Selection is based on holistic review of all informationboth

academic and personalpresented in the application.

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Get advice from current students about the importance of the personal statement and applying.
UC Berkeley pioneered the holistic review process at UC (now adapted by most of the UC campuses), enabling us to admit a
diverse undergraduate class representing 53 states/commonwealths and 74 countries, with 17% who are first -generation
college-going and 65% who receive financial aid. Holistic review refers to the process of evaluating applications, described
below.
The goal of our selection process is to identify applicants who are most likely to contribute to Berkeleys intellectual and
cultural community and, ultimately, to the State of California, the nation, and the world.
The Holistic Review
All applications are read in their entirety by professionally trained readers. That means, we review each application in its
entirety, word by word, page by page. Many applications are read two or even three times.
This is an important concept to consider when you complete your application. One way to think of this is that we virtually hug
your applicationthat is how closely we scrutinize what you submit.
The admission holistic review reflects our readers thoughtful consideration of the full spectrum of the applicants
qualifications, based on all evidence provided in the application, and viewed in the context of the applicants academic and
personal circumstances and the overall strength of the Berkeley applicant pool. Using a broad concept of merit, readers
employ the following criteria which carry no pre-assigned weights:
1. The applicants full record of achievement in college preparatory work in high school, including the number and
rigor of courses taken and grades earned in those courses.
2. Personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation, insight, tenacity, initiative,
originality, intellectual independence, responsibility, maturity, and demonstrated concern for others and for the
community are considered.
3. Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus. In addition to a broad range of
intellectual interests and achievements, admission readers seek diversity in personal background and experience.
4. Performance on standardized tests, the SAT Reasoning Test or ACT Assessment plus Writing Test. In addition, any
Advanced Placement or IBHL examinations the applicant may have taken will be considered.
5. Achievement in academic enrichment programs, including but not limited to those sponsored by the University of
California. This criterion is measured by time and depth of participation, by the academic progress made by the
applicant during that participation, and by the intellectual rigor of the particular program.
6. Other evidence of achievement. This criterion recognizes exemplary, sustained achievement in any field of
intellectual or creative endeavor; accomplishments in extracurricular activities such as the performing arts or
athletics; leadership in school or community organizations; employment; and volunteer service.
Race, ethnicity, gender, and religion are excluded from the criteria.
All achievements, both academic and non-academic, are considered in the context of the opportunities an applicant has had,
and the readers assessment is based on how fully the applicant has taken advantage of those opportunities. For an applicant
who has faced any hardships or unusual circumstances, readers consider the maturity, determination and insight with which
the applicant has responded to and/or overcome them. Readers also consider other contextual factors that bear directly upon
the applicants achievement, including linguistic background, parental education level, and other indicators of support
available in the home.
The review recognizes a wide range of talent and creativity that is not necessarily reflected in traditional measures of
academic achievement but which, in the judgment of the reader, is a positive indicator of the students ability to succeed at
Berkeley and beyond.
Selection
UC Berkeley is among the more selective universities in the country, becoming more competitive each year. Due to student
demand, selectivity varies among Colleges, andin the College of Engineeringamong majors; for example, it is more
difficult to gain admission to the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences major than to the Mechanical Engineering
major.
For applications to the College of Letters and Science and Natural Resources no consideration is given to the indicated major
in the review process. However, for the professional colleges of Chemistry, Environmental Design, and Engineering
demonstrated interest in the major is also taken into consideration. Furthermore, in the colleges of Chemistry and
Engineering, Berkeley faculty in these disciplines have asked that readers place added emphasis on sustained achievement in
mathematics and science, and have indicated a preference that these applicants take the Math Level 2 SAT Subject Test and a
science test (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) that is closely related to the applicant's intended major.
About Transcripts, Portfolios, and Letters of Recommendation
As part of the UC application process, UC Berkeley and other UC campuses do not ask applicants for transcripts, portfolios,
letters of recommendation, or other supporting documents. Applicants are expected to self-report their grades from their own
transcripts, honestly and accurately. If a student is admitted and enrolled, the official transcripts are checked against what the
student reported in the application. Any discrepancies can result in cancellation of enrollment.
When it comes to other supporting materials - such as art portfolios, letters of recommendations, resumes, etc. - UC Berkeley
does not consider these during the application review. We expect the reported grades, test scores, extracurricular activities ,
personal statements, and additional comments to give us the full picture of a student's experience and aspirations. This is why
it is so important to answer each section of the application thoughtfully and thoroughly.
Sometimes, during the application reading process, we do select a very small number of applicants to answer supplemental
questionnaires. These questionnaires are designed to add clarity to information or answer questions that may arise during our
application reading. Being selected - or not selected - for these questionnaires do not reflect a student's admissions status. The
questionnaires are optional, but they do allow for Letters of Recommendation to be sent on the student's behalf. This is the
only time we ask for Letters of Recommendation. Applicants are not able to request to be sent a questionnaire.