Who wants to play UC Berkeley adcom?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>I was searhing for something on the net and discovered the following. It's pretty old (1999) but is still interesting...</p>

<p>PBS Frontline
Secrets of the SAT - Who Was Good Enough
Rate 5 applicants to an elite university -- then see who got in
<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sats/who/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sats/who/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Here's your chance to play the role of a certified reader for the University of California, Berkeley. It's your job to recommend students for the incoming class, not an easy task. The school received over 30,000 applications, but will only accept 8,500 applicants. Of those students selected, only 3,500 will enroll.</p>

<p>On the following pages are five actual applications to Berkeley for the 1999 freshman class. Based on the information provided, you must decide which of the students deserves to attend Berkeley. You may choose all, none, or some of the five applicants. After you've finished each application, you can find out whether the applicant got in or the school turned them away. You will also be able to see what an experienced admissions reader thought of each application.</p>

<p>You should know that according to University of California policy, each application will be read by at least one other reader before a final decision is made.</p>

<p>Read each application carefully. Each application should be reviewed in less than 10 minutes (most readers take about 6 minutes.)</p>

<p>Pay attention not only to grade points and SAT score, but also to the type of classes the applicant took in high school. If the student has a particularly low verbal score on the SAT, is there something else, such as a high score on the AP English test, which balances out the low score? Is English the first language of the applicant? </p>

<p>Take into account the level of education of the parents, the income of the household. Look at what the applicant has accomplished outside of school, sports, community service or jobs. Also, pay particular attention to the essay, as this is the student's chance to tell us more about him/herself beyond the grades and test scores. Look at it as the applicant's own letter of recommendation.</p>

<p>The only thing you cannot take into consideration, according to the law, is the race of each applicant.</p>

2

<p>That's ridiculous.</p>

3

<p>IMHO, that is just silly.</p>

4

<p>3 C's and 880 SAT got admitted????</p>

5

<p>yeah i saw that article last year. It seems weird that someone with a 880 SAT combined got in. i just dont get it.</p>

6

<p>You have to take into account their personal situation. He persevered through hard times and kept up with his school/ecs. I would've admitted him too.</p>

7

<p>that kid with the 1550 and excellent grades at a competitive high school didn't get in? weird</p>

8

<p>it is really weird in two cases, especially the kid with 1550. I was surprised!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

9

<p>Yeah, but there are plenty of people who persevere who can, at least, break 1100. 880 Demonstrates a serious lack of ability, and once he's enrolled, he's gonna get his ass kicked.</p>

10

<p>
[quote]
that kid with the 1550 and excellent grades at a competitive high school didn't get in? weird

[/quote]
</p>

<p>For me, it says he was admitted.</p>

11

<p>I don't think that the kid with the 880 should have been admitted. I mean I come from an extremely poor background and I scored 1380. He should have at least scored an 1100. My mother is a single parent and an immigrant. In addition, she doesn't speak English and she could barely read in Spanish (my family’s native language). I also had to work since my mother's yearly income was $13,000. Also, that kid got 2 C's or something like that. Come on, my mother made less money than his mother and I was salutatorian of my graduating class of 950 students. In addition, my school had the lowest API score but I still managed to excel in AP tests. The reason is because I self studied many that weren’t offered in my school. I worked to have enough money to buy AP test books at Borders. I would study these books during lunchtime and break time mostly because I was always busy. I got a 5’s in AP Calculus BC, AP Spanish Literature, AP Spanish Language, and AP Chemistry. I got 4’s in AP US History and AP World History. The only test that I didn’t do so well was AP English Language (I got a 2). The reason is because this test is very difficult to study for. In order to do well in this test you need to develop a strong English background starting at a young age. Well, then again this was in 1999 when Berkeley admission was not as competitive.</p>

12

<p>Wow! Old News is So Exciting.jpg</p>

<p>: )</p>

13

<p>very impressive purplechick.... extremely impressive</p>