Is UC Berkeley using Augmented review or Letters of Rec for 2017 borderline applicants?
UCB invited “borderline” and high stat applicants last year to submit LOR’s. If they continue with this policy for 2018 applicants, it remains to be seen. I would assume that they will continue this practice.
My advise is: if you are looking to get into Cal at some point down the road, but don’t have LOR’s on the brain as you are applying to schools (like publics) that don’t require them, pretend you will need them: talk to potential LOR writers ahead of time (or follow whatever policy your school may have). That way, if asked to provide them, you will be ready.
D (a freshman last year) was a high-stat applicant who was part of that first year of Cal LOR requests (so maybe borderline cases, maybe just random samplings, who knows?). As she was also applying to privates, it was easy enough to get her teachers/coaches to submit their completed letters to Cal as well when asked. Some of her other friends who were only applying to other publics had to scramble to get Cal LOR’s - some teachers put a limit on the number of students they will write them for, or have deadlines that may have already passed. Stressful.
Submitting LOR’s to Cal, when asked to, is not mandatory, but if you don’t do it and don’t get in, you will always wonder. Upshot: if they ask, SUBMIT.