Since the UC’s can’t use race as a factor in admissions, the fact that he is a white male is not going to hurt him. One of the ways UCLA and Berkeley get a diverse population is by generally taking the top 1-2% from each high school, whether that be a top public or a struggling inner-city public. Of course there are always exceptions. Including taking care of his sister, his torn UCL in his essays will be helpful. I am a California resident and have had 3 kids go thru the admission process, and have observed it at our local high school the past 8 years. What was the most eye-opening, was that, as incredible as I thought my kids were, there were a lot of very incredible kids out there. Admission for the UC’s is more than just test scores/GPA they also take into account strength of schedule, leadership, compare you to other applicants from your school, etc… Bottom line, the admission process can be very stressful, but it works out in the end. And my oldest did end up at SDSU (chose it over UCI and UCSC) had a great experience and is now gainfully employed. If you really want to make yourself crazy you can read the Hout Report on the Berkeley Admissions process. http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/05/16_houtreport.pdf