. This may include working with faculty or doing research projects.

If you're applying to multiple campuses with a different major at each campus, think about approaching the topic from a broader perspective, or find a common thread among the majors you've chosen.

Choose to answer any three of the following seven questions:

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. Things to consider: A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about your accomplishments and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? 

Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn't necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family? 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.   Things to consider: What does creativity mean to you? Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do with that skill? If you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution? What are the steps you took to solve the problem?

How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career? 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? Things to consider: If there's a talent or skill that you're proud of, this is the time to share it. You don't necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about, feel free to do so). Why is this talent or skill meaningful to you?

Does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent? Does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom? If so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule? 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. Things to consider: An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. For example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that's geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you, just to name a few.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you've faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them? What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who you are today? 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you've faced and what you've learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you're currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family? 6. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place like your high school, hometown, or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community?

Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community? 7. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? Things to consider: If there's anything you want us to know about you, but didn't find a question or place in the application to tell us, now's your chance. What have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better?

From your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for UC? Don't be afraid to brag a little.

Writing tips

Start early..

Give yourself plenty of time for preparation, careful composition and revisions.

Write persuasively.

Making a list of accomplishments, activities, awards or work will lessen the impact of your words. Expand on a topic by using specific, concrete examples to support the points you want to make.

Use “I” statements.

Talk about yourself so that we can get to know your personality, talents, accomplishments and potential for success on a UC campus. Use “I” and “my” statements in your responses.

Proofread and edit.

Although you will not be evaluated on grammar, spelling or sentence structure, you should proofread your work and make sure your writing is clear. Grammatical and spelling errors can be distracting to the reader and get in the way of what you’re trying to communicate.

Solicit feedback.

Your answers should reflect your own ideas and be written by you alone, but others — family, teachers and friends—can offer valuable suggestions. Ask advice of whomever you like, but do not plagiarize from sources in print or online and do not use anyone's words, published or unpublished, but your own.

Copy and paste.

Once you are satisfied with your answers, save them in plain text (ASCII) and paste them into the space provided in the application. Proofread once more to make sure no odd characters or line breaks have appeared.

This is one of many pieces of information we consider in reviewing your application. Your responses can only add value to the application. An admission decision will not be based on this section alone.

Need more help?

Download our worksheets:

• English [PDF]
• Spanish [PDF]

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

The Role That Essays Play in the UC Admissions

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Vinay Bhaskara in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

Why your essays matter, how to approach your essays, understanding and selecting prompts.

Essays are a critical component of your application to the University of California (UC) system. Since the UC system no longer considers standardized tests, like the SAT, ACT, AP, or IB examinations, when reaching admissions decisions, there are fewer data points with which admissions officers can assess candidates. 

A complete application for admission to the UC system consists of three main components: 

• Academic Performance: All of the schools you have attended, coursework you have taken, and the grades you received.
• Extracurricular Involvement: A list of your activities and awards.
• Essays: Four responses to the personal insight questions. 

Since there are fewer components to the application for admission, essays account for up to 35% of the admissions decision at the most competitive UCs, such as UC Berkeley and UCLA . The essays are still an important component of your application to less competitive but still selective UCs, such as UC Santa Barbara, San Diego, Irvine, Davis, and Riverside. And although UC Santa Cruz and Merced will mostly base their decision on your academic performance, your essays are still relevant to their admissions decisions. 

There are many applicants to the UC system who are all equally qualified and have similar academic and extracurricular profiles. For these students, the essays will likely be the single source of information by which admissions officers differentiate between otherwise comparable applicants before making admissions decisions. In this situation, you want the admissions officers to affirmatively choose you over another applicant. 

Since there is no dominant personal statement that you will submit, it is helpful to approach the UC application essays as if they form a portfolio. Each essay should speak to different aspects of your character, commitments, responsibilities, values, and goals. Your essays should provide context, analysis, and self-reflection, and they should not read like a resume or be overly linear or chronological in structure. If you would like to highlight an accomplishment of yours in an essay, you should make sure that you provide context, craft a compelling narrative, and balance description with sufficient analysis and self-reflection. 

