<p>I have heard that it is damn near impossible to get into Berkeley as an out-of-state applicant. According to collegeboard, only 7% of their student body comes from outside of California. However, there's no school I'd rather go to and unfortunately live in Minnesota. My question is: am I qualified enough to have a decent shot at Berkeley?</p>
<p>Numbers
*GPA: 3.8 (weighted: 4.3, top 10% of a very good school)
*ACT: 34 (English 36, Math 33, Reading 33, Science 32)
*SAT IIs: Biology 670, Math IC 660 (awaiting results from Math IIC and Lit)
*APs: Language and Comp 5, Stats 4</p>
<p>ECs & Sports & Work and such:
*Elected captain of varsity tennis team
*Editor of newpaper
*Helped launch and Amnesty International Chapter at school
*National Honors Society
*DECA multi-event State finalist
*Tennis Instructor for USPTA certified tennis professional
*2 year garden maintenance worker at Minnesotas highest rated public garden (Noerenberg)
*50+ Volunteer hours for Life Coaches mentoring organization</p>
<p>Awards/Achievements
*Presidential Achievement Award
*A honor roll throughout high school
*Distinguished Academic Achievement Award
*Outstanding Athletic Achievement Award
*National Language Arts League Award</p>
<p>I also know I will have good excellent recs and am I strong writer so my essays should be solid. Thoughts???</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I think your chances are near 0%. Sorry, but your scores are just too low for an out of stater. You could move here, though i think you have to be here for atleast 1 year to qualify.</p>
<p>I'm guessing you're referring to my SAT IIs? Yes, I know that they're low. I didn't think they were as important as the ACT/SAT though. I was hoping my 34 on the ACT (equivilant to around 2260 on the SAT) would be enough to give me atleast an outside chance. :(</p>
<p>UC application requires no recommendations (and wants none), so your chances of admission are almost entirely dependent on your essays; damn good ones could get you in. And your CollegeBoard estimate is off, the out-of-state composition of admits is more like 4%.</p>
<p>he said 7% from outside california
4% out of state + 3% international = 7%</p>
<p>simple math ;)</p>
<p>OOS admissions isnt impossible, but I'd say the average quality of the applicants are higher</p>
<p>Yeah, but he's still stuck in the 4%. I was wrong and right. ???</p>
<p>what are you planning on majoring in? I think you have a decent shot. Your unweighted GPA and weighted GPA are at the average for Cal admits. Your ACT score will help though. By the way the UC's dont take the Math IC SAT, onyl the IIC. Your EC's are pretty good. Just write aan essay and convey that Berkeley is your top choice. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback everyone, I'd still love to get some more impressions though. Would applying early decision significantly increase my chances? I'm also planning on retaking my SAT IIs since I heard that UCal school add your SAT score to your top 2 SAT IIs to get a total out of 4000. Can anyone confirm this? Do they even accept the ACT?</p>
<p>they accept the ACT. There is no early decision. Berkeley does not use the point system, but a lot of the other UC's, especially the lower and mid-tier UC's, do use a point system.</p>
<p>first off, let me tell you that your chances are as good they could be. i was in your position about a year ago. im an oos applicant from tennessee. my sat was 2060 and my act was 31. hey those are not the best scores in the world. but guess what, i was admitted to cal (and i am going there next year). on top of that, they gave me a chancellor's scholarship. so there go two popular myths that oos ppl do not get the regents/chancellor scholarship and that you have to be a crazy ass person to get in oos in the first place. at this point i better tell you that i had two excellent scores on my sat ii's (a 780 and a 790) and i had all 5s on the five ap exams i have taken. my senior schedule was crazy and loaded with 6 additional aps. so you do have to work your butt off, but when ppl say your sats or acts are low...dont listen. </p>
<p>people might bash cal for saything that essays dont matter and that they are a mere numbers university, but i dont believe any of that. i put my heart and soul into my essays and i think they turned out beautifully. i would suggest starting on those soon after school starts...THEY ARE IMPORTANT! ECs can only be a bonus, especially when you have done something unique or have been in a leadership position. in my case, i taught ppl how to sail and im a hockey team captain. prove in your essays that you are a versatile person. if you like math/science like i do, show them you have a life OUTSIDE those interests. forget recommendations at cal. you dont need them and they dont want to see them. everything they get is what YOU give them. and there is NO EARLY DECISION. everyone applies at the same time and you all find out at the end of march the next year. </p>
<p>i would say you have a chance, but dont depend on me for encouragement. do your best on your application when it comes out. show (not just tell) them why you DESERVE to come to the best public school in the nation. </p>
<p>good luck,</p>
<p>polkovnik</p>