<p>Around what GPA and SAT (both reasoning and subject) test scores do I have to maintain/get to be almost guaranteed acceptance to Berkeley? I plan to major in Business and it will be my first choice school. They mostly look at 10th and 11th grades right? Do they look at ECs a lot? I don't have any strong ECs. :(</p>
<p>bump.......</p>
<p>id say anything around 2100 for SAT is pretty solid. GPA weighted over 4.0, id guess around 4.1/2? Not very sure, but the higher, the better. lol</p>
<p>i think ECs are the most important part of your application. not only do they add a little jazz to the forms, but they give you options to write about alot.. so i think that you should definitely look to get really involved, i swear.. thats the only way i got in. but yeah i agree with urd0rkk, id say anything over 2050 is pretty safe (mines was 1970 at best) and having an uw 3.8-3.9 helps too</p>
<p>Ohh.. thanks. I think I could do at least 2100. Is the weighted GPA in UC schools, UC gpa? How about ECs? Do I need strong ECs?</p>
<p>Oh I forgot to mention.. Does Berkeley count P.E. in unweighted/weighted gpa's? I got bad grades in P.E.. So my UW is low compared to my weighted. </p>
<p>What EC's are good?</p>
<p>Ya show signs of leadership. Like officer roles in various clubs. Sports are also nice. Community Service</p>
<p>I got about 200 hours of community service tutoring kids from 3rd grade to 10th. I actually like teaching and tutoring math especially, but I am not interested in teaching profession, is that still going to help me?</p>
<p>I am a sophomore right now, is it too late if I get involved in clubs during my junior year?</p>
<p>P.E. didn't count as college prep for me/my school.</p>
<p>I got in with a fairly low GPA and decent SATs, but really good ECs. Also, there's no guarantee with the new holistic approach...</p>
<p>Find something good to fill up your summers.</p>
<p>nothing's guaranteed</p>
<p>my high school has an average SAT score of around 2070 and a bunch of kids didn't get in. my friend who had a 2340 got rejected.</p>
<p>GPA: at least 3.8 UW - 4.2+ W.
SAT: 2100+ is good (average is ~2050)</p>
<p>The only courses used are the five core ones: English, math, history, science, language</p>
<p>ECs should be strong: try to show a passion/focus, have leadership positions</p>
<p>Awards/honors: not as important, but still try to distinguish yourself (something which you have to do in an applicant pool of over 47,000)</p>
<p>Work hard on your essays; they're important.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Berkeley is becoming a real crapshoot. Just strive to be the best you can and you'll be fine. =)</p>
<p>thanks. I will focus on ECs regarding math and science I guess. I am pretty sure
I can get at least 4.2 weighted gpa and 2100, but not too sure on unweighted.</p>
<p>I got in with UW 3.5</p>
<p>Make sure you have good ECs and essays and you'll have a good shot.</p>
<p>Definitely try to show leadership and focus with your ECs (try to become president of your FBLA chapter, etc.). I didn't start doing any ECs until Junior year, and I still got into Berkeley (EECS major too, which is supposed to be one of the hardest to get into).</p>
<p>Here are some things I found in the application process:</p>
<p>GPA is slightly more important than SATs.
Get at least 2200 on SATs ( if you are asian), 2100 ( if you are white).
Get in the 700's for all your SAT IIs.
Make sure your weighted GPA is over 4.1 and your unweighted is atleast 3.8.
Make some extra-cirricular involvement.
Actually answer the questions for the essays. Start early on the essays.
(DO NOT BS ANY OF YOUR ESSAYS UNLESS YOU HAVE STELLER SCORES AND ECs.)
