<p>You’re not completely out of the runnings. You’re pretty well rounded, but it seems like you lack a focus. Tougher schools these days are looking for students with goals and some sort of plan for the future. I think that’s how I got into Berkeley last year. I’m also from out of state, so that prob helped my big time. Good luck and good luck applying to the most liberal, earthiest, and radical school in the world.</p>
<p>Berkeley has been kinder to OOS these past year so you can take advantage of that. Your GPA is okay, but it’s .02 short of the average. Luckily, SATs aren’t as much as important as GPA is at Berkeley (or any UC school) and it does not superscore. Like the poster above has said, I think you lack focus. So take note on that and work out on that. As it stands, I my guess is Berkeley would be low reach to reach.</p>
<p>Both your UC GPA and SAT score are below Cal’s average, given that you want an engineering major it’s a significant reach. A higher score would help a lot.</p>
<p>UC GPA is dragging you down even more than the SAT… Berkeley is a reach for you, as is UCLA. You are more of a match to UCSB/UCI/UCD, and a match/reach to UCSD.</p>
<p>P.S. What kind of school do you attend where top 5% in class is 3.91 Weighted GPA?? At our local school, top 5% is 4.1 UC weighted, capped GPA, and the 10% is 3.95 UC weighted, capped GPA.</p>
<p>I really dont have any comments to say because the other posts have done a great job at it, but you have a great shot at it, One of my friends got in last year, he was #1 in the class, 2130 SAT Score and didnt have many EC’s also. Also there where 4 other people that I knew that got in one whom was #2 in the class, but another had a 3.6 GPA and it was the Personal Statement that got him in. I hope this helps and you get in, Best of Luck.</p>
<p>Now that we know your weighted and unweighted GPA, that’s fine for Berkeley, especially considering your rank. Try to get a higher CR score and at least maintain your math score. About your extracurriculars, they’re great but not that special for Cal. Unfocused, and doesn’t really show your interest in science and math, which of course you need to be an engineer. Getting into Cal engineering will be pretty tough, since the rate for it is about 15% compared to 22% in general. If possible, use your essays to show your academic interests, since college is primarily about academics.</p>
<p>Someone who knows what they want to do in high school is certainly NOT unfocused. Those kind of perceptions discourage some people who otherwise could very well possibly be a great scientist. Unless you are exceptional most UC’s want students to go to a CC first. Is it because they think the person is stupid or not fit for their institution. Not in the least!! They just want younger students to become more familiarized with how the (Master Plan) educational system works and the role these research institutions play in society. Another MAJOR reason is that high school AP and Honors classes do not have the same standards as colleges do and tend to be very inconsistent. Maybe like 20 years ago HS AP and honors classes meant something but now nearly everyone who posts here claim to be a AP Honor Student. That is because of the self esteem education movement and how they reduced the quality of honors classes to the level normal classes use to be. It becomes a numbers game for local districts and for that reason many colleges recommended 2 years at a CC now so they can better evaluate a person and their transcript. It is also why California has a 4.0 cap and administrators chuckle at HSers bragging about their 4.3456789…blah blah percentage this/that, weighted/unweighted GPA. Even in a CC I don’t know how many times I saw extremely cocky 4.0+ freshman do miserable at a CC yet expect to survive at Berkeley??? It was kinda mean but some teachers even rubbed it in when students literally cried because got their first C and all the teach could wryly say was ‘boo hoo I thought you were 4.0 though, guess not now huh’</p>
<p>CCC’s use to be for those students who didn’t do as well or more importantly just didn’t know what they wanted to do as a major or career. That is where they got a rap from. These days it just makes more sense to do your first 2 years at a CCC and then transfer. Not only is it cheaper but the first 2 years is standardized education so not much different no matter where you do it. It becomes such a localized issue that it is all about the individual professor you are taking more than anything else, even in top schools! If this person wants to go to CAL for CHemEng then yes he should focus on that and not be discouraged. If he doesn’t get in as a incoming freshman he could easily go to DVC and work his butt off until they let him in if proves worthy enough.</p>