<p>hey there, i'm gonna be a Cal freshman this fall and you can all roll your eyes at me, but this has been my biggest dream since i set foot on the campus when i was 15. anyway, i attended the BRIDGES thing last april, and i totally felt disillusionment. don't call it being judgmental or just masked self loathing.. but i was expecting the admitted students to be more.. "cream of the crop". know what i mean? it seems their cultural background/race played a significant role in their acceptance to berkeley... as if to fill some "quota" based on race, etc. which is pretty valid since berkeley, in the first place, isn't renowned PRIMARILY for academic excellence, but for its so-called dynamic diversity. which makes decent sense that genuine intellectual capacity will be sacrificed for mediocrity in the name of maintaining some sort of equality.</p>
<p>is the berkeley experience really lifechanging or.. that's a thing of the past? i know the appropriate answer to this question is that it is up to me to make the best out of my experience, but i am asking you.. based on YOUR personal experience. </p>
<p>The UCs don't admit based on race - they're not allowed to by law so the racial makeup you saw wasn't for diversity - it was because these were the most qualified people (although some other socio-economic attributes are used). Also, if you're referring to Asians, they wouldn't be considered URMs anyway since there are plenty in California who qualify based on academics and are the majority race at several UCs.</p>
<p>To the OP, these concerns are felt by outsiders looking into Berkeley and within the Berkeley population as well. I will say up front that I hope this thread doesn't spiral out of control. Make it known, that there is no "quota": imagine the logistical problems in trying to keep track of how many students that were admitted on the grounds of "equity," as you call it. This leads to the most important point: Berkeley, like any other college, will only select a student it feels will be succeed at their college; why would a university admit a student who will eventually drop out after one semester- it does not make logical (or financial) sense. Success comes in many different forms. It's not just in the classroom, but beyond as well. The most obvious example is athletes, who contribute significantly to the college by their efforts "on the field," while lost in the conversation is those students who come from different backgrounds which translate into different perspectives in the dorms, in the classroom, and in clubs. Not all Berkeley students succeed in the business world or the medical field, but they go on to shape society in many ways. They become leaders of the world, and to be a leader one needs not to have straight A's in the classroom. A lot of acceptances of "lesser applicants" (that is, statistically weaker) are based on potential; as socioeconomic diversity has replaced racial diversity in college admissions, the idea of potential is important especially for students from impoverished backgrounds who have the raw talents, but haven't been able to translate those more tangible successes given the lack of opportunities in their underresourced communities. All of this is leading to the idea that it's not where one is at in their development upon arrival in college, but where they'll end up in twenty years. Those who don't appear to do well now, might very well be on top a decade from now (at least that's what the University is hoping, and who's to judge the decisions of the Admissions Board- they're the ones who accepted you after all =T).</p>
<p>A life-changing experience cannot be packaged, no matter how much that Grand Canyon tourism office tries. Berkeley can be life-changing, no doubt, to receptive minds. The best one who hopes to experience this very thing can do is to keep an open mind and try to understand different perspectives.</p>
<p>I will add that asking people for their personal experiences in this matter can be problematic. For example, the OP's experiences are extremely skewed for the fact that BRIDGES is a special program for students to transition into college. More often than not, these are for students from more diverse backgrounds who need all the help they can get to succeed in the classroom. It would not be wrong to say that BRDIGES participants are representative of a population of Berkeley students who have the least demonstrated academic success. My best advice for the OP is to come to Cal with an open mind and revisit this question in one year's time. </p>
<p>Everybody who got into Cal is wanted at Cal. I understand your concern, but be careful because your statement comes off a bit elitist. The chancellor is very pro admitting students with tough socioeconomic backgrounds (and who are also up to par academically). I think maybe it is too quick to judge the whole freshmen class based on one program. Plus, even if you don't think the academic caliber of students is what you expected to be, you will learn a lot about life just getting to know people (ie: their experiences, background, viewpoints). That is probably the best part about Berkeley.</p>
<p>punchdrunk, you come into Berkeley with very high expectations, but with the quality and breadth of the experiences you will have in the next 4-5 years, those expectations will be surpassed.</p>