There are eight personal insight questions to choose from, and you must provide four responses that are each a maximum of 350 words. Broadly speaking, the personal insight questions fall under two categories. 

The first category of personal insight questions focuses on personal qualities and includes prompts 1, 2, 5, and 7: 

• Prompt 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.  
• Prompt 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.  
• Prompt 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?
• Prompt 7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?   

The second category of personal insight questions focuses on your accomplishments and interests and includes questions 3, 4, 6, and 8: 

• Prompt 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? 
• Prompt 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
• Prompt 6.  Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. 
• Prompt 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?

To strike a good balance across all four essays, we recommend that you respond to two questions regarding your personal qualities and two questions regarding your accomplishments and interests. Ultimately, you should select the prompts that you are most confident and excited to respond to and that present a holistic view of who you are. 

For more information on writing the application essays for admission to the University of California, review the article on How to Write the University of California Essays .

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

UC Davis Graduate Studies

Prepare Your UC Davis Graduate School Application

It’s never too early to start preparing your graduate school application. The admissions application can be a timely process and allowing adequate time to prepare can be the key to creating a successful application. We encourage you to learn as much as you can about the admissions process before you begin your application.

Application Items to Prepare

We recommend gathering and preparing your application components well in advance of starting the application. Specifically, you’ll want to take time to:

• Gather unofficial transcripts from all of the colleges and universities you’ve attended, even if you only took one course
• Allow for enough time to request three letters of recommendation
• Draft two personal essays
• Compile any program-specific admissions requirements, such as writing samples or artistic portfolios
• Plan for the application fee ($135 for U.S. residents or $155 for international students).
• Take any required testing , such as the GRE or English Language Examinations, and plan for the fees associated with those tests.

Below you can find a few tips on how to successfully prepare your UC Davis application. 

Know Your Deadlines

Apply by priority deadline to qualify for fellowships.

Graduate Studies administers approximately $6.6 million dollars in internal fellowships annually. At UC Davis, you must apply by your program's priority deadline to be considered for these fellowships . Don't miss out on this opportunity.  We recommend you submit all of your application components, including test scores and transcripts, by the deadline.  Be sure to allow enough time to meet these deadlines. 

View Application Deadlines

Gather Your Unofficial Transcripts

Transcripts are required from all college-level institutions. You may use unofficial transcripts uploaded as .pdfs for your UC Davis application.  Official transcripts are only required if you are an admitted student.  You must list every college-level institution you have attended in the online application, including all community colleges, study abroad coursework, etc. If your college or institution does not use the 4.0 scale, do not attempt to convert your GPA.  On the application, enter your GPA just as it is on your transcript.

View Instructions for Uploading Transcripts 

Draft Your Admissions Essays

The personal history and diversity statement and the statement of purpose showcase your academic journey and passions. Once you've drafted your essays, be sure to allow enough time for revisions and feedback. Identify a few individuals to read your admissions essays, including faculty members or advisors. We also suggest seeing if your college offers any writing support or graduate school admissions advising.

View Admissions Essay Topics 

Request Letters of Recommendations 

Letters of Recommendation should be written by individuals who are familiar with your academic work and interests. As such, they can highlight your potential for success in a graduate program and contribute significantly to your admissions application. Requesting and receiving letters of recommendation can be a lengthy process. It’s important to develop relationships and establish a timeline early in your graduate school admissions process. 

Learn How to Submit Letters of Recommendations

Ready to Start Your Application?

NEW! The College of Biological Sciences has made funding available to assist Domestic PhD applicants with their application fees. Please click here for more details!

Your application.

The deadline for the application is December 1. The online application form is found at Graduate Studies . 

Materials needed:

• Application (online), including (i) Statement of Purpose, (ii) Personal History Statement, (iii) Essay describing Research or Professional Interests
• University/college/community college transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Optional: Fellowship application (included in online application)
• As of 2020, the IGG Graduate Group no longer requires GRE scores for admissions
• Official TOEFL or IELTS for international students

Incomplete applications may not be reviewed, so be sure to include all of the required materials!

