Can I get into Berkeley?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’m a junior in high school and my top school so far is UC Berkeley. I live in Minnesota, and I’ve heard rumors that it’s nearly impossible to get into the UC schools as an out-of-state student. Is this true? Would my numbers and activities help my chances?

I have earned 5’s on AP Stats (freshman), US Gov (freshman), Euro History (sophomore), and Calc BC (sophomore).

My unweighted GPA from freshman and sophomore year is 4.0.

This year I’m taking AP Bio, Physics, US History, and US Lit/Lang. I’m also taking Multivariable Calc. It’s not AP, but it’s the highest level math class offered by my school.

Senior year, I will take AP World Lit, Chem, and Comp Sci. I might be able to fit Econ in there as well.

ACT Composite: 35 (taking again in the spring because my school requires it)
ACT Writing: 10 (taking again)
SAT Math II: 800 (taking Physics or Bio in the summer)

Extracurriculars: not a lot, but commitment to all of them.
Robotics team (since 9th grade): assistant captain this year, captain senior year, varsity letter.
Band (since 9th grade): marching/pep band, concert band, highest level band by senior year (second highest this year), varsity letter.
Track (since 9th grade): but I haven’t lettered because I can’t run a 4:30 mile.

Also, starting this year, I am a volunteer writing tutor for other students at my school. Not sure if this counts as an extracurricular, community service, or both.

Service: also, not many activities, but dedication to all of them.
I help run summer robotics camps for underprivileged kids in my city throughout the summer and fall (not sure how many hours, but definitely a lot).
Writing tutoring during the school year (hasn’t officially started yet, hours vary by week)

Finally, not sure if this will help, but I am Hispanic. Does Berkeley take ethnicity into account?

So, what do you think? As a Minnesota student, can I get into the UC schools? It might be too early to tell, since junior year started less than a month ago. But if I keep this up, will I get in?

Thanks!

2
  1. The UC’s are public schools funded by California taxpayers. Preference goes to instate residents.

2). As an OOS you will pay full fees of $55K per year minimum. The state is out of money so ^see # 1. You cannot get instate residency coming to the UC’s for educational purposes, so you will be paying $200K for 4 years. The UC’s accept OOS students to get full fees out of them. If you’re okay with paying those fees, then you should be good to go.

3). California public schools cannot use Affirmative Action to admit students. It is against the law in California to admit on the basis of ethnicity. So, URM doesn’t help in admission. Additionally, the state’s residents are so ethnically diverse, such that the UCs really don’t need to attract URMs from OOS.

4). There are no scholarships or financial aid benefits given to OOS. California is out of money so the few dollars they have, go to instate residents. See #2.

5). You must satisfy the A-G requirements, which includes a full year of a graded Visual/performing arts course. Most OOS don’t take those courses in their high school curriculum, so students are rejected if they do not meet this requirement.
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/

6). The UC’s look at 10th and 11th grades for admission. You are given credit for AP and IB courses only. Credits for Honors courses are not given additional weight.
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/out-of-state/index.html

[quote]
What courses are used to determine a student’s GPA for freshman admission to UC? If a student took geometry and biology in the ninth grade, do they use those grades in calculating their GPA?

UC uses all “a-g” courses taken between the summer following 9th grade through the summer following 11th grade in calculating a student’s GPA.

In calculating the GPA, UC does not include courses taken in the freshman year, regardless of the level of the course.

In addition, UC calculates a weighted GPA limited to 4 years of honors courses with no more than 2 years of 10th grade honors courses.

In other words, for a semester calendar, which many U.S. schools use, 8 semesters of honors points with no more than 4 semesters of honors points from courses completed in the 10th grade./quote]

7). EC’s are a huge must. They want to see a balance.
8). Essay must be really, extremely good.

Your GPA and ACT are good, but admission is a crapshoot.

Any other questions?

3

You are a very qualified applicant but as @aunt bea stated above ^^^ the UC’s will cost you and do not offer much in the way of financial aid or merit aid. With your Stats, you would be eligible for scholarships at many schools including USC (California school). If you are set on California, look at some of the California privates such as Santa Clara, Claremont Colleges, Occidental and USC.

4

You are a very qualified applicant. Here is some information about resident and nonresident admissions at the UCs: http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2014/fall-2014-admissions-table2.pdf

5

How much will your parents pay?

If your family will pay $55k per year for a UC, maybe that might help. UCs are need blind for instate, but I’ve never seen evidence that they aren’t need-aware for OOS.

Being Hispanic won’t help…UCs can’t use ethnicity, and the state has instate UC-bound Hispanic students.

But…paying $55k per year for an OOS public may not be that desirable. UMinn is an excellent school.

USC might be an option…have your parents run the USC NPC. Also look at Stanford.

What is your major?