<p>I guess really you're question how good a school Berkeley is, but that is a fairly good indication that you are questioning Berkeleys reputation. Yes, it has a strong one. Does it deserve it? That's another issue. If it's there, if people in other countries can recognize Berkeley more readily than half the ivy league, you tell me if it has a strong reputation. if you want to get a good education, this school has perhaps the best faculty in the world all around. Yes, it's up there. YOu can seek out a education, but Berkeley is supposedly different in that at other, probably better schools, the education is handed to you, whereas here you have to seek it. It is there for the taking by the willing, sometimes needing a bit of luck.</p>
<p>As to your chances, who knows? Your chances are probably pretty good. You probably have a better idea of your chances from other people at your school in the past and how they have done. If people like you, in your situation with similar stats got into schools like Berkeley, then it's a match. If not, it's a reach. if almost all of them did, then it's a safety. Does the all but arbitrary distinction make a difference to you? If you get in, that's great. If not, I'm sorry. Apply to schools that are much easier to get into as well, just so you will have a safety. Only very strong students can claim Berkeley caliber schools as safeties, and as you drift further from the state geographically, the more pompous it sounds and more likely you are wrong about it. What I'm saying is that you probably have a good chance, but labeling it with one word or another is a waste of time. Apply and tell us what happens.</p>