Tips for completing your IGG application

Letters of recommendation

Seek these out early. Give your letter writer at least 6 week’s notice (no later than mid-October) and follow up 3, 2 and 1 week before the deadline. Your letter writer should be familiar with you academically, and should be able to speak to your ability to complete a M.S. or Ph.D. Remember to cultivate a relationship with potential referees early in your career.

Aim to have all of your letters written by scientists willing to write strong letters; failing that, at least 2 of them should be. Ask him/her if they need pointers for the letter i.e. for your professors: dates you interacted, quarter and year of the class you took, and your grade. For your internship advisor you may include the specific dates you worked, duties, and accomplishments. Sending your CV to your referees is also helpful.

Statement of Purpose (SOP) and Personal History & Diversity Statement

Your SOP and Personal history & diversity statement should be seamlessly interconnected to form a continuous narrative. Invest a significant amount of time writing each, developing it through several iterations. Ask your professors for feedback on your writing. Some elements of the SOP may overlap with the Personal history & diversity statement; for example, both may include obstacles to academic progress e.g. illness, working full-time.

Two important pieces of advice: (i) Be honest: do not try to reinvent yourself or inflate the importance of your accomplishments. (ii) Be specific: avoid platitudes and give examples. Show how you have turned a negative into a positive or how it now becomes a driving force to for you to be a scientist. UC Davis students and alumni can have their personal statements reviewed by the Student Academic Success Centre . 

(1) Drafting your Statement of Purpose.   This allows you to tell the Admissions Committee directly, why you should be admitted to the program. It should be concise, informative and well-organized, and present yourself as one competent to successfully complete the graduate program . Here are a few tips:

• Be clear on why you are applying.  Provide a context for your personal motivation i.e. state how you became interested in a particular topic and why you wish to pursue this question. This should be brief but well thought-through.
• Describe your past academic and research experiences.  State succinctly, the importance of the research question, the specific objective of your project, your general approach and the significance of your results.
• Discuss your current research interests.   In order to present a cohesive story (from past to present to future), Briefly mention your current research interest. This doesn’t need to be long since you will describe it in more details in the essay describing “Research or Professional Interests”.  Some students wish to continue in the same research vein, while others, may wish to switch fields, or approaches. You might want to elaborate here if you intend to deviate from past research experiences (it is perfectly ok).
• Map out your potential career plan.  Where do you see yourself as a researcher in the next 5 – 10 years? There should be a logical flow of your past and current experiences and how the expertise you will gain in IGG and UC Davis would permit your continued development.

Give yourself ample time to write your SOP. The Admissions committee can easily spot hurried and poorly thought out writing and this will have a negative effect on your evaluation. Secondly, your statement should be specific to IGG. Generic letters used to apply to multiple institutions and graduate groups where faculty names are simply interchanged can be detected.

(2) Drafting Your Personal History & Diversity statement.  This should provide the Reader with a clear perspective of the circumstances that shaped you, how it is interconnected with your academic pursuits, and how it prepares you for success. It is a chance for self-introspection: what are the specific driving forces or the single transformative event that propelled you to this point, where pursuing graduate studies in the department is the next logical step in your development.

The Personal History & Diversity statement can be used to:

• Fill-in the gaps about inconsistencies in your application, such as low grades.
• Highlight how you were able to persevere and in the face of life challenges and barriers to higher education, e.g. first-generation college student, English as a second language, socioeconomic disadvantages, illness/disability, member of other underrepresented group or faced other barriers).
• Give examples of leadership, service, teaching and tutoring during your academic career.
• List any successes you achieved and what you learned from them.
• List examples of how you can contribute to the diversity of ideas, perspectives, approaches, or study systems in IGG, UC Davis, or the academic community. List examples of how you have contributed to diversity in the past.

(3) Essay describing your “Research or Professional Interest” in the “Plans for Graduate Study” section.  

In the question right before this essay, you were asked to identify multiple areas of research or professional interest (just key words, e.g. Human genetics, Plant population genomics). Use this essay to explain these choices. Focus on your motivation and past experiences in your selection of research/professional interests. What do you see as the scientific and broader significance of these research areas? Finally, identify multiple faculty members you would like to work with including a clear justification for your choices (You will also be asked to list preferences for faculty mentors in the next question). In this segment, the Admissions Committee will be able to assess your depth of understanding of the field.

