Webinar overview
Join former University of California admissions officer and Prepory Coach Sam L. as he breaks down the UC application process and explains how UC admissions officers evaluate applicants across the UC system.
During this webinar, Sam will cover:
- The key differences between the UC App and Common App
- How to approach each section of the UC application
- Strategies for writing compelling UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs)
- The complete UC application timeline and critical deadlines
- What makes applications stand out to selective UC admissions committees
- Q&A session for your specific UC admissions questions
Meet your webinar host: Sam Luby
Sam has over 13 years of admissions experience and knows what it takes to stand out in the UC application process. He’s reviewed more than 12,000 applications and helped his students get admitted to every UC school including UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and more.
Meet your webinar host:
Peter is a former Brown University admissions interviewer and seasoned admissions professional with over a decade of experience helping undergraduate business applicants gain admission to the country’s top programs. His students have been accepted to top business schools including the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, New York University Stern School of Business, and University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce.
Frequently asked questions for UC applicants:
UC admissions officers evaluate your whole application: your essays, extracurriculars, leadership, and context. They're looking for students who take intellectual initiative, contribute to their communities, and show how you'll add value to campus. Your GPA and test scores get your application read, but your essays and activities are what make admissions officers remember your application. UCs want to see genuine engagement with your interests, not a generic resume of activities.
Your essays are where you differentiate. The UC personal insight questions ask about your background, intellectual interests, and who you are. This is where you tell your story in your own voice. Admissions officers read thousands of applications; they notice when you're authentic and when you're writing what you think they want to hear. Choose activities and experiences that genuinely matter to you, not ones that look impressive on a list. Depth and demonstrated impact in a few areas will always outweigh a long list of surface-level involvements.
The best time to start is now, regardless of what grade you're in. If you're in sophomore or junior year, focus on taking challenging coursework, pursuing activities that align with your genuine interests, and developing leadership within those activities. If you're a senior, you can still build a strong application, but earlier engagement in meaningful activities gives you more to write about and more impact to demonstrate. UC admissions looks at your full high school transcript, so consistent engagement matters more than a sudden spike senior year.
Common mistakes include treating the personal insight essays as resume summaries instead of reflective storytelling, spreading yourself too thin across activities without meaningful involvement, and not researching which UCs actually fit your goals and strengths. Many students also underestimate how much context matters—if you've overcome challenges or had limited opportunities, saying so is powerful. Another frequent error is submitting generic essays that could apply to any school instead of showing genuine interest in specific UCs or programs. Admissions officers can tell the difference.
