<p>I visited Berkeley last weekend for a model un conference, and i fell in love. i've always wanted to go to berkeley, but i never visited the campus before till recently. I love the people (SO FRIENDLY), the fashion (punk meets urban), the food (I got my fill of Naan n Curry ;)...everything about that city is me. I've never felt more at home in any other city. NOW i want to go more than ever (I also attended the 7th annual night of cultural awareness hosted by the MLK student group. VERY CHILL atmosphere, until some blonde girl kicked out me and my friend b/c we were minors...ha). I got a C my freshman year of high school (Honors geometry), and I got a C first semester of my junior year (ap us history). my total accumulative gpa over 3 years (so far) is probably 3.5 weighted which i know is very low for berkeley...should i give up hope? i'm very active in my religious community, and i have lots of extracurriculurs (internship, community service, sports, clubs...etc.). </p>
<p>i also want to know if other college towns have the same atmosphere (such as Davis, for example...) or is Berkeley the only place like this....</p>
<p>So that's why all those youngsters were crowding all over Dwinelle last week...eh. </p>
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my total accumulative gpa over 3 years (so far) is probably 3.5 weighted which i know is very low for berkeley...should i give up hope? i'm very active in my religious community, and i have lots of extracurriculurs (internship, community service, sports, clubs...etc.).
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<p>Nothing is impossible, but expect a rejection upon applying.</p>
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i also want to know if other college towns have the same atmosphere (such as Davis, for example...) or is Berkeley the only place like this....
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<p>Davis is the exact opposite of Berkeley - pretty rural, spread out, quiet, pretty inactive for the most part. Berkeley is an urban condundrum of activity compared to Davis.</p>
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Nothing is impossible, but expect a rejection upon applying.
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<p>Strkyur, that is rather harsh..</p>
<p>Anyhow, with such a low GPA you must balance it out with above average SAT scores obviously. Was there a particular reason for the C grades? Freshmen year grades won't count, btw, so give us your weighted GPA from junior and sophomore year.</p>
<p>Only 23% of applicants to Cal get accepted. Statistically speaking, because you have a higher-than 3-1 chance of being rejected rather than being accepted by just applying, it is logically sound to assume a negative outcome. :)</p>
<p>I'd rather get criticized for being critical rather than being optimistic. A 3.5 weighted GPA is far below the Berkeley average.</p>
<p>i'm glad you're giving me an honest answer...if it is honest...the c was in ap us history..my other grades are B's/Cs</p>
<p>Legal committee...what country were you in?</p>
<p>i just REALLY hope i get in, so i'm working my ass off...it's such an AMAZING place. i've never felt that way about another place before, and i know that sounds totally cheesy but i really mean it. and i felt right at home...everyone thought me and my friend were cal students...till they noticed our MUN badges. :) we spent a LOT of time in buffalo exchange...and the shoe stores since i'm a sneakerhead.</p>
<p>OP, Do you go to a competitive high school where they hardly hand out A's? The admissions committee also takes that into consideration. They have the statistics to do so.</p>
<p>my school is pretty competitive...we were #407 in Newsweek's 1000 Top Schools...but I don't know exactly...I just don't want to get my hopes up (especially after seing the social scene and how chill it is) if I have no chances of getting in...I hope i do though :)</p>
<p>it'll be tough, but if you convey how you feel and who you are in your essay it can help you.</p>
<p>I felt the exact same way when i first visited berkeley, and so far the magic hasn't gone away. I hope you get in, and have as good a time as i've had this year. good luck!</p>
<p>Although the rest of your application may be strong, the GPA will probably hurt you the most, considering that Berkeley stresses that above most factors (way more than the SAT). So it's a reach, but not impossible.</p>
<p>I'm glad you like the city -- so many people bag on it constantly...</p>
<p>Sorry I'm going to back up Strykur here and say your chances aren't great, but it never hurts to try and I'm sure there are other colleges with similar atmospheres. Good luck.</p>
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I felt the exact same way when i first visited berkeley, and so far the magic hasn't gone away.
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<p>No kidding man. I'll gladly take out another $1500 loan for housing just to stay over the summer (for an ASUC group possibly). It kicks ass living up here.</p>
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i also want to know if other college towns have the same atmosphere (such as Davis, for example...) or is Berkeley the only place like this....
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<p>Well, nothing in the world is EXACTLY like the town of Berkeley. The town is quite unique. </p>
<p>Probably the closest analogue would be Cambridge, Mass - which is a unique city in its own right. Ann Arbor, Durham/Chapel Hill, and Santa Cruz are also interesting college towns. Then of course you have the cool big cities which just happen to have major universities located in/near them - the prototypical one being Boston, but also New York, Austin, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Columbus, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, and so forth.</p>
<p>i always thought that i wanted to go to new york/east coast for college since i love big cities...or just somewhere far away from home, but berkeley changed my mind...</p>