Hi everyone,
I am an undergraduate applicant that applied to UC Berkeley. A few days after I submitted my UC application, I was asked for two letters of recommendation. I have done research and understand that people who are requested for letter of recs have certain acceptance or certain rejection. I need to know what exactly this means; why was I chosen for letter of recs?
Here is information in the UCB thread about LOR’s which can answer your question:
Now, all UC campuses can ask for LORs as part of “augmented review,” but can refer no more than 15% of applicants for augmented review. This is a contrast to the 30% who were asked for letters by Berkeley last year:
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/17/the-uc-application-process-is-about-to-change-and-some-people-dont-like-it/
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-uc-regents-recommend-letters-20170712-story.html
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/augmented-review-policy-2017.pdf
Students can also be asked for fall semester senior year grades, and can be given a questionaire as part of augmented review.
Here are the five specific conditions under which an applicant might be selected
for an augmented/supplemental review (quoted from the augmented review policy linked above):
Evidence of focus on an area of special talent which may have limited a student’s
time to participate in a broader range of activities.
Evidence of character traits that imply a strong likelihood of making a significant
contribution to campus life.
Evidence of significant academic achievement or the potential for academic
achievement at the University in spite of extraordinary or compound
disadvantage or learning difference, or physical disability or other unusual
circumstances.
Evidence of significant improvement in the academic record accompanied by one
or both of the following: reasons for the initial poor performance; and/or sustained
and in-depth participation in educational outreach programs, which demonstrate
the applicant’s commitment to succeed academically within a challenging
environment.
Evidence of relative lack of access to, counseling about, or support to take
college preparatory, honors, Advanced Placement (AP) or International
Baccalaureate (IB) classes or required college entrance examinations.
Did your letter say the letters of recommendation are “required” or “optional”? Mine was “required,” but I think most are getting the “optional” one.
If you want to get into Cal, I would consider any request for supplemental information - whether “required” or “optional” - as an absolute must. It could mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection - who wants the regret of not doing everything possible forever hanging over one’s head? D was given the “option” to submit LOR’s two years ago when this thing started. I don’t know if she was singled out, as everyone she knows from her HS who applied was given the same option. The only specific condition that would have applied to her was maybe the second one (if this list was in place back in 2015). In any case, she submitted them, was accepted and is currently a sophomore.
Below is a link on study from last year about this topic:
I think the thrust is to see how LOR’s helped or hurt admissions chances for the disadvantaged applicant, and it gives insight into the admissions process.
It was optional.
@gumbymom - thanks, your post was very helpful.
@pickledginger. I cannot take credit for the original information but saw it on the other UCB thread and thought it was worth reposting.