<p>What's a good GPA at Berkeley?</p>
<p>Right now I have a 3.8, but it's kind of low I think for graduate school. What do you guys think I need to keep in order to be admitted to good grad schools of any kind?</p>
<p>C'mon, you know that 3.8 isn't "kind of low." It actually kind of high. If after three more years you still have a 3.8 and get good GRE (or LSAT, or whatever) scores, along with good letters of rec, then you should be fine. Personally, I'm shooting for a gpa anywhere from 3.6-3.8 to keep me competitive. I think the average, campuswide, is less than 3.0, so getting into the high threes is very good.</p>
<p>Engineering average GPA is cooked to be 2.7 in most (all?) lower division courses.</p>
<p>it really depends.</p>
<p>i have an inkling that 3.5 or above is considered respectable campuswide, but some majors are considerably easier than others. a 3.1 in cs (or eecs) is not considered low at all -- rather that's pretty good. however, a 3.6 in polsci will almost automatically get you excluded from the best graduate programs.</p>
<p>"a 3.6 in polsci will almost automatically get you excluded from the best graduate programs."</p>
<p>Hmm, very interesting. How in the world would you know that? Please post data if you're going to make blanket statements like the one above.</p>
<p>Ok what about in economics?</p>
<p>i have no vested interest in lying to you. do realize, however, that berkeley's polisci program -- while good -- is not considered especially rigorous. moreover, it's easy for students who don't really care to evade the more intense courses (generally involving more essay-writing) if they so desire and complete the major. thus, to get into one of the top grad programs, you're going to need a 3.8+, at the very least.</p>
<p>but as i said, "almost automatically" is not a certainty; those with compelling hooks may yet get admitted.</p>
<p>oh econ, i dont know. 3.7+ is considered respectable in that major, what with teachers like Martha Olney running around.</p>
<p>ah i'm not a polisci major..maybe gentleman is.</p>
<p>But economics eh...How difficult do you think it is to get a 3.9 final average? I really hope to bring up my GPA.</p>
<p>what year are you?</p>
<ul>
<li>ah, 2008.</li>
</ul>
<p>after just 1 year, you should be able to do it with a decent amount of effort. the difficulty is that as the years go on, lethargy sets in and the courses become increasingly intense. and then there's econometrics.</p>
<p>hmm oops wrong post</p>
<p>Ah I was pretty lethargic second semester of the first year, not the first semester.</p>
<p>So econometrics is pretty bad then?</p>
<p>oh, note well that i'm also in the class of 2008. but yes, it is widely considered the most difficult of the econ major requirements. other econ degree candidates have advised me to take no more than 13 letter-graded units that term.</p>
<p>yikes..because im double majoring actually probably in English as well...which means i have to take at least 15 units each semester to graduate on time..wonder how that is going to work out.</p>
<p>yeah, i'm also considering a double major right now.</p>
<p>in what other subject</p>
<p>some combination of econ/polisci/business/peis</p>
<p>3.5+ is "good" at Berkeley, I would say. At least that's my opinion as an EECS major. Some friends have around a 3.0, and I'd say that's pretty borderline. 3.5 and above I can see as doing respectable. I got a 3.8 first semester, 3.6 second, so I'm at a 3.7 overall and hoping to stay there.</p>
<p>hmm i heard you needed a 3.9+ in EECS to get the top jobs (i dunno heard that from an EECS major who is now a senior)</p>
<p>however a 3.7 for EECS is definitely up there..isn't the average 2.8 or something?</p>
<p>I think for most fields if you want the "top" job you need a 3.9. There just, statistically, are not many people that get the top jobs in any field. I don't know the EECS average, but I think most in the EECS department would probably be very happy with a 3.5 (just from talking to others and knowing some GPAs of friends in the department). 3.7 makes you eligible for the EECS Honors Program (have to apply), so I think if you're up there you're doing pretty well.</p>