<p>I'm a freshman CS major looking to apply for summer internships. I want to stay closer to home for the first summer, so the internships I'm applying for will mostly be in non-CA areas. I'm assuming that I'll likely be competing against students from state schools rather than Cal or Stanford in SF, so would being a student from Cal "boost" my chances?</p>
<p>Eh, the Berkeley brand is certainly a potential factor, but the more important factors are the timing, budget, specific skills, internal personnel, and most importantly, decision within the firm. It has to do with them more than it has to do with you.</p>
<p>If you want to apply to places b/c it’s closer to home, certainly go ahead and apply. If you have enough time and have the balls, directly visiting the company or calling the right person is even better if you want to stand out from the competition.</p>