<p>Do you have to write an essay for the uc app? if so, what is the topic?</p>
<p>You do have to write essays for UC application. Last year I did three.
These were the questions, and I don't think they change.</p>
<ol>
<li>How have you taken advantage of the educational opportunities you have had to prepare for college?</li>
<li>Tell us about a talent, experience, contribution or personal quality you will bring to the University of California. </li>
<li>Is there anything you would like us to know about you or your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe else where in this application?</li>
</ol>
<p>Choose one of them to submit a 600-word essay(choose the topic that works best for you). The other two should be 200-word long. </p>
<p>Hope it helps.</p>
<p>What Twitb said is right. Assuming that UC sticks to a pattern, those three should be worded similarly. Most people use the open ended one for their long essay, I believe.</p>