<p>“Basically, if you have good grades and a good SAT score, you’re in.”</p>
<p>Not so.</p>
<p>Twenty years ago this was more or less true. I know for a fact this has not been the case since Berkeley’s admissions went “holistic.”
In the last five years, at least, Berkeley has turned down students with stellar stats. It has also admitted some who do not have such.</p>
<p>In fact, the idiosyncratic way the admissions have been parceled resembles the private most selective universities more and more. I say this with sadness at the loss of rational criteria and the increased subjectivity we’ve seen with students whose profiles we know.</p>
<p>And also sadly, UCSD has decided to go the same way next year.
Students with atypical merits can be happy about this, but beware of what you wish for. It really turns out to mean that great students are not admitted.</p>