2026-27 Cycle • 4 prompts

UC Berkeley supplemental essays.

Every UC Berkeley supplemental prompt for the 2026-27 cycle, with the word limit, what they're looking for, and the most common pitfalls.

1. 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.

   350 wordsoptional

   What they really want

   • PIQ #1 — pick one of four. Leadership without title is fully valid.
   • Show the influence concretely — a specific person, a specific change.

   Avoid

   • Listing positions without showing leadership behavior.
   • Performative 'I learned to listen' arcs without action.

2. 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.

   350 wordsoptional

   What they really want

   • PIQ #2 — strong choice for STEM students who don't fit 'arts.'
   • Originality of thought counts — debugging, math problems, inventing systems.

   Avoid

   • Defining creativity as 'I take art class.'
   • Listing creative outputs without a process.

3. Prompt 3: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

   350 wordsoptional

   What they really want

   • PIQ #3 — needs a clear arc of practice + outcome.
   • Skill, not credential. Coding > 'I have an A in CS.'

   Avoid

   • Naming a generic skill (hard work, perseverance).
   • Showing the talent at one point in time only.

4. Prompt 4: Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

   350 wordsoptional

   What they really want

   • PIQ #4 — both halves work; pick one.
   • UC reads many of these — concrete actions beat hardship narratives.

   Avoid

   • Treating 'educational barrier' as just 'a hard class.'
   • Listing every program without specifics.