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University of California Berkeley Guide

The Ivy Scholars guide to UC Berkeley’s culture, admissions, and other essential information for prospective students and their families.

Location: Berkeley, California

Mascot: Oski the BEar

Type: Public Research Institution

Population: 43,000 (31,000 undergrads)

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About UC Berkeley

Located in the bay area of California, Berkeley was the founding member, and remains the flagship institution of the University of California system. Known for its strong academics, athletics, and history of student activism, Berkeley is one of the foremost public universities in the US. The Golden Bears, as they are known, are fiercely proud of their school, and invested in its traditions, and for good reason. 

UC Berkeley Statistics

Year Founded: 1868

4 Year Graduation Rate: 75.8%

Gender Distribution: 52% female, 48% male

Acceptance Rate: 17%

Residency: 85% in state, 5% out of state, 10% international

Location Type: College Town

Schedule System: Semesters

Student/Faculty Ratio: 18:1

Average Class Size: 25

Demographics: 36% Asian, 24% Caucasian, 16% Hispanic, 10% Other or Unknown, 2% Black

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National Rankings

US News Rankings:

  • #2 Public Universities
  • #3 Best Business Programs
  • #3 Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
  • #4 Global Universities
  • #14 Most Innovative Schools
  • #22 National Universities
  • #34 Best Undergraduate Teaching

Independent Rankings:

  • #1 Public University per Forbes
  • #10 Best Value Colleges per The Princeton Review
  • #13 National Universities per Forbes
  • #13 Global Universities per The Times of Higher Education
  • #14 Top Green Colleges per The Princeton Review
  • #22 Career Placement per The Princeton Review

Cal Berkeley Admissions Information

Application Deadlines:

  • Regular Decision: November 30th
  • Transfer Deadline: November 30th

Notification Dates:

  • Regular Decision: Mid-March
  • Transfer Deadline: Mid-April

Acceptance Rates:

  • Regular Decision: 17% 
  • Transfer: 22%

Average Applicant Pool: 87,000

Average Number of Applicants Accepted: 14,000

Average Number Enrolled: 6,000

Application Systems: Apply California

Average GPA: 3.89 unweighted

*Test blind.

SAT Scores: 25th% – 1330, 75th% – 1520

ACT Scores: 25th% – 28, 75th% – 34

Demonstrated Interest:

UC Berkeley does not consider demonstrated interest.

Recommendation Letter Policies:

Some applicants are requested to submit letters of recommendation. Berkeley notifies these students of this fact, and does not want letters of recommendation otherwise. At least one of the two letters must be written by a teacher or instructor, the other may be written by anyone, although Berkeley discourages having them written by family members. All letters must be submitted electronically through the link Berkeley provides, not through Naviance or other means.

UC Berkeley Essay Prompts:

  • Personal Statement (250-500 words)
  • There are 8 prompts, select and answer 4 of them (350 words each). 
  • Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
  • Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
  • What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
  • Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
  • Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
  • Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
  • What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
  • Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

UC Berkeley Essay Writing Tips

Special Notes:

  • UC Berkeley has specific admission requirements, consisting of classes which a student must have taken in highschool to be eligible to apply. These are a baseline minimum, and going above and beyond the requirements is recommended. 
  • Applying to specific colleges is done by selecting a major in one of those colleges. Different majors and colleges have different acceptance rates. Berkeley does not consider alternate majors listed on your application. 
  • The Haas School of business may not normally be applied to as a Freshman.

Transfer:

  • The minimum requirements in order to transfer are: 60 semester credits/90 quarter credits, a GPA of 3.0, and major preparation courses. There are specific requirements by college.
  • Students cannot have completed more than two years of college.
  • Students must complete their application using the UC website.
  • Students must complete the same essays as first year applicants.

UC Berkeley Admission Strategy

Admissions Criteria:

The most important criteria is academic preparation. Berkeley recalculates students’ GPAs without their freshman year grades. They also do not count grades from non-academic courses (such as band or gym) when calculating GPA. The average GPA for Letters and Science is 4.2, for Engineering its 4.3. A 3.4 GPA for non-California residents and a 3.0 GPA for residents is required to have the rest of your application considered.

