<p>I made a topic about this a while back, and I was told that I had a 75~80% chance at Berkeley.</p>
<p>Quick stats:
GPA 4.00/4.46
Taking/Taken all AP's possible except APUSH, AP Lit, AP Bio (taking Physics Honors instead because Caltech wants Physics).
Studying for Japanese AP on my own (course conflict with French AP so I can't take both classes)
May be taking highest level programming class at community college.</p>
<p>SAT
2360
SATII
800 Math 2 and 800 Chem</p>
<p>Extra junk
AMC 122 or 126 or something, AIME - I have no idea, maybe 2 or 3 or 4
CA resident
National Merit, most probably at least a semifinalist
Probably "eligible in the local context" for the UC system - top 5% of class
~800+ hours hobbyist programming
~200 hours hobbyist web design
Certified programmer
Went to COSMOS (UC summer camp) before 9th grade (is getting in at a younger age better?)
Three years summer work experience, two years had to do with web design.
Should have about 200 hours volunteer work that has to do with server design and programming
Maybe some more stuff I can come up with, whatever....
I'm not going to write down my hours (read: less than 10) that I volunteered at local schools.</p>
<p>Anyway, of the class of '06 (400~ people), about 30 are going to UCB and 35 to UCLA, and I feel very confident that I am in the top 10% of my class (school doesn't rank because they're lame like that). Assuming I write decent essays, should I move UCB into a safety range and knock CalPoly SLO off my list?</p>
<p>I think you can plan on getting into one of them
but not both
and It may be UCLA you get in, but not Berkeley
or you may get into berkeley, and rejected from UCLA
oooorrr you get into both
or neither
you never know</p>
<p>All the computer programming certifications are completely rediculous. Utterly easy to pass. Same goes for A+ Certification, so easy. I didn't even bother paying to take the test, cause I don't plan on a career with computers anyway.</p>
<p>A+ isnt that easy buddy. It is pretty easy but having to speak binary and hex is annoying. Also memorizing random crap like which port on agp delivers 3.3volts is etarded. It looks good on college apps.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a near for sure thing, but it's not completely a sure thing. Cal Poly is unnecessary, unless you would prefer to go there over UCSD. UCSD would make a good safety.</p>
<p>If you don't screw up on the interview and other stuff, I'm pretty sure Regents will come along your way. My friend got it with lower stats than you at UCB.</p>
<p>Yay, I think I'll drop CalPoly SLO and UCLA, and put UCSD as my safety, perhaps drop UCLA as I hate LA and would only go if I got in under Regents.</p>
<p>The certification in question is Sun's SCJP for Java 5.0.</p>
<p>I highly recommend COSMOS to anyone who has a few free weeks of summer. You do have to write a paper (like two pages) on the topic of your choice, and you do have a two hour lecture every day, but you also go on lots of field trips, you go to amusement parks. I thought it was one of the best summer experiences in my life. You don't learn a lot, because you forget everything in about six months anyway, but it's just a fun experience. Plus they pair up roommates quite well; nearly all of the people get along pretty well.</p>
<p>Any other recommended schools? Highly prefer schools on the coasts, prestige and the name are quite attractive as well, lower-cost would be helpful unless the school pays a nice sum (a person I knew who got into MIT got $0 funding because the family owned a home, which was viewed as a large asset).</p>
<p>People are too resistant to say yes...I say yes, you should be getting into both UCLA and UCB if you write a good essay and such.</p>
<p>But if not either of those, you will DEFINITELY get into UCSD or any of the other UC's, so just mark them down on the application if that's really all you care about. Find a few other UC's you like the looks of, and go with them.</p>
<p>Is there a chart or some resource that details the requirements for regents? UCB + regents would be cool, although there's no shame in UCB alone...</p>
<p>Engineering is defintely harder to get into for Berkeley, especially EECS, however, you are a safe match for it. Regents, well maybe, I know people with better stats that didn't get Regents also, so it depends.</p>
<p>However, applt to UCSD for a safety, and you probably will get Regent's there.</p>
<p>For EECs, if you want to apply for fun, do apply to MIT and consider Carnegie Mellon (for EECS & CS). Why Penn?</p>
<p>The PDF says UCB's average GPA for 2005 was 4.17, while the Cal site says 4.25. Would the PDF show a capped GPA, while the actual site shows an uncapped one?</p>