<p>Financial aid wouldn't offer me much, so when I apply to Berkeley my income is far from "aww, poor girl"</p>
<p>Again and again, I get the feeling that Berkeley is just dying to get poor students, URMs.</p>
<p>Like I said, we're not millionaires, but my family's income isn't going to help me stand out as someone who comes from a struggling past, financially, and I'm positive that Berkeley prefers people from disadvantaged backgrounds.</p>
<p>Am I just tripping, because I guess unconsciously I'm afraid I wont get in simply for being "rich" compared to other applicants?</p>
<p>Anyone here serve as proof against my hypothesis (about Berkeley trying to avoid admitting students from well-off backgrounds?</p>
<p>I know it seems like a silly question, but I'm wondering.</p>
<p>I was admitted and I am in the "will never qualify for financial aid in a million years group"</p>
<p>oh haha ok good..well are you also in the "i cured cancer, taught physics in china this summer, and speak 10 languages" group? = )</p>
<p>My high school accepted about 20 students to Berkeley, with probably all those students being between the 28%-35% tax bracket. Two of those students were known to be THE wealthiest in our school. I'm talking $20+ million in assets...</p>
<p>oh yea fasho.</p>
<p>dude, in my high school, for the past three years, some of the wealthiest students have been winnin the incentive award (which is a full ride to berkeley for poor kids)</p>
<p>its so messed up.</p>
<p>but i was just talking about community college. lets face it: community college is a perfect source of bragging rights for Berkeley (as a public school that takes turnaround students, URMs, etc. we all know CC students tend to have unusual/struggling circumstances, at least in my experience with them)</p>
<p>so i figure theres a lot of people out there as qualified as i am, but without the money, which sadly gives them an "edge"</p>
<p>by the way, they've been winning it because they find a loop hole.</p>
<p>ex. father owns a business in korea, so they just put down their mom's income which isn't much.</p>
<p>stuff like that = /</p>
<p>Huh? It's people with money that have the most powerful edge. </p>
<p>These kids got into Berkeley because they knew how to get in, and could attend. </p>
<p>Money does wonders because struggling students can compensate their weaknesses by attending expensive after school tutors, or just hire their own. Even those who have unusual and struggling circumstances make it through high school through expensive mental and or health care. </p>
<p>Information is also a powerful resource. I still haven't figured out a clear cause to this but, it seems that wealthy schools know much more about how to get into a good college. The "ghetto" friends I had back in the day were pretty clueless about college essays, EC's, testing, etc. They had a faint idea about the usefulness of college, but they're surrounded in an environment that doesn't support a college driven student. Student's are competing with the tutor perfected students of other wealth students. Many students also needed money right away, and couldn't afford to tie their finances up in a large loan for college. The wealthy students on the other hand, were in an intense environment that is charging towards college. Of course, these students have no issue paying for college. I remember being referred to a troubled middle school student as a mentor...her depression stemmed from...college admissions! </p>
<p>If you're wondering, I take an interest to this topic because in high school, I had a seat at many faculty meetings, acting as a liason and critic.</p>
<p>Coming from the perspective of the transfer, the 4 alumni buddies of mine who applied to Berkeley were accepted, with 3 of them being in the 35% tax bracket and the fourth i'm guessing is in the 25% bracket. I didn't get accepted to Berk nor am I rich, so my stats probably won't help your concern (bollocks.. i'm the only alumni that didn't get accepted...whooopeee).</p>
<p>no, of course wealthy students usually have better access to resources, information, things to 'boost' their chances.</p>
<p>but i mean in terms of the actual admissions process.</p>
<p>if applicant X and Y are the same almost all aspects, Berkeley will DEFINITELY take the "poorer" student, IMO.</p>
<p>I've been to personal statement workshops and theres always an emphasize on expressing how you've struggled, come from disadvantage background, etc.</p>
<p>so I hope my stats and preparation can make up for the fact that i'm spoiled in terms of access to resources. At the same time, i'm thankful and never take it for granted. Maybe I could write about never taking it for granted lol although thats not exactly an emotional/moving personal statement <em>sigh</em>..</p>
