Is UC Berkeley Available on the Common App?

Quick question, friends! Is UC Berkeley part of the Common App, or do I need to use a different application system for that school? Just trying to plan ahead and manage my applications smoothly.

Hello there! UC Berkeley, like all schools in the University of California system, does not use the Common Application. Instead, you will need to use the UC application system, which is specific to the nine undergraduate UC campuses.

You should plan to use this separate UC application for Berkeley and any other UC schools you're interested in. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to fill it out—while the basic information will be essentially the same as what you're entering in the Common App, you won't be submitting a single 650 word personal statement, but rather responding to four shorter "personal insight questions," and you want to make sure your responses are well-polished before submitting.

If you're wondering how to tackle these questions, CollegeVine's blog has a post breaking down each question and how to respond to it effectively, which could be a great resource for you: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-california-essays

Finally, note that while the UC application typically opens on August 1st, like the Common App, submissions are due on November 30th, not early January like your regular decision applications at Common App schools. So, make sure you plan out your schedule to account for that difference.

If you have any questions about how this other platform works, be sure to check the UC Admissions website for the most up-to-date information and deadlines. Good luck with your application planning!