UCSD Supplemental Essays 2024-2025: Writing Tips + Examples

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) requires four 350-word supplemental essays, which they officially call Personal Insight Questions. There are eight prompts you can choose from.

UCSD ranks #29 in national universities and #6 in top public schools. The institution is especially known for its STEM programs too. Its admissions process is quite competitive, with an acceptance rate of 26.8%.

If you want to increase your chances of getting admitted to UCSD, keep reading. We’ll discuss the eight Personal Insight Questions and give tips and examples to help you craft your own excellent supplemental essays.

• UCSD Supplemental Essay Prompts
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #1
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #2
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #3
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #4
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #5
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #6
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #7
• How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #8
• Mistakes to Avoid When Writing UCSD Supplemental Essays
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

UCSD Supplemental Essay Prompts

UCSD requires only four supplemental essays that are 350 words each, but you’ll have eight prompts to choose from. As one of the schools in the UC system, UCSD doesn’t use the Coalition or Common App, so you won’t need to write personal statements either.

Here are the UCSD essay prompts for 2024-2025:

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
• Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
• Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Rest assured that all prompts are equal, so you can really choose any four that resonate with you the most.

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #1

For this prompt, UCSD is asking not only if you’re a leader but also how you lead and whether it has led to positive change. They want proof that leadership is not just about holding a title for you—it’s about showing how your actions also affected the people or community around you.

Brainstorming ideas

If you want to showcase your leadership abilities, here are tips to polish your ideas:

• Reflect on your experiences. Consider all times when you assumed leadership roles. Think about school clubs and sports teams, or even informal settings like family situations and group projects.
• Identify the impact of each experience. For each idea you have, ask yourself how your actions changed the group dynamics or outcome. What challenges did you overcome, and what did I learn? How did this experience help me grow as a leader?
• Choose the best example. Choose an example that best showcases your leadership qualities, demonstrates a clear before-and-after impact, and is rich enough to tell a compelling story in under 350 words.

Essay structure tips + examples

Once you’ve chosen the idea you want to go with, here’s how you can write it down:

• Set the scene. Grab the reader’s attention by dropping them in the middle of the situation. What was the challenge that needed a leader?
• Describe the situation. Give background details about the circumstances. Why was there a problem in the first place, and has it been getting worse? Has anyone tried solving it before you stepped up?
• Show the before and after. Focus on specific steps you took to address the problem or unite the group. Highlight any creative or thoughtful solutions. What happened after? Did they work?
• Reflect on the experience. Talk about what the experience taught you about leadership and how it can help you in the future.

For example, you have a group project in class, and members were having a hard time agreeing on what to do.

Give some context on the problem—did your classmates just have differing opinions, or were tensions also running high? Mention if anyone else tried to improve the situation. Show your thought process on what you think went wrong and how you then stepped up. Maybe you organized regular meetings and facilitated discussions until things were smoothed out. Then you delegated tasks based on individual strengths.

Talk about how things worked out in the end and what you learned about leadership and the importance of good communication and collaboration.

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #2

This essay asks you to reveal your creative side by discussing how you express creativity in any of its many forms—whether through problem-solving, innovative thinking, the arts, or other areas.

Brainstorming ideas

If you’re already thinking of the many ways you can be creative, below are some ideas to help you narrow your choices:

• Choose your best medium. Think about how your creativity is best expressed—is it through traditional arts like writing and music, innovative problem solving in academic or community projects, or unique approaches to everyday tasks?
• Talk about your process. Focus on the process you went through. If you went through several trial-and-errors before getting to the process that works, you can talk about that too.
• Think of how your creativity had a meaningful impact. Focus on examples where you not only showed creativity but also had a meaningful impact. How did your creative approach make a difference for yourself or others?