Leadership roles (even small ones) are worth noting in the application.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>^^ some of that doesn't quite apply to Berkeley. GPA is much more important than the SAT, not just slightly; this is evident by their GPA breakdown and their average SAT scores. A "2200 for Asians / 2100 for others" doesn't really count for Berkeley; they don't seem to care as much, as indicated by the ethnicity breakdown (almost half Asian). EC involvement should be more than just "some"; it should be able to complement all your "numbers" well (balance is the key).</p>
<p>Dear kyledavid80,</p>
<p>Since you have not applied to Berkeley, and I have, I think my word is more admissible than yours. Make sure you have some credit before calling someone out.</p>
<p>A gpa around 4.3 and SAT I around 2100 should give you a pretty good shot. EC's don't have to be spectacular if you have great SAT scores and high gpa. My ec's were really weak by college confidential standards but I got in because of good SAT's, grades.</p>
<p>purple cow:</p>
<p>"Since you have not applied to Berkeley, and I have, I think my word is more admissible than yours."</p>
<p>It really doesn't matter whether you've applied or not; do you somehow gain insight into admissions because you got an acceptance/rejection? I don't think so. I know of many people who apply without the faintest idea of the admissions, and even after getting in, they still don't know how any of it works. So you aren't any more qualified than I am to make statements about Berkeley admissions, something I've been following closely for years now ('tis been my first choice for a very long time).</p>
<p>"Make sure you have some credit before calling someone out."</p>
<p>Credit isn't nearly as important as evidence and support when "calling someone out." See:</p>
<p>Rigor of secondary school record (GPA/rank): "Very important admission factor"
Standardized test scores: "Important admission factor"</p>
<p><a href="http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=988&profileId=1%5B/url%5D">http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=988&profileId=1</a>
<a href="http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2005-06.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2005-06.pdf</a></p>
<p>More than just "slightly." And look at the GPA:</p>
<p>Average UW GPA: 3.83
Average W GPA: 4.26</p>
<p>And rank:</p>
<pre><code>* 99% in top 10th of graduating class
* 100% in top quarter of graduating class
* 100% in top half of graduating class
</code></pre>
<p><a href="http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=988&type=qfs&word=berkeley%5B/url%5D">http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=988&type=qfs&word=berkeley</a>
<a href="http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2005-06.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2005-06.pdf</a></p>
<p>As you can see, GPA/rank are stressed immensely. Contrast these averages with the average SAT scores:</p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading: 580 - 710
SAT Math: 620 - 740
SAT Writing: 590 - 710
Average score: ~1980</p>
<p><a href="http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=988&profileId=6%5B/url%5D">http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=988&profileId=6</a>
<a href="http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2005-06.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2005-06.pdf</a></p>
<p>That means 25% of the incoming class had less than a 1790 (though I think it's gone up a little, recently).</p>
<p>Obviously, GPA is stressed much more than SAT ("slightly" is an understatement) -- to be expected, since Berkeley is a state school.</p>
<p>As for the Asian population: since the banning of AA, Berkeley has been very good about it. It obviously doesn't go harder on Asians, as indicated by its ethnic breakdown:</p>
<pre><code>* <1% American Indian/Alaskan Native
* 46% Asian/Pacific Islander
* 4% Black/Non-Hispanic
* 12% Hispanic
* 29% White/Non-Hispanic
* 2% Non-Resident Alien
* 7% Race/ethnicity unreported
</code></pre>
<p>If there are roughly 24,000 undergrads now, that means there are ~11,000 Asians. Does that sound as though Berkeley goes harder on Asians? Doesn't seem to be, so the "2200 for Asians" doesn't hold, as it would at a school like Dartmouth (14% Asian), Brown (15%), or Washington University in St. Louis (14%).</p>
<p>In addition, EC involvement and essays are important (not just "some"), as shown by their acceptance rates of different stats: tons of high-scoring, high-GPA students are rejected.</p>
<p>Lastly, you might want to look at the "actual results" thread:</p>
<p>And the stats profiles:</p>
<p>They seem to support my claims.</p>
<p>Despite having applied to Berkeley, you don't seem to have a strong grasp on its standards. You're free to reject and clarify this observation -- of course by providing evidence in support of your own claims. I welcome it. =)</p>
<p>Dear kyledavid80:</p>
<p>I am honored by your time and effort spent researching to contradict my claims. Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the will to search for such evidence. My answer to GPAx213's question was based on my first-hand account of the admissions process and resultant acceptance/rejection me and my peers went through. My purpose was to help others applying next year. You present your statistics, and I will present my experience in the application process. Hopefully, others will find the two different accounts helpful. I do not mind people who have different views than I have, but I do get offended by someone directly quoting me and telling me that I am wrong.</p>
<p>Purple Cow</p>