Now, I will admit before you read this segment, that I didn’t apply to any UCs, so I got all of my information from the lovely Gabby Winnett, who is UCLA class of 2027! 

From what I understand, the UCs’ application portal isn’t that different from Common App. You submit one application for each campus that has its own requirements for auditions and other things in the application. However, instead of essays, they have these things called Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). They give you 8 prompts to decide between, and you pick 4. They usually cover topics from community to leadership to creativity, and they usually don’t change from year to year, so you can start writing them pretty early and still be fine. 

I mostly got information from Gabby about the process for UCLA, which functions the same as what I’ve gone into detail on before. They ask for prescreens – 2 monologues, 2 songs, and a dance – and if you pass through you go to the second round of auditions and a separate interview. However, the interview is where things change. In the interview, the questions are nothing about theatre, they’re all about getting to know you outside of performing, since UCLA is also a big liberal arts college and they want to know if you’re the right fit for that as much as you are the theatre program. 

If you want a more detailed explanation of how to apply for any of the UCs, here’s a website that could help you: https://www.collegeadvisor.com/resources/uc-application/