Essay structure tips + examples

If you’ve chosen something that best captures your creative identity, here’s how you can write your essay:

• Draw the reader into your creative process. Hook your reader in with an intriguing question, a brief anecdote, or a striking statement related to your creativity.
• Detail your process. Describe your thought process, the steps you took, and how you overcame obstacles. Try to emphasize your innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. For instance, did you have to mix your own paint to get the perfect color?
• Talk about the impact. Explain how your creative approach made a difference. What did you achieve, and how did it affect others or change a situation?
• Connect your creativity to broader experiences. Reflect on why you love your creative experiences/outlets. Connect your creative expression to your broader goals or how it influences your perspective on challenges and opportunities.

Let’s say you’re good at music composition. You can introduce it by talking about the moment you discovered that music was your creative outlet.

You can continue by saying you realized you might be good at composition when you forgot or missed certain notes on the violin while practicing and started improvising to cover it up. You can say you began to compose your own music when you couldn’t find a piece or song that fully matched the joy or sadness you felt at a certain time.

When talking about the impact, you can say you performed your compositions for other people. After that, you can discuss why you love composing music and how you think the skills you learned can help you in the future, whether or not you’re majoring in music composition.

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #3

This prompt wants you to talk about your greatest talent or skill and your journey of dedication and perseverance that allowed you to hone it over time. UCSD wants to see if you have the self-awareness to know what you’re good at and if you actively sought opportunities to improve your talent.

Brainstorming ideas

If you have a talent or skill that you’re really proud of, here are some tips to help you refine how to present it:

• Choose a unique talent. Think about what you most enjoy doing and sharing with others. Consider feedback from teachers, coaches, or mentors that highlighted this talent.
• Think about your journey. List key experiences, challenges, or turning points that contributed to your improvement. You can talk about any mentors, classes, or practices that were important in developing this skill. Be specific about what you developed. Did you learn to play with shades to paint in monochrome, or play with a light hand for a more whimsical musical tone?
• Reflect on its impact. How did your talent benefit others or make a difference in your community or school? What was its impact on you?

Essay structure tips + examples

When you’re ready with your ideas, below are some tips to structure your essay:

• Introduce your talent. Don’t just simply say “I’m good at math.” Draw the reader in with an anecdote, observation, or question related to your talent.
• Explain its importance. What does your skill mean to you? Did it improve your self-confidence or make you feel connected with others?
• Talk about the before, during, and after. Describe your development process. How did you find out you had this skill? What challenges did you face and what did you do to improve? What are your next steps now? How else can you utilize your talent in the future?

Maybe your greatest talent is communication. You can start by saying when you unknowingly showed it off—such as that time in kindergarten when you confidently delivered a graduation speech in front of all the parents.

Talk about how important your communication skills are to you since they let you be more connected to others. Then, discuss your development journey. When did you realize you were good at communication? Did you face any setbacks that might have shaken your confidence? What did you do to be better?

You can end by saying how you can expect to keep using your skills in the future. Do you plan on joining a debate club or hope to present a paper at a conference?

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #4

You have two options on what topic your essay can have for this prompt: an educational opportunity you took (such as enrolling in a specialized program) or an educational barrier you conquered (such as financial constraints).

Brainstorming ideas

If you want to try your hand at this prompt, here are some brainstorming ideas to help you get started:

• Reflect on your experiences. In what ways have you taken advantage of educational opportunities—from attending webinars to engaging in research? Or, have you faced challenges like lack of access to resources that affected your academics?
• Identify important moments. Think of a specific event or series of events that captures your experience. What was the moment when you decided to make the most of an opportunity, or when you decided you had to overcome an obstacle?
• Talk about the process and impact. How did you navigate the situation? What specific actions did you take? What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them? How has the experience changed you?

Essay structure tips + examples

Once you’ve chosen the experience you want to focus on, here’s how you can structure your essay:

• Introduce the opportunity or barrier. Start your essay with an anecdote of your experience. You can start from the beginning or drop the reader in the moment you take action for a more compelling hook.
• Detail your actions. Explain the steps you took to either take advantage of the opportunity or overcome the barrier. Include challenges faced, decisions made, and strategies used. You can also say if you had mentors or peers that helped you along the way.
• Reflect on your growth. Talk about what you learned from the experience. How will it shape your future educational endeavors and personal growth?

