<p>If you have a 4.0 or a really good GPA, and, are applying for a nonimpacted major/college ---- (i.e. with a 48 percent acceptance rate in Berkeley) are the Personal Statments that important. I am giving alot of effort to them, but will they affect admission if you have all the formal bases covered with a good GPA and some scant ECs.</p>
<p>For Berkeley and UCLA essays are important. But in your case your essay will not really affect your admission unless it is pretty bad, the essays mostly matter when it comes to students that are borderline and students that are just competitive in the pool of applicants.</p>
<p>to quote what Berkeley says about the personal statement, "..provides supplemental information that allows admissions staff to discover and evaluate distinctions among applicants whose academic record are often very similar.." </p>
<p>So basically the personal statement is used to differentiate between students with similar gpa.(i.e difference of .1) But the GPA pool of the applicants to Cal covers the whole spectrum(3.53-3.88) so with your gpa, you have nothing to worry about, especially at a non-impacted major. This isn't Harvard where everyone applies with straight A's.</p>
<p>Is Business Adm. an Impacted major?</p>
<p>At Berkeley? Yes</p>