I just received an email from UCB about sending LORs. I’m still trying to process the fact that I was asked considering my grades are pretty bad lol. Not sure if I will send though because I wasn’t expecting for this to happen and I’m not particularly close to any teacher to ask for a letter of rec…
Anyone else received a request for a letter of recommendation?
I think not submitting LOR’s is a bad decision since UCB is showing interest and wants more information to help with their admission decision. Up to you but you are only hurting your chances. You applied for a reason, so why not take advantage give them what they want.
Think of a junior year teacher to ask! You don’t have to be particularly close to the teacher. You just need to have done well in the class. Bring a copy of your UC app so that the teacher can look at the activities listed, and perhaps read your essays. This is doable. GO FOR IT
most students have not finished their application. YOu already got request of LOR? Would you mind sharing when you submit your application?
I asked about the LoRs when we attended an admissions info session at Cal. The AO I talked with said that in general they didn’t get much useful information from the LoRs, probably because the teachers in California aren’t used to writing them for most students. So, unless the LoR was especially great or negative, it didn’t have much effect. (That was an AO whose region was Sacramento and the rural parts of California north of that, however.)
I think not sending it would be worse than having an average LoR.
blackpink in your area!!
anyway, did you get this through email or through the portal
@golftlist I think I submitted over a week ago so no that long ago
@callmegray ayeee and nice username;) I got it through email!
@blackpink I received a request on the 23rd; @golftlist I submitted my app on Nov. 2nd, but I think they didn’t really start looking at the apps until around the 23rd (I also checked last year’s threads regarding this).
In any case, it /did/ say that people who were given this opportunity are strongly encouraged to submit LOR’s, and I think in general they can help your application (rather than harm it).
I received it today and I submitted my application about 2 days ago approx? It was on saturday.
got an LOR today - does that mean im borderline ( highkey scared)??
For the applicants who received a request for a LOR, when did you have ACT or Collegeboard send your test scores to UCB?
For those who got a request for LOR, did you get it after receiving your portal access information? I am stressed out as I have not received the request. 
@shezhushe does my UC 3.6 sound like borderline to you? naaah probably not.
@tasmom i sent my act and sat scores sent to UC Irvine when i had taken them. because the UC’s are all connect (idk how to explain) but once one uc gets your scores, all the uc’s get your scores.
@hello420 if i am correct, all of us received our portal access information alongside the invitation to submit letters of recommendation. the letters of recommendation are not required, they are optional.
Definitely ask a teacher for the rec! Didn’t you have to submit recs to any other schools? Good luck!!
After much debate the general conclusion last year was that it was pretty randomized. I was sent the request and submitted two LOR. In the end I was not accepted.
I submitted my application, subject test scores for math2, bio & chem, and ACT scores on Nov 18th. Scores were sent to UC on Nov 20th. Received LoR and portal login on Nov 23rd through email. I’m an in-state student
Absolutely a good sign if you get a rec request!
ATTENTION ALL PEOPLE WHO GOT AN EMAIL ASKING LOR:
Not all people who apply to Cal will recieve an email asking for a letter of rec. Teachers who have submitted letter of recs in the past to berkeley (this only occurred last year) were emailed recently saying that they will repeat the same selection process; they said that people who are asked to send a letter are borderline students who are close to being rejected or accepted. Last year Cal requested letters from 31,842 applicants which is 38% of the total freshman pool. Of that 31,842 people asked for letters, 27,092 were observed by Berkeley and they found that 93% of the people asked sent in a letter and 7% did not send in a letter. About 4,800 students were accepted from the people who were not asked for a letter while nearly 8,800 were accepted from the people who did turn in a letter. Only 800 of the people who were asked to send a letter but did not were accepted. This means that the percentage of people not asked for a letter is 7% while the people asked to send a letter was 33%. So if you received a letter you should definitely send one ( you can also send two) because it will only help your chances of being accepted. Good luck future freshman class! 
However, this raises a certain contradiction in the UC admission process. Many students who submitted their application in early November received the email asking for a letter on Thanksgiving. This is odd because the UC admission office states they do not review applications until the deadline on November 30th. If their application is deemed to be borderline but the admission office states they have not reviewed the application there is something wrong. Some speculate that there might be specific impacted majors in which all applicants will be asked to submit a letter (can somebody confirm this for biology). BTW, they also said that they will send these emails in batches and the last emails will be sent by December 15th.