<p>The title pretty much says it all. But here's a brief UC-admissions profile of me:</p>
<p>ELC
GPA: 4.0UW/4.6W, I think my UC GPA is the max
SAT: 2360 Reasoning, 800 Math II, 800 US History, 790 Chemistry
AP: 5, 5, 5, 5
Significant EC/awards: Academic Decathlon (20hrs/week) captain with medals, math club president, NMS semifinalist, AIME qualifier
Community service: zero</p>
<p>I've applied to Berkeley and UCLA, I want to know how much that lack of community service will hurt me. Will my academics/test scores compensate for that completely, or could it significantly impact my chances?</p>
<p>(I know I've been really lazy in my first two years. But in my junior and senior year, my advanced courses + Acadec, which pretty much doubles my workload, has left me with very little time for other stuff. Anyway, I regret it.)</p>
<p>It’s alright. there’s no need to worry about it, since it’s too late to get involved in community service.
rather, focus on the other parts - your academic strength, your ECs and leadership skills.</p>
<p>Cal uses a holistic admissions process, thus admissions are a bit unpredictable and not contingent on meeting certain minimums of community service, ECs, or stats. They want an interesting mix, not a homogeneity of top stat students. Make sure they can see that you are an interesting and unique person who would be a good addition to the incoming class.</p>
<p>Volunteer but do it for good reasons and not because you are worried that it will boost your chances at Cal. </p>
<p>Other UCs have more specific guidelines for community service, if they consider it at all. UCD does not give any admissions points to community service. UCSD gives points but has very strict thresholds. Zero credit if less than 100 hours. Half credit from 100 to 199 hours. Full credit for 200 and more. If you are going to add hours to improve odds for UCSD, do enough to get to the next threshold or it won’t count.</p>
<p>Find something you like and volunteer. You can alway send additional info until they make their decision. Here’s a charity. Take food to starving Cal students who used all their room and board money for the tuition increase.</p>
<p>Berkeley really does look at the ECs and at the reference letters. At least, that’s what they say at CALSO. You were captain of your Academic Decathlon and president of your math club. That will help.</p>
<p>It’s too late to do substantial community service… but what major are you applying for? With your scores, you have a good shot at getting in with that alone.</p>
<p>I applied for physics. Hopefully those who are telling me I don’t have to worry are right, haha. Nonetheless I definitely should start doing community service, but I’m not going to report anything beyond this point to the UCs.</p>