How are applicants evaluated?

Your application will be evaluated by a committee of faculty and graduate students. Here are a few things that the Admissions Committee consider when assessing your application:

• Your Undergraduate and Graduate GPA . All applicants must meet the University of California minimum GPA requirement (3.0) for admissions. Good grades in upper division courses and subjects related to the graduate program of interest are more important than those in other subjects. Extenuating circumstances that affected your overall GPA can be outlined in your Personal History.
• Research experience . Almost all applicants have laboratory experience prior to applying to graduate school. Working independently on a discrete research question is ideal. You should be knowledgeable about the research you conducted, the hypothesis tested and the rationale for the approach taken. This is better than simply being familiar with lab techniques.
• Recommendations made by your References . Seek individuals who can comment on your research (such as a research supervisor) and academic ability (such as a course professor) for the letter of recommendations. 
• Evidence of publication and presentation of your research data .  This would enhance your application, but will not be decisive factor in acceptance. If you are currently in the final year of your undergraduate degree look for all opportunities to present and publish your work.
• Your academic and professional goals . This can sometimes indicate if you have the ‘right’ motivation for graduate school, are realistic in what can be accomplished, and if this graduate group is the right fit for you.
• Your ability to write and articulate your ideas . Your statement of purpose and personal history statement may convey this, but comments from your recommender may also be helpful.

Please note: this is not a checklist that determines acceptance. The factors controlling admissibility are complex and do not follow a strict formula. IGG is committed to holistic review. Good academic grades and solid research experience are important, as they may indicate your scholastic aptitude and potential for scientific research, but the Admissions Committee will consider all the parts of your application in making a decision.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusions

IGG graduate group values Diversity, Equity, and Inclusions, and recognizes that physical and mental wellness is essential for being a productive scientist. We welcome applications from academically strong individuals from diverse groups, including but not limited to first generation college students, historically underrepresented groups, individuals belonging to socially or economically disadvantaged groups, individuals belonging to diverse gender, race and ethnicity, religion, age, country of origin, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and special health needs. Students trained through NIH PREP, McNair’s, BUSP, UC LEADS, UC-HBCU Initiatives or similar programs at your undergraduate institute are especially welcomed.

The IGG Graduate Group endorses the  University of California Davis’ Diversity Statement .

• McNair’s Scholarship Program
• B iology  U ndergraduate  S cholars  P rogram (BUSP)
• UC  L eadership  E xcellence Through  A dvanced  D egree S  (UC LEADS) Scholar Program
• UC-HBCU Initiative

Frequently Asked Questions

My GPA is good but not great, should I still apply?

Yes. The minimum GPA is 3.0, but there are exceptions. Applications are reviewed holistically. Your GPA, research experience, academic preparation and training, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and personal history are all considered in the application. 

Should I email professors that I am interested in working with?

Yes. This is highly recommended. You can email various professors in which you are interested in working with in their lab. It is perfectly acceptable to email multiple professors.

Do I have to be selected by a major professor for admittance?

No. Within the first year, students do 2-4 laboratory rotations before joining a lab for their thesis work.

Is there financial support in the program?

All accepted students are fully funded by the program for 5 years. The students will not have any out-of-pocket expenses with regard to tuition and fees, and they will receive a monthly stipend to support living expenses. Student support comes in a variety of ways: internal and external fellowships, research and teaching assistantships.

International Student Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum scores for the TOEFL/IELTS? 

• 550 on the TOEFL paper-based test (PBT), or
• 80 on the TOEFL internet-based test (iBT)
• IELTS Score: 7.0 points minimum on a 9.0 point scale

How do I know if I need to take the TOEFL or the IELTS?

If your previous degree was not solely taught in English, you will need to take the exam. You can check out what languages your institution taught in here:  http://whed.net/home.php . If your institution shows English and another language you will need to take either of the two exams. If your institution only shows English you do not need to take the exam.

How do I know if my institution is not accredited?

Look at your institutions website and look for their accreditation. Also look at the unaccredited institution list here:  http://www.foreigncredits.com/Resources/Unaccredited-Universities/

How can I calculate my GPA when it is not on a four-point scale?

Please use this online GPA calculator .