Any body who applied engg undeclared .
Hi everyone — been a silent lurker for a while now, but finally decided to create a CC account! Created it literally just for this post. I was accepted to Berkeley early in Feb, for EECS, but I was rejected from UCLA and UCSB this past week. However, I have a few friends who were accepted to both UC Berkeley (early) and UCLA. With that being said, we need to remember that both LA and Berk are two entirely different schools, and they have their own processes to evaluate applications. Though there has been a lot of speculation that which UC you get into might affect the other, I highly doubt it. So don’t worry — let my app be an example that you can definitely still get into Cal even if you were rejected or waitlisted at UCLA. I’m a big believer in positive thinking and good vibes only 
Whatever outcome and result you get, take it, and own it! Good luck to everyone!!
@CheerioGal If you don’t mind me asking, what are your stats?
thanks @CheerioGal for sharing your story. Gives many of us hope.
@CheerioGal Thanks a lot! would you mind sharing your stats?
FYI…My D got accepted both UCLA and CAL two years ago and her friend as well. They both chose UCLA. Good luck
Good luck everyone! Last 2 days!
Hi everyone. My daughter got accepted to EECS in February and just got into CMU in SCS. Both schools sound fantastic–any input from anyone on which might be a better choice? We are OOS for Berkeley…
@obsessivemom - May be you should post in Parents thread also to get more responses for UCB vs CMU question.
@obsessivemom First, I’d like to offer my congratulations to your daughter on that impressive accomplishment!
I do not know much about how the actual programs themselves compare, but I personally think that Berkeley has more to offer, with its location in Berkeley and proximity to San Francisco. Although CMU does receive a lot of donations for those STEM fields and provides ample opportunities for research, I think Berkeley helps craft a more well-rounded “idyllic” college experience because it seems to foster more development in other fields outside of STEM. One of my friends attended undergrad at CMU and pursued a graduate education at Harvard, so CMU definitely has positive connections, and she loved CMU, but I think CMU definitely looks for a specific type of person, so it might be beneficial for your daughter to try and do an overnight to get a feel of what those students are like. Weather is additionally another factor for her to consider; Berkeley maintains a more moderate climate whereas CMU experiences the full four seasons. I think she should also consider the mentality the student body of each school embodies as well, regarding political leanings and such, to see where she feels she fits/is comfortable. Both are great schools, so it might be beneficial for her to tour both and see which one “feels” right. Hope this helps
Thanks so much for your kind and helpful reply! And thanks also to @srk2017 – I didn’t think about posting this question in the parents forum. As far as CMU is concerned, she will indeed be having an overnight visit there, so that should be helpful, and we will be visiting Berkeley as well, but there is no option for her to stay overnight in the dorms, I don’t think. Climate wise, I agree that Berkeley wins hands down–we live in Austin now and are not used to the cold (she is also weighing an offer from the UT Austin Engineering Honors program–but that is Computer Engineering, rather than Computer Science, so it is a bit different). I do worry about class sizes and the difficulty of getting into some classes at Berkeley, though…
I completely agree. I was lucky enough to be accepted to Berkeley in early February and was selected as a regent’s candidate. Instead of simply bragging or praising the school, I tried to write essays that could show a piece of me in a unique way. My essays covered everything from my middle name to the wonders of a rolling backpack. Showing who you are in your essay doesn’t mean you should simply describe things you’ve done. You want to make your essay a literal incarnation of your personality.
d-2… this is crazy
im so nervous. i feel like my essays were good but because there were only four, i don’t think i really showed my creative side. like for other applications, i had room to be completely weird/myself but i felt lowkey pressured to explain really thoroughly about what I’ve done outside of school for berkeley. my voice still shines through but i wonder if i should’ve been a little bit more creative in my approach…
@dazedaura I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Even though it may not be the creative voice you used in say your Common App or other supplements, your personality should still shine through your message. I went to Berkeley’s application seminar and they stressed that, because the essays are only 300 words each, they’d rather see a straightforward, not-super-flowery answer. While it’s great if you were able to write both clear and creative essays, it’s not something that will detract from your application, especially if you feel confident that your voice shines through.
Anyways, it’s a bit too late to worry about it now. You’ll find out soon enough and hopefully you’ll get in and never feel doubt for your application ever again. Hang in there!
thanks~
I knew an admission officer who told me that the competition is actually within your school first. So even if your GPA is somewhat low, if applicants from your school have similar GPAs or lower, you are in good shape. I know many applicants from our rival school get in with much lower GPAs than my school. I know GPA isn’t everything but it is a good indicator. You can go to https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/admissions-source-school and see what your school averages. Some years are somewhat off but this is a good indicator assuming you did ok on your SAT/ACT. Also, if your school is a very competitive school, UCs tend to accept more students from your school than other schools. I hope this helps ease some nerves.
Also, if you are not sure of your UC GPA, you can go to https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/institution and type in your high school. Then you will see a list of classes and on the right-hand side, you will see classes are considered by UCs as UC honors. Then you can calculate your GPA capped of 4.4 max for all UCs other than UCLA and UC Berkeley (uncapped).
ugh thats disappointing because everyone at my school that applied are geniuses
@seahawkboy1999 But as I have said, that’s only where they begin. Also, if your school has that many geniuses, I am sure UCB will take way more students from your school than other schools. For example, there is Troy High School in OC and in 2015, they had 80 students receive admission to Berkeley with average admit’s GPA being only 4.13. Admission will take into account your school’s competitiveness. You will be fine!