@Gumbymom OH, GOOD. Thank you!
How does UC Berkeley decide who to give LOR? I applied on the 29th and haven’t received a request yet. Do you need a LOR to get in? I’m an OOS applicant as well.
oof i didnt get asked for LOR
sad reacts only pls
@longhornpride123: UCB started asking for LOR’s last year from a random sampling of Freshman applicants. There has been no established criteria set by UCB (or at least none published yet). If you do not get a request, it does not mean you are not competitive or you have no chance for an acceptance so do not worry.
@LeReddit Haha what do you mean they make you optimistic? As in they are low?
@Gumbymom , in my berkeley portal, its says that my rec letters are optional. However, I have not received any email from Berkeley. Do you know what’s going on?
@mdchang99 I have very similar stats and the exact same major and no LOR here either
@poa34355 i meant that they’re high lol (besides capped GPA but i dont think that would be a deal breaker for UCB)
@johnlimster: This came up last year. Here is the information posted last year about not receiving an email for LOR’s but having it in your UCB portal.
:::::
UCB reponse:
If in the portal you are being requested to submit letters, you are free to do so (not required) by Jan. 15.
Original OP asked:
UC Berkeley Admissions Hello again! Actually, my MAP page shows no such requirement/request (https://apply.berkeley.edu/apply/status). I can only add recommendations if I login specifically through
https://apply.berkeley.edu/apply/ (i.e I can only add a recommender through the application management page, after selecting my application and then selecting ‘Open Application’.
The request has not appeared in my checklist/is not visible on My Application Portal.
So, should I submit my LoRs?
Thanks for the help.
Their Answer:
Hi there - If you are seeing it in the portal, you are free to submit letters. Thanks!
@LeReddit ohh haha ok thanks. What are your stats like, if you don’t mind saying? I also applied for l&s, but as a biological sciences major.
@Gumbymom so basically in short, if its not on your checklist in your portal they dont want one right?
@poa34355 4.18 capped, 4.18 uncapped, 3.82 unweighted, 2140 sat, 800 math 2
i applied L&S CS
@LeReddit: It seems to me if you do not get a specific request then no they do not want them.
Am I borderline? Is this why they’re making me submit rec letters?
I have 4.45 weighted capped, 4.54 weighted uncapped, 4.0 Unweighted, 2200 SAT, 34 ACT, 5’s on all of my AP Exams.
I applied to L&S CS
@johnlimister, I really think that the LOR’s are random again this year. Last year, LOR requests went out to High Stat applicants, Low Stat applicants and everything in between. I believe they are still fine tuning their criteria. I think you are a very competitive applicant and definitely not borderline.
@johnlimster you’re not borderline but its impossible to have a capped gpa that high.
@LeReddit Hopefully we’re both at Cal 
Quick Note:
Last year it was a random sampling. My friend with a 35 ACT got one. Either way if you get a request do send a letter in it shows effort to say the least. There is nothing you can do if you do not get one so don’t worry too much. I was considered High GPA Low Test Score for engineering and got a request. I didn’t get in so take that with a grain of salt.
I just checked and I have it in my portal also, but not in my email…
@obghj2009 yeah same. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why all my friends are getting it through email while I am not.
I am not super freaked about the Berkeley LOR; however, I’m interested to know if you guys had already sent in your ACT/SAT scores before you received the email for the LOR. I sent in my scores 2 days ago, and I have not received an email regarding my LOR but I had applied for UCB on November 29th. I already know people who received the email about LOR recently and they had also applied on November 29th. I am just interested to know if my scores are delaying the email…I already know not everyone gets one, but there must be some hope. :)))))