<p>I was thinking of writing about my disabled brother and how that was a struggle for me growing up, but I dont want them to think i'm trying to create a sob story out of it...</p>
<p>Well, what did you learn from it? How has it changed you?</p>
<p>You guys don't understand and read too much marketing material. At top colleges, you have a much better chance if wealthy without a doubt. That's for many reasons from being better prepared at great private school, to exposure to much more than poor kids, to better athletic coaching.</p>
<p>To illustrate, top colleges average 40% of kids from private high schools, 6X the percentage that attend private schools. </p>
<p>Berkeley has more poor students than most top schools because poor students tend to stay in state. But don't be fooled. HYP want a higher % of poor students and when they get that % they will stop. They don't want a school full of poor kids--who'd pay for scholarships?--they just want to say they have a few more from the bottom quartile of wage earners.</p>
<p>Personally, I just think the school is giving an oppurtunity to those less fortunate. If people show work ethic, and translate that into academic success, they will look at that and say- yes, they know that they cannot "fall back" on their parents- they will take whatever education we give them and use it. </p>
<p>With that said, I don't think they look for these stories of overcoming adversity, I think people have blown that up beyond what the purpose was intended for. </p>
<p>The best essay IMO will always be the one that explains why you want to learn what they can teach you. Just because you are poor and have to maintain great grades to keep your scholarship shouldn't be the reason you are motivated. That motivation should come from learning about what you would like to do.</p>
<p>@ academic: you are better off writing about what you want to learn, especially as a transfer student (you are supposed to know by now because you are applying for a major). Your best bet would be to really sit down and think of why you are planning to do what you are doing. What career are you thinking of, and how is this going to get you there. Why might you be more prepared to enter this field than someone else? </p>
<p>Use experiences, even your brother if need be, to answer those questions.</p>
<p>Colleges don't care if you have family to fall back on, they want to know if THEY can fall back on your parents for donations.</p>
<p>I saw a special 20/20 or dateline a while ago talking about private universities looking at parent assets and ranking students for admission based on their chances of getting a return from the parents, go figure.</p>
<p>thanks for the help/advice guys...</p>
<p>i guess niggit, you're staying as a transfer, they're less interested in me and my "special contributions" and more interested in my academic/career goals?</p>
<p>(if i understood correctly?)</p>
<p>i dont think the money has to do with it if you are not applying to the elite privates. what i was getting at before was, if you are a transfer student- they want to see that you know where you are going and have chosen a direction (your intended major). with that they need to decide whether you have the reasons and motivation to put the effort, and i use effort loosely, in teaching you what you need to know (and again teaching as in just giving you a degree so you can get your first job, after that you will learn everything you need to know in industry). </p>
<p>so as far as the essays go, i would write about why you chose your major and what you want to do with it. sounds like what the website says right, but it is SO true that people tend to overlook it. </p>
<p>I know because I am going to cal next term, and I had 3 pre reqs missing in a major where only 8 people got in last year. My adcom told me to write about what had influenced me to come to this decision and how I acted upon my oppurtunties. </p>
<p>EX: Industrial Engineering (which is optimization of processes essentially)
-First "experienced it" in middle school in a technology class.
-saw it in person when I visited a manufacturing facility and saw the methods being implemented to keep things efficient
-want to do this major because i like different challenges in many fields
-i can use this major to work for any company that is business based because they always look for ways to increase profit. </p>
<p>i wrote about those things and it seemed to work. hope that helps.</p>
<p>I guess its especially true if I am designing my own major??</p>
<p>(interdisciplinary studies)</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>absolutely. its your chance to show them you can make your own path and act on it.</p>
<p>jesus- you dont have to report family income, its only if you want to be considered for fin aid. if you really do have money, skip that section. i did and got in.</p>
<p>they admit applicants who they think will graduate within 2 years</p>