Your responses to the personal insight questions are an important component of your freshman or transfer application. Your responses to the prompts enable us to get to know you as an individual through your experiences and accomplishments.
Your answers provide context for the rest of the information in your application and show your personal commitment to learning, what qualities you will bring to the university and how you face life challenges. We are looking for qualities that will help you succeed at UC Davis while enriching our community.
Freshman applicants must respond to four short-answer prompts chosen from eight options. There is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain prompts over others, and each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
Transfer applicants must respond to four short-answer prompts—one mandatory prompt and their choice of three from the other seven options. There is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain prompts over others, and each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
Your responses should elaborate upon any insights you gained or how your outlook, activities, commitment or goals have been influenced.
Some scholarship committees review your responses to the personal insight questions while other scholarships, such as the Cal Aggie Alumni Association scholarships, may require separate applications and essays. Please visit our Scholarships page to learn more about scholarships available at UC Davis.
