What does UC Berkeley admissions look for?

We expect the reported grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, personal insight questions, and additional comments to give us the full picture of a student's experience and aspirations. This is why it is so important to answer each section of the application thoughtfully and thoroughly.

What does UC Berkeley look for in applicants?

Holistic review also takes into consideration the personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation, insight, tenacity, initiative, originality, intellectual independence, responsibility, maturity, and demonstrated concern for others and for the community.

How can I increase my chances of getting into UC Berkeley?

How do I guarantee admission to UC Berkeley?

No single attribute or characteristic guarantees the admission of any applicant to Berkeley. All UC Berkeley applicants must meet University of California admission requirements: First-year requirements and selection. Transfer requirements and selection.

What type of students does UC Berkeley accept?

UC Berkeley seeks students from all over the world to be a part of our amazing community. First-year applicants are students who are currently in high school (with or without college coursework completed), or students who have graduated high school and have taken no college coursework post-high school.

LYING ON COLLEGE APPS?! how do colleges verify the information you are providing?

What is the lowest GPA UC Berkeley will accept?

UC has a specific way to calculate the grade point average (GPA) it requires for admission. California applicants must earn at least a 3.0 GPA and nonresidents must earn a minimum 3.4 GPA in all A-G or college-preparatory courses to meet this requirement.

What grades does UC Berkeley look at?

With a GPA of 3.9, UC Berkeley requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes - AP or IB courses - to show that college-level academics is a breeze.

How many AP classes should I take for UC Berkeley?

That being said, a strong applicant to UC Berkeley will typically take around 6-8 AP classes throughout their high school career, including a mix of courses in different subjects. However, the number of AP classes you should take may vary depending on your individual strengths and academic goals.

How does UC Berkeley evaluate applications?

Selection is based on holistic review for first-year applicants, and comprehensive review for Transfers, of all information—both academic and personal—presented in the application.

Does UC Berkeley look at letters of recommendation?

A: We will request letters from students we feel additional information could be useful in our review process. Only a small percent of applicants will be selected to submit letters, and they can choose to submit letters or not.

Does UC Berkeley care about extracurriculars?

The UC Berkeley admissions team uses extracurricular activities as a way to measure a student's involvement beyond numbers. Your activities say more than your UC Berkeley SAT scores or the UC Berkeley GPA requirements.

What is the biggest factor in UC admission?

What does UC Berkeley look for in essays?

Include interest in your intended major, explain the way in which your academic interests developed, and describe any related work or volunteer experience. Explain your reason for transferring if you are applying from a four-year institution or a community college outside of California.

Is it impressive to get into UC Berkeley?

It is extremely difficult to get accepted to UC Berkeley. The grade point averages of people who get accepted to UC Berkeley are in the top 10% of their class. People who successfully get into Berkeley also tend to have impressive extracurricular activities and college applications essays.

Does UC Berkeley look at freshman grades?

UCs do look at courses you take in freshman and senior years; the grades and rigor of your coursework are considered in context of your overall curriculum. But freshman and senior year grades are NOT included in the GPA calculation. UC-approved Honors, AP, IB and community college courses are weighted.

Does UC Berkeley look at senior year grades?

UCs do look at the courses you take in senior year and take the rigor into consideration when evaluating you for admission; but as long as you maintain satisfactory grades (typically an unweighted B average, with no non-passing grades, is sufficient), your performance in your senior year courses will NOT affect your ...

Why would UC Berkeley ask for a letter of recommendation?

This will be optional and not required. The purpose for this change is that letters of recommendation can help provide additional academic and personal context. Frequently Asked Questions: If I'm not selected to submit letters of recommendation, can I still submit them?

Is it better to apply undeclared or have a major in UC Berkeley?

While the College of Engineering offers undeclared as an option, we recommend that applicants select a major if you know for sure your intended major. Interested in Engineering and Business? Check out the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (M.E.T.)

Should I report a 3 on an AP exam to UC Berkeley?

Although the College Board reports all AP test results to us, students should be aware AP test scores lower than 3 will not adversely affect their chances for admission.

Is 12 AP classes impressive?

Students looking to earn admission to highly selective colleges should take multiple AP classes to bolster their applications and demonstrate they can handle challenging coursework. Some college admissions experts recommend taking as many as 7-12 AP courses before applying to the most elite universities.

Does UC Berkeley look at AP scores for admission?

All credit-bearing exams (e.g. AP, IB, GCE A-Level), high school transcripts, and transcripts from other colleges that you have submitted as part of your Admissions tasks will be reviewed during this process. The initial transfer credit review is typically completed by the end of your first semester at UC Berkeley.

Why is UC Berkeley so hard to get into?

UC Berkeley has a very detailed, extensive list of required high school coursework for all applicants. They also have specific and well-outlined high school coursework requirements. High school students must have taken 15 high school courses that lasted a full academic year and received a minimum of a C grade.

Does UC Berkeley require predicted grades?

If predicted IB scores are not available at the time you submit the application, you do not need to report them on the application, and you do not need to submit them at a later date (unless a campus requests that you do so). UC campuses do not use predicted scores as the only factor for admission.

Does UC Berkeley grade on a curve?

1) Why does Berkeley Haas have a curve? Berkeley Haas courses do not have a forced “curve.” There is a grading policy which requires that the mean GPA not exceed the stated caps above. In the past, grading curves were used in Berkeley Haas classes, as is the case across the campus and in large prerequisite courses.