What does UC Berkeley look for?

We look for persistence, passion, and a desire to give back. It doesn't matter whether you're the first in your family to attend college or you're the latest in a long tradition of educational excellence: You stand up and you stand out. Keep in mind that UC Berkeley receives far more applications than it can admit.

What type of students does UC Berkeley look for?

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.

What values does UC Berkeley look for?

What is Berkeley looking for in applicants?

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.

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

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.

a typical friday in college | uc berkeley

Is Berkeley the hardest UC to get into?

In 2022, UCLA received 139,489 applicants. It's also the most selective, with a 9% acceptance rate. Close runners-up include UC Berkeley, UCSD, and UCI.

Do you need straight A's to get into Berkeley?

Average GPA: 3.9

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. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

What grades does UC Berkeley look at?

UC Berkeley looks at your classes and grades from all of high school, but does not count freshman grades in the UC GPA they use in admissions. There's no easy answer to this question since every college has different admissions requirements.

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 really hard to get into 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.

What are 3 popular majors at UC Berkeley?

At the University of California-Berkeley, the three most popular college majors students pursue are Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, and Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Why is UC Berkeley so prestigious?

Berkeley is famed for the breadth, and depth of 120+ graduate programs in 15 schools and colleges, awarding more than 4,000 master's and professional degrees each year and close to 800 doctoral degrees each year. Berkeley graduate students go on to join an impressive collection of alumni.

Is UC Berkeley a big deal?

It was established in 1868 and is the state's first land-grant university. It is also a founding member of the Association of American Universities and is the founding campus of the University of California system. Berkeley has the most top-ranked departments nationally and is one of the top universities worldwide.

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.

How stressful is UC Berkeley?

UC Berkeley students face high amounts of stress. Whether we like it or not, stress is a part of our lives. So it's not about avoiding stress but knowing yourself (your limits and your strengths) and being proactive. Believe it or not, sometimes a little stress can be helpful, motivating us to prepare and perform.

What is the stereotype of UC Berkeley?

'The obvious stereotype that everyone has is the "Berzerkeley" one — that there's a lot of political stuff going on, political action on campus all the time. Berkeley is pretty left wing, I'd have to agree, but not as much as people think. I've met some aggressive conservatives on campus, too.

How important are essays for UC Berkeley?

The essays, or the personal insight questions, are arguably the most vital part of the UC Berkeley application process. Your responses to these questions help the admissions committee learn more about you and determine whether you're a good fit for Berkeley.

How much does UC Berkeley care about essays?

Since there are fewer components to the application for admission, essays account for up to 35% of the admissions decision at the most competitive UCs, such as UC Berkeley and UCLA.

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.

What do I need to do to get into Berkeley?

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.

How good do your grades have to be to get into Berkeley?

If you were wondering what GPA you need to get into Berkeley, here is the answer. Many schools mention a minimum GPA requirement, but a 3.89 GPA is the least grade to apply for without being rejected. UC Berkeley demands a 3.89 GPA, which means you must be the topper of your class and far above average.

Can you get into Berkeley with a C?

GPA requirement

In order to be considered for admission, applicants must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 (3.4 for nonresidents) in all A-G courses completed in grades 10 and 11, with no grade lower than a C.

Is UC Berkeley an Ivy League?

While UC Berkeley is not part of the Ivy League, it does form part of the Public IVY League colleges.

Is it harder to get into Berkeley or Harvard?

Which school is easier to get into? If you're looking at acceptance rate alone, then Harvard University is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.