<p>I've just been admitted to Cal as a junior. I intend to do something English-y, but I'm keeping my options open. One of those option is law school. Does undergrad at Cal make admittance to Boalt easier? Are there any resources for tips if that's the avenue I want to pursue?</p>
<p>Boalt is an extremely popular choice for Berkeley undergraduates. There were more alumni of Cal in my class at Boalt than any other institution. That doesn't mean admission to Boalt is any easier for Berkeley graduates.</p>
<p>Regardless of your undergraduate institution, my advice would be the same: try to get close to straight A's, and do your best on the LSAT. </p>
<p>Boalt admitted only 12% of its applicants last year; only Hard, Yale, and Stanford accept a lower percentage.</p>
<p>In 2007, Boalt accepted 19 out of 67 applications from Berkeley undergrads, and only 4 of them enrolled. Their average stats were 3.81 GPA and 169 LSAT, which is actually higher than their overall medians of 3.79 and 167. So I don't think Berkeley undergrads get any special preference.</p>
<p>Career</a> Center - Profile of Law School Admissions - UC Berkeley</p>
<p>"From im_blue's link:</p>
<p>"The Top 20 Law Schools & California Law Schools report is based upon a subset of data and consists only of students who agreed to report their admissions data."</p>
<p>13.6% of my class at Boalt consisted of Cal alumni. It's possible that this percentage may have declined over the years, but I wouldn't count on it.</p>
<p>By the way, about a year ago, Berkeley announced that they would begin referring to Boalt as Berkeley Law, or more formally as UC Berkeley School of Law, and use the Boalt name primarily in internal and alumni communications.</p>
<p>About a week ago, they rolled out a new banner on their website displaying this change. Here's the banner, with Dean Edley's letter explaining the new policy: Berkeley</a> Law: Berkeley Law/ Boalt Hall / Naming Convention</p>
<p>No preference for Cal undergrads. Rumor is Berkeley graduate programs prefer undergrads from other schools.</p>
<p>Best tip you will get: get a high LSAT.</p>
<p>Well, if he's aiming for Boalt, he needs a very high GPA, too.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info. That answers everything for the time being.</p>
<p>More or less direct quote from Dean of Admissions: "We get greater numbers of applications from Berkeley students, we reject greater numbers of Berkeley students, and we accept greater numbers of Berkeley students." The statement arose in response to the question of whether Boalt is 'tougher' on Berkeley undergrads.</p>
<p>I don't have numbers, so I'm not offering this as any type of argument...just passing on the statement :)</p>
<p>That's a very clever way to say nothing at all, except that the punishment/benefit of attending Berkeley undergrad is not so great as to overcorrect the size of Berkeley and the disproportional applications from Berkeley undergrads.</p>
<p>One advantage that attending UC Berkeley can give you in Berkeley Law applications: see if you can arrange to date the daughter/sister/niece/cousin (or son/brother/cousin, etc. if that's what works for you) of the Berkeley Law faculty, deans & adcoms. Those applicants from UCLA and back east can't compete with that, can they? ;)</p>
<p><strong><em>Stuff you never read in the published guides</em></strong></p>
<p>I'm not sure if dating the daughter (or other female relative) of a Berkeley Law adcom would necessary be an advantage...what if the he's the super protective type?</p>
<p>Yeah. Maybe just better to date the adcom directly.</p>