<p>At least you got in... I am freaking out over my application and somehow I feel that the school is overrated, but that won't change the fact that I'll do just about anything to get in. Well, not Anything, but you get the drift. Good luck!</p>
<p>I kind of had the same experience, Punchdrunk. I went to the reception for admitted students in my area and they didn't look like the "cream of the crop" either. Actually, they kind of looked like your average highschooler but sometimes looks can be deceiving.</p>
<p>dude, kids at Berkeley may or may not be the cream of the crop, but they work REALLY hard. I have seen better work ethic here than I have at any other place I have ever been, and this is when I am coming from a high school called the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, eh? The kids here work hard, and most of them deserve to be here.</p>
<p>I know that Summer Bridge are for students that need preparation to succeed at the college level. For example, many students admitted from Oakland high schools are required to attend Summer Bridge because the education they received at the high school level may not be enough for them to succeed at the college level. So in this sense, while Berkeley provides opportunity to students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, it also leaves a tail end of "weaker" students. In fact, many students from Oakland high schools receive a "free ride" because of their disadvantaged backgrounds, unlike the RCSA which is awarded based on academics, SATs, etc. What makes me a bit mad is that my family isn't that rich either, and here I am working my way though college while some students are awarded free rides based on where they are from? i'm not boasting, but i know that i am a stronger student than many of them (it's a long story, but I had many friends from Oakland).</p>
<p>/end rant</p>
<p>Not sure about Bridges though.</p>
<p>I mean, try to compare several students at Berkeley coming from Oakland and San Jose/Cupertino/Saratoga and you will notice a big gap in academic performance and work ethic.</p>
<p>I know plenty of students coming from Oakland who got accepted into Berkeley and UCLA with SATs in the 1000s (that is, <1100 on the old SAT scale). I suspect that it's best there is a large concentration of African Americans in Oakland, so while the UC cannot use racial to determine admissions, they can still factor an applicant's location into consideration to somewhat bypass that race policy. this is my speculation.</p>
<p>Calm down ab_med. The fact is that there are some students at Berkeley who frankly aren't that smart or don't work that hard. I think most of us have seen them. How many of them come from disadvantaged areas / Oakland area is up for debate, but probably at least a few of them do, and they are just "relatively" weak to the stronger students at Berkeley (there are plenty of those). No need for us to get into another debate over AA and whatnot.</p>
<p>Berkeley has students at low and high ends of test ranges and abilities. From what I have seen so far, most students study really hard. I don't know anything about the Summer Bridge program but from what you've explained unlimitedx, it sounds like another step taken for Berkeley towards diversity. Myself, I like the overall mix of students that's been created in the students I've met so far.
It does take lots of studying to survive and do well at Cal, IMO.</p>
<p>At any school, no matter how prestigious, there will be (for lack of a more tasteful term) dumbasses. Kids who have gotten in because of money, location, non-academic talents, legacies, early admission, etc. etc. (I realize some of these only apply to private schools, but I'm just trying to paint a picture). The reality is, you won't be the dumbest kid, but you sure as hell won't be the smartest either. Besides, who cares about high school grades and SAT scores once you're admitted anyways? You're at a new school with new standards and new competition. Some kids who did really well in high school blow it in college because all they want to do is party and drink. Others will step up their game. If you really feel as if you're leagues ahead of the rest at Berkeley, well, there aren't many other places to go for you, are there? Berkeley is just about as top-notch as it gets.</p>
<p>ABSOLUTELY FALSE! University of California is DOES have an affirmative action policy. Without the policy, European and Asian Americans would dominate every UC campus. They are not allowed to DISCRIMINATE. However, they can change the percentile goal for each cultural background, giving an advantage to minorities. Some would disagree with this saying that simply because there remain a majority of white people, that whites have an advantage. This is, however, completely false. Due to affirmative action, you will see European Americans (White people) equated to minorities with lower grades. This is true primarily for minorities in disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, but still significant. DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GIVE MISINFORMATION TO THE MASSES!</p>
<p>Honestly, I see two things that could serve as contributing factors:
You had high expectations, which sets you up for some level of disappointment regardless of how good the school may be because the expectations you likely had wouldn’t have been filled anywhere.
You’re judging the school based on a bridge program.</p>