Imagine you’re an immigrant, and English isn’t your first language. Start the essay by talking about your first week of school in the US and how it hit you that you needed to learn the language (and culture) of the place fast.

Continue by explaining what you did to quickly overcome the language barrier. Did your parents hire a tutor? Did you read children’s books to practice since they use easy-to-understand words? Did you practice conversation with that nice lady across the street?

End the essay by talking about your realizations from that experience. Aside from your fluency, how else did the experience contribute to your personal growth and to your future plans?

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #5

For this prompt, UCSD wants to see how you faced a challenge that had an impact on your academics. You should show that you can recognize and understand challenges, and have the ability to develop and implement solutions.

Brainstorming ideas

To help you choose what your biggest challenge is, below are some ideas:

• Consider a wide range of challenges. Think of events that might have disrupted your daily life and academics—from experiencing bullying to trying to bounce back from a natural disaster.
• Identify turning points. Think of major events or decisions that marked a change in how you approached the problem. Did you start to regularly consult your math teacher when you realized you were failing class and needed extra help to understand the harder problems?
• Think about personal and academic growth. Talk about both the negative impacts and the positive outcomes of your experience and reflect on how the whole thing had a lasting impact on your personal and academic growth.

Essay structure tips + examples

If you already have a challenge you want to talk about, here’s how you can write it down:

• Start with a compelling hook. Introduce your challenge with an anecdote or other statement that sums up the core of it. You can include how much it affected you.
• Talk about the challenge you faced. Go in-depth on your challenge. How did it start? What was your initial response to it? How did it affect your academics?
• Discuss how you responded. Once you’ve spent some time to absorb and think about your challenge, what did you do? Were you able to slowly but surely get back on track or was adjusting still a rollercoaster?
• Reflect on the outcome and future impact. Talk about the lessons you learned and how the experience has prepared you for future challenges. You can even connect your experience with your future academic or career aspirations, showing that you’re ready to handle new challenges.

Maybe you came back after a week or two of fighting against COVID-19 and have been overwhelmed by the projects you need to do and lessons you need to study. You can start the essay by talking about that overwhelming feeling on your first day of school.

Aside from needing to catch up on schoolwork, you can say you also felt out of place since you weren’t with your classmates for quite some time. How did that feeling affect your motivation to study? You can talk about what you did to solve both the loneliness and schoolwork. Maybe you consulted with teachers to help you understand the past lessons faster. Maybe you asked your friends if you could have a study group so they could help you as you studied the materials.

End the essay by discussing how it all worked out. Did you catch up and pass? What else did you gain from the experience? Maybe you realized how much of a fast learner you really are. How will you carry what you learned from the experience to the future?

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #6

This UCSD prompt wants you to demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and passion for learning by talking about how you delved deeper into a subject that interests you both in and out of the classroom.

Brainstorming ideas

Not sure which of your interests you want to talk about? Here are a few tips to help you:

• Reflect on your interests. Think about specific moments or experiences that sparked your interest. Did dissecting a frog reel you in on anatomy? Did your sleepiness go away when it was time to discuss Shakespeare?
• Go beyond the classroom. Yes, we know the prompt calls for what you do in and out of the classroom. But there’s only so much you can do in class—from participating in class discussions to going above and beyond projects. What you do outside the classroom can be more interesting. Did you take additional online courses, participate in research opportunities, or connect with professionals or experts in the field?
• Think of your growth. Think of how your spark of interest evolved into an active, ongoing involvement. Show how your love for the subject has changed into a deeper appreciation of it.

Essay structure tips + examples

Ready to nerd out? Below are some tips to help you organize your essay:

• Begin with a good intro. State the academic subject that inspires you. Be as specific as possible. Do you love music? What aspect of it do you love the most?
• Explain your inspiration. Describe why this subject fascinates you so much. What is it about the subject that resonates with your interests or future goals?
• Talk about the journey and your future aspirations. Take the reader through your journey—from feeling that spark of interest to the different ways you nurtured it. Has the whole experience affected your mindset in learning? How can you carry this in your future endeavors?

