UC Santa Cruz / Interview
The UC Santa Cruz interview
No admissions interview. Here is how it works and how to prepare.
No admissions interview
No interviews offered. UC Santa Cruz does not conduct admissions interviews for undergraduate applicants.
How to prepare for UC Santa Cruz
- Focus your energy on the 4 Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) , these 350-word responses are the primary way you communicate who you are to UCSC admissions readers.
- Visit campus or attend a virtual information session to demonstrate genuine interest, as UCSC values students who understand its distinctive college system and residential learning model.
- Highlight fit with UCSC's research culture and specific colleges (e.g., Cowell, Porter, Oakes) in your PIQs where relevant , showing you know what makes UCSC distinctive signals serious interest.
- Since UCSC is test-blind, lean into academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and your personal story in your essays rather than relying on standardized test scores to make your 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.
Practice interview questionsStill building your UC Santa Cruz application?
Back to UC Santa Cruz