Your pattern of grades (whether increasing or not), planned senior year courses, and scores on AP and IB exams are also taken into account when considering a student’s academic readiness.

Other factors which are important are extracurriculars, leadership positions, essays, and hardships overcome. 

Berkeley currently does not consider test scores due to a court ruling, and is on their way to phasing them out entirely. They do not consider race or ethnicity at all, though they do consider socio-economic status.

Around 250 students are designated as recruited athletes each year, and they have a major boost in their admissions chances.

What is UC Berkeley Looking For?

Berkeley uses an aggregate points added system to rate candidates, with points being added to the total rating for each category. They look for more well rounded candidates generally, as opposed to the Ivy League, although this does vary some by school. Students must meet academic minimums in order to be considered as candidates as a whole. Students are compared to others from their school who have applied, in order to give context for grades and coursework. 

Engineering has faculty involvement in the admissions process, and a much higher academic bar. They also like to see research experience and heavy involvement in STEM. Due to attempts to maintain fairly even gender ratios, women have a slightly easier time gaining admission to the school, as fewer women than men apply, so a greater percentage of women from the pool are admitted.

More California residents are accepted than students from outside the state, but admissions requirements are not laxer for students within California. Students meeting certain grade requirements in public school are guaranteed acceptance to a UC, but not necessarily to their first-choice UC.

Berkeley has a new initiative in artificial intelligence, and students who have worked with that may have an edge for CS admissions, although it remains the most competitive major, and should never be assumed.

Berkeley Strategy:

As computer science is offered as a major through both Letters and Sciences and Engineering, students who wish to major in the field will have an easier time applying to the major via Letters and Sciences. The College of Engineering is notoriously difficult to get into. The course offerings and professors are the same, but admissions is easier for one.

Students applying to a specific major, especially in Engineering, should use one of their essays to discuss how they have already engaged with the major, and why they are interested in it. Evidence of past competence is seen as a marker for future potential.

While all UC schools are forbidden from considering race in college admissions, they do look at socio-economic status, and they want to recruit students who have succeeded academically in spite of hardships they have endured. If you have undergone hardship, you should definitely use the essay question on that topic to address it.

The most important thing is to ensure your grades are good enough to be both considered, and in actual contention for admission. Barely meeting the minimum for grades won’t be enough for acceptance unless you are a heavily recruited athlete. As Berkeley gets so many applicants, they need a way to winnow those who are unsuited efficiently, and academic preparation, especially concerning grades, is key here.

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UC Berkeley Academics

Schools:

Core Requirements:

  • Core requirements vary based on what college students are in, and what major they are pursuing.  
  • Detailed Requirements

Courses of Study: 

  • 150 Majors Offered
  • Option to double major
  • Popular majors include Economics, Cell Biology, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration.
  • It is possible to change majors, but depending on how popular the major is, it may be better to declare it as a desired major while applying.
  • Minors Offered
  • Course Catalog

AP Credit Policies:

Special Programs

Honors Programs:

Research Availability:

  • UC Berkeley offers numerous opportunities for undergraduates to get involved with research.

Study Abroad: 

Business Options: 

Pre-Med Options:

  • UC Berkeley does not have a pre-med major, but it does offer a pre-med track, which offers a pre-set course selection and advising to those wishing to pursue careers in medicine.

Pre-Law Options:

Computer Science Options: 

Additional Specialty Programs: 

Programs for High Schoolers:

  • Summer Sessions are open to high school students to take classes for credit, either online or on their campus.
  • Summer Pre-College programs offer both residential and commuter options for students to experience college life at Berkeley.
  • Summerfuel is a residential program which allows students to take classes and experience college life at the school.