Let’s say you’re deep in the genetics rabbit hole. Start the essay by talking about the moment the subject caught your interest. Is there a particular branch of genetics you like more than the others?

Explain why the topic interests you so much. Are you curious about cross-breeding plants or the idea of genetic engineering for healthier people? Does your interest align with your career goals? Discuss your journey. Maybe you’ve pursued this interest through contests, lab work, research opportunities, and reading scientific journals.

End the essay by talking about how you grew as you pursued your interest. How did it affect your mindset regarding learning? How do you plan to continue pursuing genetics in the future?

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #7

For this prompt, UCSD wants evidence of your initiative and the positive change you’ve caused, whether through formal roles or informal actions. They want to see if you can identify the needs of a community and take action to address them.

Brainstorming ideas

If you’re active in your community, here are some ideas that can help you think of how to choose that one moment for your essay:

• Think of all your civic contributions. Your contributions don’t have to all be as big as organizing an event or visiting nursing homes. Things like creating art to brighten a space might seem small to you, but they surely made someone’s day.
• Focus on your most memorable one. Out of all your contributions, which of them do you hold closest to your heart? Did you present a recipe at a soup kitchen that everyone loved? Do the stray animals on your street know you already because of the feeding initiative you started for them?
• Focus on your impact. How did your actions affect you and your community? What did you learn from your experience?

Essay structure tips + examples

When you have the one special moment you want to talk about, here’s how you can structure your essay:

• Start with an overview. Introduce the context of your essay and hint at what will follow.
• Talk about the before, during, and after the contribution. Discuss why you wanted to make a specific contribution to the community. What inspired you? How did you go about your contribution and was it received well by the community? Give details.
• Reflect on your realizations. What did you learn about yourself and your community through your contribution and what does it mean for you? Connect your past experiences to your future goals to help show that you plan to continue making a positive impact.

Let’s say your goal was improving mental health awareness and support within your school. You can start the essay by saying you noticed a lack of open dialogue surrounding mental health, which creates a stigma that stops students from seeking help.

Why did you feel the need to do something about it? Maybe you or someone close to you also struggled with mental health. How did you take your advocacy to the next level? Maybe you recruited a diverse group of students who were also passionate about mental health advocacy and collaborated with other clubs to raise awareness and promote inclusivity. Did students feel more comfortable talking about their mental health challenges? Was there a decrease in bullying and social isolation?

End the essay by saying the experience taught you the importance of empathy, compassion, and the power of community support. You can say you plan to continue the advocacy work at UCSD to contribute to the university’s efforts to promote student well-being.

How to Write the UCSD Supplemental Essay #8

In your essay for this prompt, you’ll have to talk about what makes you uniquely you and why you’re a good fit for their specific environment. UCSD wants to see if you have a deep understanding of your own strengths, values, and aspirations, and how these align with their mission, values, and academic programs.

Brainstorming ideas

If you want to try answering this prompt, here are some ideas to help you:

• Reflect on your unique journey. Ask yourself what personal experiences have significantly shaped your worldview, character, or academic interests.
• Think of underrepresented strengths. Look for qualities or skills that might not be obvious from your transcripts or tackled yet in your other essays. Think about feedback you’ve received from mentors, teachers, or peers that highlights an aspect of you not reflected in other parts of your application.
• Eyes on the future. While past experiences are relevant, emphasize your future potential and how UCSD will help you achieve your aspirations. How do you see yourself making a difference?

