UC Merced / Interview
The UC Merced interview
No admissions interview. Here is how it works and how to prepare.
No admissions interview
No interviews offered. UC Merced does not conduct admissions interviews for undergraduate applicants.
How to prepare for UC Merced
- UC Merced is test-blind and holistic , your four Personal Insight Questions (PIQs, 350 words each) are the primary way to show who you are, so invest heavily in them.
- Visit campus or attend a virtual information session to demonstrate interest, since interviews are not available as a way to connect directly with admissions.
- Focus your PIQs on experiences specific to your goals and how UC Merced's programs (such as its research opportunities as a young R1 university) align with them.
- Submit your application early in the October 1 to December 1 window , there is no interview step to worry about, so a strong, complete application is your entire case.
Practice before the real thing
Rehearse real admissions-interview questions and get an honest read on your answers, what an interviewer hears, where you sound generic, and what to sharpen. We coach you; we never script you.
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