Seniors hoping to attend one of the nine University of California school recently submitted their applications. Here is a run down of what seniors experienced with this college application process.

Unlike most schools which use the Common App, the UC schools have a separate application. It is not something to be apprehensive about, however, because all nine campuses can be applied to with just one application. Once an account has been created, the undergraduate application prompts students to fill in information varying from personal information, activities and awards, academic history and personal insight questions. Two unique aspects of the UC Application are that students self-report all of their grades and letters of recommendation are not needed.

The University of California Admissions website states “Don’t send official transcripts when you apply. If you’re admitted to UC, then you must submit final transcripts to your campus admissions office.”

Additionally it states, “UC does not require (not read) letters of recommendation at the time of application.”

The next part of the UC application is the personal insight questions. These questions replaced the old personal statement in order to give students more flexibility in sharing the information they wish. The UC Application has a total of eight questions limited to 350 words, of which applicants must choose to respond to four. All questions are considered equally, so students are advised to respond to the questions which are most relevant to his or her life experience.

“The personal insight questions are about getting to know you better—your life experience, interests, ambitions and inspirations,” states the University of California Admissions website.

Students can view the admissions page on the University of California’s website to see the eight questions along with guidance of things to consider when answering the prompts. In addition, a link on the website includes a list of writing tips as well as common mistakes to avoid.

“The hardest part is picking which questions to answer. I want to make sure I pick ones that portray all aspects of myself so the admissions office can get an idea of my many qualities,” said senior Missy Taylor.

“I love that the prompts are so broad because it gives me the ability to use my creativity in my responses,” said senior Claudia Bays.

The last thing to consider when applying was the application fee. Although there is a single application for the nine campuses, it costs $70 for each campus that a student applies to. After payment, students now await each individual school’s admissions decision which is usually made by March 31.