Requirements for UC Berkley?

Hello! I'm a junior right now and UC Berkeley is my dream school. Does anyone have any idea what the requirements for applying there are? What do they generally look for in an applicant, specifically regarding academics and extracurricular activities?

The University of California, Berkeley, is part of the University of California (UC) system, which has unified application requirements. These requirements may vary slightly by school and specific program, but in general, here's what you'd need:

Courses: Applicants must complete 15 a-g approved courses in secondary school with a minimum 3.0 GPA (3.4 for non-California residents), including history, English, math, science, foreign language, visual and performing arts, and college-preparatory electives.

Extracurriculars: While there isn't a specific requirement, successful applicants often have 8-10 total extracurricular activities, showing deep involvement in a few. UC Berkeley loves to see students with a high level of accomplishment in their field of interest.

Remember, colleges judge extracurriculars using the 4 Tiers of Extracurriculars, and the more Tier 1 and Tier 2 activities you have, the better.

Personal Insight Questions: UC Berkeley and other UC schools require four personal insight questions. These are short essays where you can share about your background, experiences, challenges, interests, and goals. Avoid cliche topics and instead aim for narratives that provide unique insights about you that the admissions officers can't otherwise glean from your application.

Transcripts: Applicants must submit their high school and any college transcripts.

Letter of Recommendation: UC Berkeley doesn't normally require letters of recommendation; however, they might request them from you as part of Supplementary Review, which applies to a small subset of applicants.

Standardized Testing: As of the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, UC schools including Berkeley are test-blind, which means they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in their admissions process. You may not submit test scores at all, even if they are very good. Unless you are applying to schools that do consider standardized tests, you may not need tests on your radar at all.

Finally, while there might be many factors they consider when evaluating an application, UC Berkeley, just like any other selective school, uses the Academic Index, a combination of grades and class rank, to initially screen applications. We can't know the values for sure, but comparing your academic profile with that of accepted students can give a rough idea of where you stand.

Best of luck with your prep and application!