Student Life at UC Berkeley

School Motto:  Let there be light

Mission and Values:

  • Mission: Consistent with our founding as California’s land grant university and with the state and federal support that has contributed to our success, a commitment to egalitarian and democratic values; to research and scholarly work that serves our community, our state, our nation, and the world; to providing access for students from all backgrounds and communities; and to fostering in our students, faculty, and staff a strong ethic of public service and social justice.
  • Values: Diversity, Excellence, Innovation, Accountability, and Transparency
  • Additional Information
  • Student Testimonials (Niche, Unigo, Grad Reports)

Residential Housing System:

Berkeley runs 7 residence halls for undergrads, each with a different feel and style. It has further “themed” units within its residence halls, catering to students with particular academic interests. Many students also find housing with the Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) which runs 20 smaller apartment buildings, and has far cheaper rent rates. Many students live off-campus as well.

Housing Statistics:

  • 95% of freshmen live on campus
  • 27% of students live on campus overall

Campus & Surrounding Area:  

  • Located in the town of Berkeley, in the Bay area of California, Eastern parts of the campus also extend into the city of Oakland.
  • The campus has a botanical garden, and the West end of campus extends into downtown Berkeley and the Gourmet Ghetto, the birthplace of California cuisine. 
  • Strawberry Creek runs through campus, and many of the trees that dot its banks date to the founding of the university. The campus has numerous forested groves, including Founders Rock and the Eucalyptus grove.
  • UC Berkeley has safety programs to ensure student security on campus.
  • Virtual Visits, Virtual Tour

Transportation:

Traditions:

  • Stanford Axe An axe head serves as the trophy for an annual game, and as a focus for pep rallies.
  • The Big GameAn annual football game between Berkeley and Stanford, one of the oldest rivalries in sports. 
  • 4.0 BallThe stone ball before the Campanile is referred to as the 4.0 ball, and students rub it for luck before exams.
  • Daffodil FestivalAn annual fundraising festival where daffodils are sold.  

Student-Run Organizations: 

Sports:

Greek Life: 

20% of students are involved in greek life, including social, service, and academic organizations.

Nightlife:

  • Students can easily travel through the bay area, into downtown San Francisco and Oakland, as well as downtown Berkeley, to find bars and clubs. 
  • Fraternities and Sororities have parties most weekends.
  • There are student shows most weekends, and the Greek Theater on campus has many performances.
  • The #8 party school in California according to Niche

Financial Information

Yearly Cost of Attendance:

  • Total: $69,692
  • Tuition and fees: $14,254 (+29,754 non-resident fee)
  • Room & Board: $17,952
  • Books: $1,094
  • Personal Expenses: $1,792
  • Health Insurance: $3,536

Financial Aid:

All students who apply must complete the Free Application for Federal Student AId (FAFSA), to be considered for aid. All scholarships and aid are based on financial need, none are purely merit based. The majority of funding goes to California residents and continuing (above 1st year) students with high academic achievement, due to limited funds generally.

Additional Financial Aid & Student Loan Information

Scholarships: 

There are a number of more selective scholarships, open to students who meet certain criteria. Students must fill out a form when applying to determine which of these scholarships they are eligible for. Many students change their residency status to California residents in order to qualify for additional scholarships and aid.

Fun Facts

  • UC Berkeley was the founding school in the UC system, and was the first full-curriculum public university in the state.
  • The Campanile is the tallest bell tower in the US, and the 3rd tallest in the world. 
  • There are numerous steam tunnels on campus, when students chained the Chancellor’s doors closed in 1960 in protest of his stance on the Vietnam war, he was forced to escape through the steam tunnels. 
  • The final play of a 1982 football game between Berkeley and Stanford was so controversial it has its own wikipedia page
  • Notable alumni include Steve Wozniak, Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, Jack London, and Chris Pine. 
  • Berkeley originally had live bear cubs as mascots, but they grew too large to be safely handled. 
  • Robert Oppenheimer was a physics professor at Berkeley before working on the Manhattan project. 
  • When the school was founded, military training was compulsory for all male students.
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