進入11月，剛交完美國大學ED的你，是不是正在為(wei) UC申請做最後的衝(chong) 刺？
不同於(yu) CA係統的主文書(shu) 和補充文書(shu) ，UC係統每年會(hui) 放出8道題，讓你選4道來答，每題字數限製在350字以內(nei) 。
UC將這些稱為(wei) 【個(ge) 人洞察力問題】（Personal Insight Questions，簡寫(xie) PIQ），幫助UC招生官更好地了解你的方方麵麵。
今天老師特地準備了一份保姆級教程，以多篇優(you) 秀UC範文為(wei) 切入點，全方位教大家如何破解UC的8道PIQ。
第一題：領導力
Prompt1:
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helpedresolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
描述一個(ge) 展現你領導力的例子。在過程中，你對他人產(chan) 生了積極的影響，幫助解決(jue) 了糾紛，或為(wei) 團體(ti) 的努力做出了貢獻。
領導力是美國大學最為(wei) 看重的品質之一，這也是為(wei) 什麽(me) UC文書(shu) 會(hui) 把這道題放在第一位。
題目中列出了幾個(ge) 特質：積極影響他人、解決(jue) 糾紛能力、團隊貢獻能力。隻要你的經曆具備這些特質，都可以作為(wei) 這篇文書(shu) 的素材。
Example Essay:
Ming Ji Restaurant
Since 5th grade, I have been my parents’ right hand at Ming Ji Restaurant in our hometown of Zacatecas, Mexico. Sometimes, they needed me to be the cashier, other times, a dishwasher or chef’s assistant in the kitchen, and eventually I was expected to interact with customers as the youngest waiter on staff.
As I developed more in this role, I became a keystone piece for the waiters. I taught them how to properly attend groups of unsatisfied customers and the fundamentals of customer service. Consequently, I acquired organizational habits and dialogued more fluently to resolve problems. I developed better strategies to speed up home-delivery and in restaurant service. Through this, I achieved not only a better rapport with my colleagues but also a more honest and enjoyable relation with my dad’s employees. It implanted a strong work ethic in me that reminds me of the hardworking farmers of my past generations.
I believe that to achieve efficiency and productivity in the working environment between employees and the manager, it requires not only the firmness and attention of a boss, but also the empathy and vision of a leader. These were the very qualities I developed as my dad’s assistant.
Working through the many facets of a small business has taught me the key role of small groups in a system, and I applied this beyond the walls of the restaurant. In school, you will see me managing and organizing one-on-one mediations with peer counselors, and at the same time, earning myself a leading position in my school’s British English Olympics team.
As a result of my years laboring for my family restaurant, you might think that I would like to become an entrepreneur. But in actuality, I picture myself as an engineer, as I believe both require the adaptability, perseverance, dedication, and strategy to succeed in this field.
分析
作者以一種非常規的方式定義(yi) 了領導力。你不必成為(wei) 學生會(hui) 主席或非營利組織創始人才能展現領導力，在家庭中工作同樣可以發揮領導作用。
TA分享了自己所學到的東(dong) 西，描述他如何在其他地方應用這些經驗。因此這篇PIQ不僅(jin) 與(yu) 餐廳有關(guan) ，還與(yu) 他的成長有關(guan) 。
文章結尾作者還闡明自己將為(wei) UC帶來哪些價(jia) 值觀、技能和品質，清晰的結構非常易於(yu) 閱讀。
第二題：創造力
Promp2:
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.
每個(ge) 人都有創造性的一麵，它可以通過許多方式來表達：解決(jue) 問題、原創和創新思維以及藝術表達等等。請描述你如何表達你創造性的一麵。
美國大學一直致力於(yu) 培養(yang) 創新型人才。UC把這道題放在第二位，說明它想了解你的綜合能力。
這篇的關(guan) 鍵也在於(yu) 定義(yi) 創造力：你不一定要有偉(wei) 大的發明、精彩的提案，才叫有創造力。它也可以是在生活中用簡單獨特的方式，去解決(jue) 複雜的問題。
Example Essay:
Drumming
Some time during middle school, I began my journey to establish a rock band, become its drummer and, most importantly, grow magnificent long hair. I enrolled at a local music institute for drum classes twice a week. I didn’t have a drum-kit at home, so I’d eagerly wait for those two one-hour sessions of smashing cymbals and double-kicking bases every week. I was having a great time, but some part of me always felt that I was not exploring my musical creativity as much as I could.
Over the next few months, as I continued to develop my mastery of the drum-kit, percussion became a part of my everyday life and soon I could sense rhythmic patterns in ordinary sounds. When no drums were available, I’d start finger-tapping in synchronous rhythms on any rigid surface and, before long, finger-tapping became an integral part of my rhythmic intelligence.