Essay structure tips + examples

If you’re ready with your ideas, here’s how you can structure your essay:

• Grab the reader’s attention. Start with an anecdote, observation, or question that captures what you want to talk about and connects to your aspirations.
• Talk about your unique qualities. Clearly discuss what makes you a strong candidate—this could be a unique aspect of your personality, a formative experience, or a combination of qualities that set you apart.
• Connect to UCSD. Explain why UCSD. Talk about what programs or aspects of the campus and community appeal to you and how they can help you in your personal growth and career goals.
• End with a looking-forward statement. Reiterate your strengths, and end with enthusiasm for attending UCSD.

For example, you’re interested in sustainable technology, and you know UCSD has great STEM programs. You can start your essay by saying you tinkered with salvaged electronics in your makeshift lab in the garage. You can continue by talking about why you started that hobby and what sparked your interest. Say how this experience has shaped your character and future aspirations.

Maybe the challenges of troubleshooting and refining a project taught you the value of persistence and interdisciplinary thinking. Maybe you want to pursue further research in renewable energy and environmental engineering—and UCSD’s emphasis on research, innovation, and community engagement aligns perfectly with your hands-on approach to learning and desire to develop solutions that benefit society.

You can end the essay by saying that you look forward to collaborating with fellow innovators and engaging in interdisciplinary projects through programs like the Jacobs School of Engineering, where you can further refine ideas and work towards sustainable solutions.

Mistakes to Avoid When Writing UCSD Supplemental Essays

UCSD’s supplemental essays are very important to your application, and avoiding common mistakes can definitely strengthen it more. So, here are what you shouldn’t do in your essays and quick tips on how you can avoid them:

1. Ignoring prompt nuances

Students can misinterpret a question, which can lead to irrelevant essays. Straying off-topic or not addressing every part of the prompt can leave the reader confused about your main message.

Carefully read and understand every word of each prompt. Pay close attention to the specific wording and tailor your response accordingly.

2. Rehashing information

Repeating details from other parts of your application can waste valuable space. The supplemental essays are your chance to reveal new dimensions of your personality.

Focus on unique experiences, personal growth stories, or perspectives that aren’t covered in other parts of your application.

3. Trying to be someone you’re not

Supplemental essays are a chance for you to show who you really are outside of academics rather than a way for you to simply impress admissions officers. They read thousands of essays and can already spot inauthenticity.

Write in your own voice. Don’t try to be what you think they want. Be genuinely you. No matter how big or small you think your experiences are, UCSD wants to see why they matter to you so much and what makes them a part of who you are.

4. Superficial answers

UCSD values genuine, reflective insights. An essay that feels overly polished may signal that you’re not showing the real you. Don’t just skim the surface of your experiences either since it shows a lack of self-awareness.

Write in a voice that reflects your true personality. Let your enthusiasm, curiosity, or even vulnerability come through in your writing. Reflect honestly on your experiences, values, and aspirations.

5. Language and structure issues

Spelling and grammar aren’t part of the criteria for essays, but having too many mistakes can make admissions officers think that you didn’t give time to take your essays seriously enough. Having a confusing structure can also land you in the pile of denied applications since UCSD can’t clearly pinpoint your main topic.

Have an outline first before writing. When you’re done, proofread your work and ask for feedback from peers and mentors to help you polish your work more. You may also seek the help of a college essay expert.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does UCSD require supplemental essays?

Yes, UCSD requires four supplemental essays, but you can choose from eight prompts.

2. Does each UC have their own supplemental essays?

No, all UC schools share the same supplemental essay prompts.

3. Does UCSD look at essays?

Yes, UCSD looks at essays. Admissions officers use them to understand your personal qualities, interests, and aspirations. From that, they can assess if you’re a good fit for the campus community.

Takeaways

UCSD supplemental essays showcase your unique strengths and potential, significantly increasing your chances of admission.

• For UCSD, you’ll have to submit four essays that are 350 words each. You can choose from eight prompts.
• When writing UCSD supplemental essays, be careful that you do not ignore prompt nuances, rehash information, try to be someone else, give superficial answers, and have issues with language and structure.
• It’s very important to choose the most ideal prompts and revise your essays multiple times. A private consultant can help you decide what prompts to work on and offer a fresh set of eyes to polish your work.