College Applications: What does it take to get into UC Berkeley, UCLA, or UCSD?

I am a current UCSD* student. I got in with a GPA of about 3.7 unweighted and 3.9 weighted (definitely on the lower side for UCSD). I had an overall SAT score of 2300, the breakdown was 750 Math, 750 Reading, and 800 Writing. I took three SAT subject tests with scores of 760 Math II, 770 Literature, and 790 Chemistry. My extracurriculars weren't great- I didn't have any real leadership positions. My essays were stellar- I'm a strong writer. So I'd say the strongest parts of my application were my test scores and my essays. I tried really hard to figure out the secret formula to getting accepted but when I was getting my acceptances/rejections, it felt really random. You do have to meet a certain bar to qualify for consideration (anything above 3.7 GPA and 2100 SAT) but after that it's all very subjective, in my opinion. I don't think location has much to do with your acceptance and for ethnicity there's that whole affirmative action thing. Other than that, admissions officers say that they read apps blind so you can choose whether to believe that or not. *I did not get into UCLA and I did not apply to UCB (visited the school, didn't like the atmosphere).

I got into all of three of these schools and am planning to attend UC Berkeley this coming fall in the Colleges of Letters and Sciences. I am ethnically asian and I live in the Bay Area. As for my test scores, I wouldn't say they were particularly stellar--I got around a 2250 on my SATs and my subject test scores were around 750 (I took Biology, Math II, and US History)My GPA was probably my stronger points. I had a 3.9 UW and 4.6 weighted. Numbers aside, my ECs and essays were pretty strong. I had several major leadership roles inside and outside of school, and my essays were unique and well-written. These two factors may have helped significantly. Honestly, I don't think location matters as much as which school you go to. If you attend a competitive high school, it might be harder for you to get in. Ethnicity still matters whether or not the UCs claim they do or do not. Historically, Asians have a more difficult time to get in than other races, so that is one thing to think about if you are Asian. I hope that was helpful!

A good SAT score, GPA, extracurriculars, leadership skills, community service and all of this put together beautifully in your essays :) I'd love to help you more with your specific questions. You can find me at http://collegelf.com anytime you want.

I graduated from UCLA in the 1970's. It was easier back then to get in. I had an A- average for regular high school coursework, not the advanced placement coursework where you over 4.00 g.p.a. My math SAT was pretty good, but my verbal SAT was average. Also, I was from Illinois. But, I got good  grades at UCLA taking a fairly easy load. Back then there were a lot of students who were no geniuses. There were a lot of  California party people, surfers, and jocks. From what I hear, the standards at UCLA are much higher now. I doubt if I would be admitted now days.

I would say it takes a bit more, grade/test score wise, to get into Cal or UCLA-- these UCs are regarded as being a tier up from UCSD. That said, you need a high GPA, good scores and extracurriculars to get into any of these 3 schools. As far as ethnicity, it doesn't hurt to be a minority-- and for location, the UCs like letting in out-of-state students because they pay so much more tuition. Good luck with your applications! I recommend checking out http://admitsee.com for examples of high school credentials (GPA, test scores, personal statements) that got students into the schools you're looking at.

Your high school makes a decent difference I had a 4.3 gpa and a 2320 SAT score Under most circumstances this would probably net me entry to all of those schools but I got rejected to UCB and UCLA (although, I was a comp sci major which probably had alot to do with it as EECS is among the most selective majors at UC Berkeley) I ended up being very happy at UCSD but many of my peers got in with 1800-2000 SAT scores. (same ethnicity as me) The thing is, even with my test scores and grades I barely scraped by the top 20% of my school while others who might've had lower scores ended up being in the top 5% of their schools and got in

It is getting harder and harder. Here some statistics for my kid who was accepted in all UCs except UCLA. Lives in Northern CA. Had only one B in the whole high school - (The school had 50 valedictorians!   -about 10% of the class - , it is public, and is considered one of the best in CA); Took sports all 4 years Took  APs (about 2 per semester) Took several Honor courses Had a summer internship in a lab Scored at the top of the ACT test (did not submit SATs) Did some volunteer work, but nothing excessive. His high school will send about 35 to UCB, 10 to UCLA, and 10 at UCSD. Lots of kids decided to go out of state, mostly to private schools. Every school is a bit different, so your best resource will be your own school counselors. They do know what it takes from a graduate of your school to go to a top school, and they will not be shy to tell you.

UC Berkeley and UCLA are actually on a different level in terms of admission difficulties. Both Cal (professionals like us don't really call it UC Berkeley) and UCLA really value your weighted GPA in high school. A 4.2 weighted GPA will make you competitive for these two. One of the things that people often fail to realize is the importance of answering those two prompts carefully. I would say if you have 2250+ on SAT, 4.1+ on GPA and still failed to get admitted to at least one of these two, you have probably fxxked up your application.

Hey! First, some vocabulary so you can understand what I say later: UC GPA: UCs only look at your 10-11 GPA(weighted and unweighted). Capped GPA: For all the UCs besides UCLA and Berkeley, only 8 semesters of honors/AP credit count actually towards your GPA. The other semesters are treated like normal classes. For Berkeley and UCLA however, there is no cap...so that's good! Another thing, I will be attending UC Berkeley this fall or spring(depending on when I plan to start my internship). I got into all three schools mentioned with a UC weighted GPA of around a  4.3(uncapped), 3.90(capped), and a UC unweighted GPA of around a 3.5 or 3.6. The huge difference in the GPAs is because of AP/honors classes and also because I took a few community college classes that bumped my weighted GPA up! I want to make it clear that although grades are important, UCLA and Berkeley care more about your extracurriculars and how they "make you" or how they influence your major. They also place a super huge focus on the essays, their quality, and what they tell them about you. Start your essays in the summer, and know what to say about those extracurriculars. Good luck and GO BEARS!