Unlike drumming, finger-tapping allowed me to incorporate melody into standard grooves by tapping on surfaces that had varying degrees of hollowness. Since it was a percussion style that I instinctively developed by myself, finger-tapping gave me the artistic freedom to create something new.
But I didn’t want to shape my spontaneous finger-tapping artistry to master another percussion instrument like the Tabla or Maschine.
Therefore, I decided to invent my own instrument. Equipped with my expertise in robotics and coding, I used electronic items like piezoelectric sensors, pcbs, and transistors to build an instrument that reflected my own finger-tapping habits and patterns. It had ten small pads for my fingers and two large pads for my palms. I chose a raspberry-pi as its CPU and programmed it to play all kinds of melodies and beats. In this way, I learned how to coordinate my different talents and skills to amplify my total creative output.
My friends and family suggested that I name and advertise my invention and maybe sell it to a company. But if I did that, I would lose the essence of why I built it. I built it not to master its musical capacity but to develop my own musical creativity.
分析
文章第1段的結尾，作者便提出疑問設置懸念：TA應該如何更充分地表達自己的音樂(le) 創造力？本文剩下的部分將主要來回答這個(ge) 問題。
為(wei) 解決(jue) 這一挑戰，作者開始嚐試在日常生活中打鼓，並決(jue) 定發明自己的儀(yi) 器。TA還使用了一些專(zhuan) 業(ye) 名詞，例如“壓電傳(chuan) 感器、印刷電路板和晶體(ti) 管”等，來向我們(men) 展示TA在電子方麵的知識。
第三題：才能/技能
Prompt3:
What would you say is your greatesttalent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
你最突出的才能或技能是什麽(me) ？一直以來，你是如何培養(yang) 並展示這一才能或技能的？
不少同學答這道題時，喜歡用GPA和獎項來舉(ju) 例。還有學生喜歡用運動、藝術特長來舉(ju) 例，我們(men) 選題不一定要這麽(me) 窄。
一些軟技能比如溝通能力、研究能力、批判性思維、善於(yu) 傾(qing) 聽、共情能力，都可以作為(wei) 才能/技能來書(shu) 寫(xie) 。
Example Essay:
Finding connections among the dissimilar
I’ve always strived to find connections among the dissimilar.
It started when I was a kid and my dad taught me Sudoku. As he explained the rules, those mysterious scaffoldings of numbers I often saw on his computer screen transformed into complex structures of logic built by strategy. Gradually, puzzles became a constant in my life. In elementary school, I began searching for patterns in the world around me: thin, dark clouds signaled rain, the moon changed shape every week, and the best snacks were the first to go. I wanted to know what unseen rules affected these things and how they worked. My parents, both pipeline engineers, encouraged this inquisitiveness and tried explaining how they solved puzzles in their own work. Their analytical mindsets helped me muddle through homework and optimize matches in Candy Crush.
In high school, I threw myself into all my classes and studied by linking concepts across subjects. Mathematical syntax transitioned easily to English grammar, and the catalysts for revolutions resembled isomers of the same element, nominally different with the same properties.
As I grew older, my interests expanded to include the delicate systems of biology, the complexity of animation, and the nuances of language. Despite these subjects’ apparent dissimilarity, each provides fascinating perspectives on the world with approaches like color theory and evolution. Unsurprisingly, my career aspirations changed every week: one day I wanted to be an illustrator, the next a biochemist, then a stand up comedian. But when I discovered computer science, something seemed to settle; I had finally found a field where I could be creative, explore a different type of language, and, yes, solve puzzles.
Best of all, I believe my superpower has helped me knit together my identity. Although my relatives’ rapid Mandarin escapes me, in them I recognize the same work ethic that fueled me through marching band practices and late nights. My multicultural friend group is linked by our diverse passions: k-pop, hockey, Hamilton. While to others my life may seem like a jumble of incompatible fragments, like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece connects to become something more.
分析
盡管作者選擇了一種抽象的才能——尋找不同事物之間的聯係，但TA列出了許多具體(ti) 的例子，這些例子充分展示了作者善於(yu) 聯想的能力。
文章最後進行升華，作者強調這項超能力還幫助TA整合了自己的身份，同時也向招生官展示了一個(ge) 更立體(ti) 豐(feng) 富的申請形象。
第四題：教育機會(hui) /障礙
Prompt4:
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced?
請描述你是如何利用重要的教育機會(hui) 或努力克服你所麵臨(lin) 的教育障礙的？
這道題和學術經曆有關(guan) ，體(ti) 現了UC對學術的重視。你不妨通過這道題，來展現除標化和GPA以外的學術成就。
Example Essay:
Construction
Five years ago I took up a job in construction from a couple of neighbors who needed help doing a demolition job on an old house. I saw this as an opportunity to help pay bills around the house as well as cover my own personal expenses. I did a good enough job that my neighbors told me that, if I wanted, I could continue working with them.
