<p>As a freshman currently at UC Berkeley, I'm finding that many of the breadth classes said to be "easy" are actually not. I want to get into Haas, but my first semester GPA isn't that high (3.65), and it'll probably sink more because of my grade in UGBA. I have decent extracurriculars, but if I'm unable to get a GPA over 3.5, am I doomed? I've heard a lot about getting an average of 3.6-3.7 in order to get into Haas, and I'm aware there are outliers. Still, I'd like to hear some different perspectives about this. </p>
<p>Also, would those of you who are Econ majors say that opportunities to work for consulting, finance, etc are reduced because you're not in Haas?</p>
<p>Haas looks for specific types of people, and if you fit it, you may have a chance. That being said, if you take the more quantitative econ courses (101AB, 141, 103, 104, 142), you’ll probably put yourself in a better position than any Haas major for most jobs. </p>
<p>Econ majors still have the same opportunities to work in consulting and finance, but yes it depends on the classes you take. You should take more quantitative econ/ugba classes and apply for consulting/finance clubs though. I had a 3.6 gpa, was rejected from Haas, became a Econ major, and I got the same job at the same company as people in Haas, so it doesn’t really make a difference, you just need to focus more on your coursework and extracurricular activities. However, you should try to bring your GPA up because top companies still look at GPA and if you want to work for the top consulting firms (like Bain), they usually make the cutoff gpa 3.8+ or else you cant even get a first round interview</p>
<p>@totalcaprice, if you don’t mind me asking, do you think it was mainly your GPA that weakened your Haas application? </p>
<p>GPA of 3.6 is good enough but your need to fill in some leadership role in clubs (like V.P of XXX) and internship jobs to make the resume strong and competitive</p>
<p>It was partially the reason, but it is like ^ said, you need leadership positions in clubs in order to have a good chance. I was in several clubs, but I wasn’t in any leadership positions for them. </p>