UC Berkeley: Can I get in??

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

Hi I am a senior in high school and am currently in the process of college applications. I am in love with UC Berkeley and definitely consider it one of my top schools, if not my top school. Here’s more about me.

Academics:
Weighted GPA: 4.4 Rank: 10/171
Unweighted GPA: 3.86 Rank: 23/171
UC/CSU GPA: 4.2
Cal Grant (10-11 grades): 3.8
I have taken 11 AP classes:

  • AP Geography my freshman year (took all the AP’s I possible could)
  • AP Euro my sophomore year (could have taken AP BIO but I did not)
  • AP CHEM, AP LANG, AP US HISTORY my junior year (took all the AP’s I possibly could)----I took the AP Spanish test too
  • AP C PHYSICS, AP CALC AB, AP LIT, AP ART, AP STATS (my whole schedule is currently AP classes-- I am the only one in my class taking 5 AP classes)
    ACT: 28

Extra Curricular Activities:

  • Club volleyball for 4 years
  • Founder and President of CSF (largest club on campus)
  • Founder and President of Junior State of America
  • Founder and President of my very own non-profit organization.
  • Secretary of GirlUp
  • I had an internship with my congresswomen where I worked on her campaign and was very involved.
  • ASB for 3 years (I was head of a committee)
  • I worked at my family’s restaurant freshman year

Awards:

  • Presidential Service Award–over 250 hours dedicated to my non profit
  • CSF Lifetime me
  • State seal of biliteracy
  • AP Scholar

Other:

  • first generation american
  • first generation to graduate from college
  • english learner (ELD)
  • hispanic underrepresented minority
  • female
  • I live in California
2

Overall you look like a competitive applicant with the exception of your ACT. Your ACT score of 28 is below the 25th percentile for admitted applicants last year.

25th - 75th percentiles for ACT:
UCB: 30-35

For a better chance, you need to bump it up into the 32+ range. You have very good EC’s, your UC GPA is on target and you have taken advantage of all the rigorous courses at your HS.

2018 UC capped weighted GPA averages:
UCB: 4.23

URM is not consideration for admission by the California public universities, but First generation will help.

Hopefully you have a balanced list of some solid Safety and Match schools besides UCB. Best of luck and retake your ACT.

3

Also the college/major you put in the application will impact the admission chances.

4

Speaking of college/major and selection criteria ^^^, below is some more information:

Division (L&S, CNR, CoC, CED, CoE) matters for admission selectivity.
Within CoE (but not the other divisions), major matters for admission selectivity. Changing majors within the CoE after enrolling is not guaranteed, unless one is CoE undeclared.

    Note that L&S admits students as undeclared; admission to capped            majors (e.g. CS, economics, psychology, ORMS, statistics, art practice,         and a few others) is by college GPA in prerequisite courses (and                portfolio for art practice) after attending for a few semesters.

    The business major is in a separate division and admits students in a       competitive holistic process. Frosh intending business majors begin in      another division (usually L&S), take the business major prerequisites,      and apply (usually in their second years). They also need to take               prerequisites for a backup major in case they are not admitted to the       business major.

    All students who apply to UC Berkeley and select a major within the             College of Natural Resources are evaluated based on their application,      not on the particular major they select.

Most selective majors at the UC’s
UCB:
Majors in the Colleges of Engineering and Chemistry are the most selective. Details on the admitted student profile at Berkeley can be found at https:// admissions.berkeley.edu/student-profile.

5

Can you take the ACT again? If you want the best chance of getting in, that’s the one thing that’s low. If it’s not possible because of timing, just make sure your essays are stellar and cross your fingers. Cal is a reach for 99.999% of people on this planet of Earth.

6

Yes I am taking it October 27th and am reaching for a 31!

7

I was planning on applying for the global management program but I was looking at the requirements and it says i am not old enough for some reason? I believe I will apply for economics.

8

You need to be 18 by August 10th. Probably because they don’t want minors in a program with international travel, etc.