It has been a demanding job and I made numerous mistakes at first, like using the wrong tools for different tasks or the wrong size screw. On occasion, I was scolded for my mistakes and I felt incompetent, as I wasn’t able to complete tasks as fast as my co-workers. There were even days that I considered quitting, but I stuck with it.
Since then, I've built, repaired, and remodeled numerous homes for family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers. I’ve removed and replaced carpets; broken down walls as well as driveways; installed cabinets, lights, both wood and tile flooring; and painted room after room.
Working in construction has made me feel like a bigger part of society, because I’m shaping the buildings and offices my community uses. Although I don’t make the choices in design, my workmanship is reflected in every job I’ve done. Because of this, my most memorable projects are those that I’ve taken on by myself.
It has been a personally fulfilling experience—there’s just something about peeling away the last strip of tape off a new floor that’s indescribable—and getting to see hours of planning, preparation, and work come together is such a rewarding experience. The best part? Knowing that some family will get to enjoy my work.
But this is not what I will do the rest of my life.
There are other ways I can help cover my family’s expenses, and getting a degree is the next step. In fact, I have a feeling that would be an even more fulfilling journey.
分析
對於(yu) 這個(ge) 問題，許多同學會(hui) 選擇寫(xie) 一門課外課程或科研經曆，而這位作者以一種非常規的方式定義(yi) “教育機會(hui) ”——在建築行業(ye) 工作讓TA學到了很多東(dong) 西。
文章最後作者闡述雖然TA發現在建築工作中很有價(jia) 值，但TA希望有一天能從(cong) 事一份更充實的工作。這表明了TA的雄心壯誌，並幫助我們(men) 理解TA為(wei) 什麽(me) 想上大學。
第五題：最大的挑戰
Prompt5:
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?
描述你所遇到的最重大挑戰。你是如何克服這一挑戰的？這個(ge) 挑戰又是如何影響了你的學術表現？
這道題可寫(xie) 的素材有很多：原生家庭、學校社區、社會(hui) 活動等等都是很好的靈感來源。
選題是其次，更重要的是寫(xie) 出這些挑戰給你帶來的影響：你如何應對挑戰？收到了什麽(me) 影響？從(cong) 中學到什麽(me) ？
Example Essay:
At six years old, I stood locked away in the restroom. My dad was being put under arrest for domestic abuse. He’d hurt my mom physically and mentally, and my brother Jose and I had shared the mental strain. It’s what had to be done.
For a few years the quality of our lives started to improve as our soon-to-be step-dad became part of our family. He paid attention to the needs of my mom, my brother, and me, but our prosperity was short-lived as my step dad’s chronic alcoholism became more recurrent. When I was eight, my younger brother Fernando’s birth complicated things even further. As my step-dad slipped away, Fernando’s care was left to Jose and me. I cooked, Jose cleaned, I dressed Fernando, Jose put him to bed. We did what we had to do.
I grew determined to improve the quality of life for my family and myself.
Without a father figure to teach me the things a father could, I became my own teacher. I learned how to fix bikes, how to swim, and even how to talk to girls. I found a job to help pay bills. I became as independent as I could to lessen the time and money mom had to spend raising me.
I worked hard to earn straight A’s, I shattered my school’s 1ooM breaststroke record, and I learned to play the oboe. I tutored kids, teens, and adults on a variety of subjects ranging from basic English to home improvement and even Calculus. As the captain of the water polo and swim team I’ve led practices, and I became the first student in my school to pass the AP Physics 1 exam.
I’ve done tons, and I'm proud of it.
But I’m excited to say there’s so much I have yet to do. I haven’t danced the tango, solved a Rubix Cube, or seen the World Trade Center. And I have yet to see how Fernando will grow.
I’ll do as much as I can from now on. Not because I have to.
Because I choose to.
分析
文章開頭作者明確提出了原生家庭給TA帶來的挑戰，接著很快作者意識到要做出改變，並采取了一係列的措施。
這些細節幫助我們(men) 看到了作者身上一些難能可貴的品質，包括責任、勤奮、足智多謀、幽默、獨立、幫助他人、領導力等等。
第六題：學術學科
Prompt6 :
Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
思考一門激勵你的學科，並且描述你是如何在課內(nei) /課外探索這個(ge) 學科興(xing) 趣的？
這是一道非常值得寫(xie) 的文書(shu) 題，因為(wei) 招生官能從(cong) 中看出你的學科素養(yang) 。如果你決(jue) 定寫(xie) 這道題，最好選一門自己熱愛的科目，以展示對學科的熱情。
Example Essay:
History
Through books like Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl about his incarceration at Auschwitz and documentaries like Enemies of the People about the Khmer Rouge, history has taught me that human empathy knows no borders.
