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Aug 11

UC Berkeley Admissions Requirements

University of California, Berkeley takes great pride in its many accomplishments, ranks highly across the board, and has a 14.8 percent average acceptance rate for incoming, out-of-state freshmen. So it makes sense that gaining admission to this prestigious university is undoubtedly challenging.

Do you want to improve your chances of getting into a top-tier university? Schedule your consultation with Tokyo Academics today!

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Step 1: A weighted GPA of at least 3.89

To get into Berkeley you need a GPA of about 3.89 or higher. These are high standards, to say the least, but not insurmountable. If your dream is to attend Cal Berkeley, here are a few ways to raise your GPA:

  • Try out a tutoring service if you have trouble in class or need help meeting the prerequisites for admission to UC Berkeley. Yes, it will cost you money now, but it will pay for itself in the future, thanks to scholarships and your college degree.
  • Join Tokyo Academics and get access to FREE educational resources. To discover more, go here (TA HOMEPAGE LINK).

Step 2: 1415 on the SAT scale of 1600.

This college strives for greatness, so use your resources. Study hard for the SAT and ACT because your admission to UC Berkeley will heavily rely on the results you receive on these two exams.

Also, note that the SAT 2 Subject Tests are highly advised for students majoring in chemistry or engineering.

Step 3: Research your program or major

By consulting the Academic Guide for Undergraduate Degrees on the UCB website, you can determine the major or program in which you are interested. You can discover degrees that interest you and find all the relevant information for that degree using this practical tool.

When you click on a major, you’ll find the information your student needs as far as any prerequisites, specific acceptance scores, etc.

Speak with someone in the department responsible for the particular program if you want more details.

Step 4: Take your UC Berkeley Admissions Test no later than December of your graduating year

You won’t be considered otherwise! To keep on track as far as test preparation, you can use a planner.

How does a planner help?

The best way to stay on track is to break your one big goal of Taking the UC Berkeley Admissions Test into smaller, SMART goals that will get you there over time. Remember, a SMART goal is all of the following:

Step 5: Get ready to write a fantastic entry essay

Along with “Rigor of Secondary School Record,” “Academic GPA,” and “Standardized Test Scores,” the Institutional Research Department at UCB lists the Admissions Essay/Personal Statement as “Very Important” in terms of admittance.

You may be unsure of your topic.

To identify any patterns, we looked through the essays of the approved students at UCB. Here is what the successful essays had in common: 

A. Elevated Language
B. A focus on family
C. Concrete, personal examples
D. Self-reflection

Step 6: Utilize your essay’s comments section.

There is a chance that you can still gain admission if your GPA is lower than the minimum required. UC Berkeley reviews student applications with a holistic approach.

It implies that you have the opportunity to explain yourself IF your GPA is lower than the average accepted or IF your test scores are below average.

Use your essay comments section to tell UC Berkeley what happened. They will consider it, even though it has nothing to do with the topic of your admissions essay.

Step 7: Improve your Extracurricular Activities

UCB is deeply curious about how you spend your free time. Here is where you show them more about yourself.

Do you have leadership qualities? Are you effective in a group?

Cal Berkeley looks at the following specific elements when determining admission::

  • Character and Personality Traits
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

To develop the ideal Extracurricular profile for your student’s UCB application, follow the steps.

Step 8: Create a MyFinAid account

A MyFinAid Account is available to UC Berkeley students. Use it to review financial awards such as scholarships if you are qualified to receive them.

UC Berkeley has created a tutorial video that spells it all out to make it simpler for you!

UCB students have a variety of scholarships available to them. For example, the Berkeley College Achievement Award: incoming full-time and part-time students with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 or better will be eligible to receive up to $3,000 annually.

You can explore the whole UC Berkeley Financial Aid Catalog to learn about additional awards that are available.

Conclusion

We advise the following to meet the prerequisites for admission to UC Berkeley and become a Golden Bear: 

  1. A weighted GPA of at least 3.89
  2. 1415 on the SAT scale of 1600
  3. Use the UCB Academic Guide to do research on your chosen major or program.
  4. By December of the year you graduate, take the UC Berkeley Admissions Test.
  5. Do well on your UC Berkeley admissions essay!
  6. Utilize the essay’s comments section (if needed)
  7. Make the most of your extracurricular activities
  8. Through your MyFinAid Account, access scholarships and other awards.