So, currently in a high school freshman with a 4.0 GPA, in all honor classes. My current school doesnt allow you to take AP classes until sophomore, and even then you are only allowed to take 1. I signed up for that AP classes for next year and im almost 100% sure I will get in. I know that my grades will definitely be enough to for UC Berkeley but im not entirely sure about my extracirculars. This is my plan to get into UC Berkely:
-College & Career Diploma (best diploma you can get at my school)
-As many APs I can physically take
-Straight As (I will attempt, but not entirely sure if I can do it.)
-Certificate in Python from a course online, in an app
-Certificate in C
-Certificate in HTML
-Attempt to get an internship with some sort technical aspect (cannot do this now bc i am 14, so i legally can not work)
-I have applied for a UC Berkley Womens program in STEM where I will work in a small group to complete an engineering project. (If I dont get in this year I can always reapply until the end of HS, but I ideally would want to get in)
-IF if do get into that program, the year after I can become a mentor which would be great for experience, and showing how well I work in groups
-Attempt to join my schools Leadership class
-Join a NON-Profit (not sure which one yet)
-Tutor Kids
-Work Volunteer hours helping elderly.
-In robotics club for 4 years in HS
Thanks for your time! UC Berkeley is my dream school and im trying my best to do everyhting possible to get in. Im just a bit worried my game plan isnt enough.
Do you plan to sleep at any time in the next 3 years? I get you want to do everything you can, but your best bet is to do what you love and then you need to let the chips fall where they may.
At the end of the day, there is no way to guarantee admission to UC Berkeley. There is no secret formula to a successful application. There are some common factors (great grades, rigor, leadership, creativity, etc). But what you are planning is A LOT. Cheers to your ambition.
But what happens if you do all of this and you don’t get accepted? Will you still be satisfied with how you spent your high school years?
Now, if you are doing all these things for YOU - great. But if you are doing all these things for UC Berkeley - please take a step back and think if this is really going to be good for you (mentally, physically, etc.)
Yes I do plan on getting sleep lol, I do manage my time very well, and I am very much intrigued in all of the extracurriculars Im doing. I love coding so doing the learning aspect and really getting to see the field seems amazing to me. I do have a plan to get into a tech related college, so if I dont get into UC Berkeley I will be totally fine with that. UC Berkeley just seems the most ideal you know.
If these are all things you love to do, and you are not sacrificing your well-being in the process, then that’s great. Just keep it up then. The bottom line, imo, is do what you love, not what you think UC Berkeley will love. You seem super smart and ambitious and I’m sure you’ll land where you’re meant to be and will do great things in life.
You are a HS freshman. So much can change in the next few years…so much. While you love Berkeley, please keep an open mind. Think about the characteristics of Cal, and make sure (when the time comes) that you have a well varied list of colleges in terms of chances for acceptance.
Even as an instate resident…admissions to Cal have become very u predictable.
As a Freshman, you should get rid of the “dream school” idea. You will be growing academically and socially over the next 3 1/2 years and may change your mind about a lot of things including colleges.
@worriedmomucb has given you excellent advice and realize that UCB cannot accept all qualified students that apply. It is great that you are thinking ahead and formulating your plans, but HS is just not about getting into a specific college. It is a time for forging friendships, pursing and discovering new interests and learning for the sake of learning.
Yes I am a CA resident, I do plan on applying to more colleges but since im only a Frehsman I havent thought too much about it yet. I just want to best prepare myself for any college! Thanks!
Thank you, I will try and enjoy my time at HS. I pretty much assumed that since most of the things I’m doing is pretty hands on, and working with other people. I would be able to forge those friendships especially since I’m working with people who share the same interests. As for the future, your right a LOT can change, but I’ve wanted to have a job in software since 5th grade. So I dont think it my mindset on working in Tech will change too much. But thank you anyway!
UCB has a great CS program and graduates are doing very well in the job market but CS is highly marketable. You do not need to attend UCB to be a success. I know plenty of CS majors whom are doing what they love, making a great living and did not attend UCB. Just realize attending one particular will not guarantee happiness or success. That is up to you.
Yes, I think you are doing everything you can. If your school limits your access to APs, and you are absolutely positively sure that you can handle the extra work, it is feasible to take a class in your passionate academic interest at a nearby 4 yr college or community college (if it’s well-taught and rigorous, which a lot of community college classes are not).
If you’re very stressed about this (which you shouldn’t be), look into transfer agreements between a community college near you and UCB. This is a back door into UCB if your high school record isn’t shaping up to be what you need. I know of a very bright student in the Bay area who got low enough grades in 11th grade that it was pretty obvious that she wasn’t going to get into UCB. Her striving immigrant parents pressured her to drop out, get a GED, and enroll in their local community college, which had a transfer agreement with UCB. Summer, fall, and spring (and then summer) with a very heavy class load at the local community college with straight A’s led to an automatic transfer acceptance at UCB, for the same fall semester that she would have entered if she’d been able to get into UCB from high school, but with junior standing. I’m not saying that this is what anyone should do - I’m just pointing out that for Bay Area residents, there’s a back door into UCB, IF you can get a high GPA at the community college, a very achievable goal.
If you’re not a California resident, I’d suggest that you not fixate on UCB. You will probably have other excellent options, and applying to the UCs from out of state isn’t necessarily the best plan, certainly carries a much lower likelihood of acceptance.
Remember, you don’t get a do-over of high school. If you can enjoy it for what it is, taking advantage of the social opportunities in high school, do that, and don’t focus so much on college admissions this early.
Thank you, I dont know too much about colleges, but would love to know more about these other colleges you might recommend for a CS major. I live pretty close to UCB which is why I’ve been mainly focusing on that. Its an amazing school and If I were to get in I wouldnt have to pay as much, as another college that I would have to live on campus.
Wow, that actually seems like a very good idea. Im not too far from USB, and live right next to a community college so I think I would actually be able to do that. Thank you!
As a California resident, there are plenty of colleges with CS programs that will give you a great education.
Are their college budget limitations since you mention commuting to UCB?
All the UC’s offer CS programs and majority of the Cal states. All the UC’s are competitive for CS along with Cal states such as Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State, Cal state Long Beach and San Jose State.
Some private universities in California to consider Santa Clara, Stanford, USC, Harvey Mudd, Pomona College, Chapman, Loyola Marymount to name a few.
Right now, focus on your academics and pursuing your interests at school and outside of school.
You have plenty of time to explore a variety of colleges before you need to get serious about making a list or focusing on any particular school.
You want to formulate your list from the bottom up so think about what you specifically like about UCB and try to find colleges that offer the same attributes but are less competitive for admissions. Keep an open mind and you may be surprised that your likes may change.
UCB does not participate in TAG which is the Transfer Admission Guarantee and unfortunately, TAG for CS majors is limited to UC Riverside and Merced now since it has become a competitive/popular major.
However, all UC’s give priority to California community college transfers but CS is competitive for both Freshman and Transfers regardless.
Also, as an FYI, if you are open to Merced - if you get high enough grades in high school, you can land in the top 9% ELC which would give you guaranteed admission to UC Merced.
I dont necessairly have a budget, but I would ideally not want to pay as much. Like if I were offered a scholarship to somewhere with a very nice CS program I would not hesitate to accept. I just dont want to be drowning in debt later in my life. I just want to at least get a good idea about colleges so I dont regret not doing anything to better my college application.
