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my own experience is that a high SAT score and weak but competitive GPA is enough to get into Cal and UCLA.
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<p>From what I've seen/experienced, such is not quite so true for Cal, which considers SAT to be just "important." As such, a high SAT score and "weak but competitive" GPA isn't enough, usually. By contrast, UCLA considers SAT scores to be "very important," on par with GPA, rigor of course load, and essays.</p>
<p>I think UCLA's approach is more balanced. My boss has a S graduated from high school with very high GPA(4.55) got to UCB and graduated with 2.80 uw(pre-med) and suffered huge depression. His high school's API is about 775. I guess inflated GPA is not good for one self-esteem especially when you get to college and everybody was top dog in high school.</p>
<p>The part about SAT not being AS important to Cal does seem to be true. I do think, however, that the gap between that approach and UCLA's is filled by things such as extracurriculars for Cal. I don't believe that UCLA considers SAT scores on par with GPA, and the like, unless you're talking about impacted majors. A lot of my friends at school couldn't hit 2000, but their GPAs were comfortably above the average. I only think SAT comes into play for engineers and people with slightly lower GPAs (ie. the 3.9), but, again, nothing from the members of my graduating class who went to Berkeley L&S would suggest anything significantly different there.</p>
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A lot of my friends at school couldn't hit 2000, but their GPAs were comfortably above the average.
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<p>I think low SAT scores could potentially come from students who are not born here, so UCB makes revision for that.</p>
<p>^That could be true for a certain percentage of people, but certainly not the people I'm talking about. At any rate, they'd probably have high SAT IIs to compensate (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, French etc.)</p>
<p>^Don't forget Math subject test.:)</p>