My favorite “history nerd” moments occur when I can explain a modern socio-political phenomenon by drawing connections to a historical event, like tying the gender pay gap to the Neolithic Revolution and linking recent voting patterns to centuries of de jure/de facto racism. For my IB Extended Essay, I am writing about the Second Amendment, and I hope to elucidate the current gun control debate with research surrounding the legacy of the Glorious Revolution.
My passion for history led me to an internship at the Sejong Institute, a think-tank specializing in Korean diplomacy. While I translated Korean research publications on topics like denuclearizing North Korea and resolving the South China Sea disputes, I drew heavily from what I learned of the region’s past, coming to understand that international conflicts cannot be resolved in the absence of historical insight.
This notion also applies to my participation in Model UN. Exploring the ramifications of historical events has helped me create more comprehensive solutions; learning about the often-controversial past actions of nations has prompted me to raise ethical questions. For instance, I was appalled to learn that the Kurdish crisis, Syrian Civil War, and ISIL could be traced to the Sykes-Picot agreement, which carved up the region into ‘spheres of influence’ in 1916. In resolving these conflicts, how do we balance national sovereignty with the responsibility of former colonial powers to stabilize the region?
This summer, I enrolled in “Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology” at UC Irvine. From tracing the African exodus of Homo erectus two million years ago to examining La Bestia (Mexican freight trains used by US-bound migrants), I now understand that migration is as old as history itself.
In college, I hope to continue drawing connections between history and contemporary geopolitics as a Political Science major. Eventually, I hope to become a civil rights attorney, and the first Asian woman on the Supreme Court.
分析
文章開頭作者立即闡明了最感興(xing) 趣的學科：曆史。隨後，作者列舉(ju) 了各種在校內(nei) 校外探索這一學科的方式，比如IB論文、實習(xi) 、夏校、模聯等。
整篇文章結構清晰，充分展現了作者對曆史的熱情。
第七題：學校/社區服務
Prompt7:
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
你對你的學校或者你所在的群體(ti) 做出了什麽(me) 貢獻，使它變得更好了？
UC對於(yu) 社區服務的重視不容小覷，它希望自己錄的學生不僅(jin) 有很強的學術成就，還不忘回饋社會(hui) 、關(guan) 心他人。
Example Essay:
Earthquakes
Last year, nearly 600 earthquakes hit my hometown of Reno in a ‘swarm’. Although the magnitudes of these quakes ranged from 2.5 to 3.7, the constant fear and anxiety of impending doom rose in the community. A disaster is unprecedented and unpredictable and, in our community, we always acknowledged their occurrence elsewhere but never fully admitted that a large-scale catastrophe may happen at our doorsteps.
Recognizing this unspoken apathy, I decided to take a step beyond my school club and get involved in the community chapter of the Reno Red Cross Disaster Cycle Services team. As I was learning the basics of preparedness i.e., general earthquake and fire safety drills, I realized that if disaster were to strike, the majority of people in my community could not confidently say that they are prepared. As part of the DCS committee, it is my goal to increase the confidence of as many youth and families as possible.
During my training, I accompanied volunteers during the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, where we installed and updated smoke alarms and detectors in over thirty low income households in the Reno area, free of charge. I began teaching the “Pillowcase Project” in local elementary schools, leading workshops in and instilling the importance of disaster preparedness for the youngest of children.
Representing DCS on the Youth Executive Board for our local chapter, I also led a Youth in Disaster Services Seminar, where we trained young adults in CPR Certification as well as basic Shelter Fundamentals.
Through my work with the Red Cross, and in my interactions with survivors and rescuers who assisted during Hurricane Katrina, I’ve come to discover how teaching even just small preparedness procedures to individuals can help save entire communities.
The impact of disaster services reverberates throughout our communities, both at home and internationally. It is a selfless, necessary job in which youth, as the future generation of an ever-changing disaster prone world, must take urgent action.
分析
作者一開始就明確提出社區正在麵臨(lin) 的挑戰：地震，並說明意外隨時都可能發生在我們(men) 身邊，來提高讀者的警惕。
接著開始闡述自己為(wei) 預防突發意外所做的一係列措施，比如防火演習(xi) 、安裝煙霧警報器等等，充分展示了作者對於(yu) 社區安全問題的重視。
第八題：有力的競爭(zheng) 者
Prompt8:
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?
除了在申請中已經展現的內(nei) 容，請描述一下為(wei) 什麽(me) 你覺得自己是有力的競爭(zheng) 者？
這道題有點像Common App中的“topic of your choice”（自主選題）。
如果你有想跟UC係學校介紹的東(dong) 西，但不確定它是否適用於(yu) 其他題目，這就是你展示自己的舞台！
【競賽報名/項目谘詢+微信：mollywei007】
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