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How long are the UC Personal Insight Questions?
Each UC Personal Insight Question answer can be up to 350 words, and you answer four of the eight questions, so up to 1,400 words in all. One answer is about 1.4 double-spaced pages.
Work it out
pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page
- Handwritten pages
- 1.4
- Reading time
- 1 min 28 sec
- Speaking time
- 2 min 20 sec–2 min 42 sec
- Typing time
- 8 min 45 sec
- Paragraphs
- 2–4
- Sentences
- 18–23
- Characters with spaces
- about 2,100
Write it in the word counter with a limit of 350 words.
Open the word counterUC Personal Insight Questions in pages and minutes
| Length | Single-spaced | Double-spaced | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 words | 0.5 | 1 | 1 min 3 sec | 1 min 40 sec–1 min 55 sec |
| 350 words | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1 min 28 sec | 2 min 20 sec–2 min 42 sec |
Estimates for US Letter or A4 with 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins and ordinary paragraphs; reading at 238 words a minute, speaking at 130 to 150.
How the PIQs work
The University of California application uses its own short essays instead of the Common App essay. You choose four of eight questions, which cover leadership, creativity, a talent, an educational opportunity or barrier, a challenge, an academic subject, your community, and what makes you stand out. All questions are weighted equally.
The UC advice is to write in a direct, plain style; these are answers to questions, not literary essays.
Planning 350 words
- Answer the question in your first sentence or two.
- Give one specific example with what you did (about 200 words).
- Close with what you learned or how it shapes what you will do (about 75 words).
Set a limit of 350 in the word counter for each answer, and keep the four answers about different parts of your life.
Questions and answers
How many words are the UC essays?
Up to 350 words for each of the four answers.
Is there a minimum word count for the PIQs?
No minimum is set, but an answer of well under 250 words usually leaves out detail that would help you.
How many PIQs do I answer?
Four of the eight.