I am an international student majoring in Sociology.
My overall GPA is 3.94. I work as a tutor in two different places in my college and I am a Vice President of a club. I put some volunteer jobs too which I did before entering the college.
What are my chances for UC Berkeley and UCLA? I am really worried since I’ve rarely seen students who got into UCB or UCLA…and I also saw a student who didn’t get admitted for both UCB and UCLA even though that student had a 4.0 GPA.
You’re very competitive for both of those schools. Generally, for that major, a 3.8+ GPA is good.
A high GPA means you have a foot in the door, but it’s not always enough to step inside. Everything is taken into consideration (from how much tuition you will pay to your ethnicity to how you stack up against similar peers, for example there could be several hundred people with your GPA but other factors that boost their application).
I think you will get into UCLA and have an above average shot at Berkeley. Good luck.
That’s not really accurate, for the UC’s at least. They don’t take one’s ethnicity into consideration, or anything like that, to my knowledge (as AA is illegal in CA). Nothing I’ve read suggests that the first two factors you mentioned are considered in the admissions process. Do you have a source? @reygun
Also - GPA is by far the most important factor in admission (not counting completion of prereqs/GE, obviously). People who get rejected with 4.0s usually are missing some necessary requirements, or the major is very impacted - a 3.94 places OP very high above the average for both schools, not to mention their extracurriculars.
@goldencub hey, what if I’m missing one of my pre-reqs for my major (ethnic studies) but will have everything else completed by end of spring? Will that effect my decision ?
@eruditehooper Completion of pre-reqs is a factor. However, if a particular pre-req isn’t offered at your community college or any community college near it, they won’t hold it against you. That being said, even if it is offered and you didn’t take it, it doesn’t necessarily mean your chances are doomed. Luckily your major is not impacted, which makes missing one pre-req hurt a lot less.
Berkeley is perhaps the exception. They don’t admit based on major, but on school. So you’ll be matched up against everyone else applying to majors within that school. Of course, those with pre-reqs will be viewed more favorably.
@Cheolf Thanks for the insight man! What about a smaller private institution like pepperdine?
AA is illegal, but considering someones disadvantaged socio/economic background is not
@kimkim64 @goldencub I have a 3.9 GPA and didn’t get into UCLA for sociology, so I’m not too sure it’s just about GPA 
I’m really hoping for Berkeley but super nervous now.
@Hopeful456 Will you have all prerequisites + IGETC completed by the end of the Spring?
Yes I will be done by spring with everything. I also think my personal statements are amazing and I have pretty good ecs. Berkeley is my top choice and I didn’t really want to go to UCLA, but getting denied there has made me extremely nervous for Cal. @goldencub
@Hopeful456 I think you have a good shot for Cal. UCLA can be really finicky sometimes - I don’t know why they denied you, you’re very competitive.