my 4.8 GPA friend got rejected by UC Berkeley... what do colleges look for now?

Question

my friend took like all AP classes, was the president of a Model UN club, ... any many other achievements

he also told me that two of his national merit scholar friends got rejected..

i mean this isn't stanford or harford.. this is UC Berkeley (aka. Cal)

what do colleges look for most now? I'm a freshman in hs, and currently have a 4.0 (also athletic and play instruments).. though not super outstanding at any.. i also participated in CJSF in middle school (california junior scholarship foundation) altho i dont know what that does.. i got a sticker on my 8th grade diploma tho lol

so yeah.. ideas?

Answer 1

Berkeley will weigh the following components of your application (in the order of importance): 1) your essay (Berkeley publishes a guideline on how to write your personal statement at: http://students.berkeley.edu/files/Admissions/Personal_State_07.pdf ) about your academic achievement, talent or extracurricular activities that highlight your motivation, dedication, and/or initiative to achieve, your potential to contribute to the university, and any special circumstances like hardship; 2) your grades and any grade trends (improvements are better than just maintaining a high GPA); 3) your test scores, including SAT and/or ACT, SAT II; and 4) number of AP courses completed compared to the number of AP courses offered at your high school. Other factors are taken into consideration, but to a lesser extent.

Despite your friend's achievements, if he didn't articulate a self-awareness of his work/achievements/flaws, or how his achievements will make him an excellent student at Cal, or how he plans to contribute to society in general (it's all about giving back to the community at Cal), it's not surprising he was rejected.

Answer 2

honestly it might not have been his grades. it could be that he was too "boring" and didn't have anything to offer the University in means of diversity. If you ever have a chance to look at a UC App, the App questions ask you "What Hardship have you overcome and how has it helped you to be a better person?" or "tell us about your self" or "What do you offer to the university's diverse student body" type questions. They are looking for talent, as well as smart driven people that will make the campus interesting, as well as will garuntee that they won't drop out. Those kinds of personal attribute, so Go live life and hope that if that is the school you want to go to that the pieces of your life fell together well and make your experiences diverse, I'd definitely suggest you volunteer because you never know what you may come across that can help you on a Job or College App.
Also do good in academics and be involved in your school aswell.

Answer 3

Friend,

Three things are important...

1. Applying undeclared makes it more possible to be admitted. "Impacted" majors are difficult to get into. Better to apply undeclared, get in, then choose a major later (even if you already know what you want to do).

2. Being a well-rounded person helps. Overcoming hardship helps. It's not all about getting grades, it's about achieving something out of the ordinary. I think Berkeley would rather accept someone with a slightly lower GPA but a proven commitment to making an impact on the world.

3. Personal statement. This is where you will prove #2, as well as show that you know how to think. The university wants great thinkers, not people who only know how to follow directions and get a grade.

May God bless you.

Answer 4

Hey, Cal is a lot more selective thank you think. And unlike StanfUrd and Harvard you can't buy your way in or rely on legacies and conenctions. You have to be the real deal.

I'm willing to bet your friend marked an intended major on his application. I'm also willing to bet your high school tends to matriculate a lot of people into Cal.

Cal doesn't just want students from the top high schools. They want top students from underperforming high schools, too, so their student body will have come from a wider array of lifestyles and socioeconomic backgrounds.

They also don't want the entire incoming freshman class to be heading into the EECS (electrical engineering, computer science) department. Did your friend apply as EECS, CS or biology? If so, then no wonder he got cut! EECS students with 4.8 HS GPAs and perfect SAT scores are a dime a dozen! Dude should have applied as UNDECLARED. That's the trick.

I was accepted almost a decade ago, and even then, standards were really high. I was at the top of my class with a 4.3, but that was because my high school was a low performer and didn't have a lot of AP courses (they had to start some classes just because I wanted to take them). My hometown is dirt poor (median income=$33k), rural and sends very few people to college (let alone the UC system).

Compare a kid like me to a kid who has the chance to earn a 4.8 at a school that sends 90% of its graduates to top 50 universities, and well, it should be obvious why UC Berkeley would give me a chance, and why they'd turn your friend away. Folks in my situation have more odds against them and their success. And folks like your friend are guaranteed to get in at least SOMEWHERE.

Answer 5

yeah I got rejcected w/ like 4.0-4.1 gpa 1930 and 680s on sat 2s but I got into ucsd (to my last choice college). And I know someone w/ a 4.0 and decent amount of ap classes who got rejected too. I would've expected you to be a shoo-in for berkeley or la. You still might since I remember reading that berkeley (and merced and maybe la) isn't cutting admission but I think davis was one of the schools that had to cut admission. It's actually not 9% acceptance or w/e. If they have room for 4,000 freshman that means they accept more b/c not everyone that gets accepted there ends up going.

Answer 6

Check the SAT scores, or perhaps your friend didn't make a good first impression in his personal statement. UC Berkeley might be desiring "personality". I don't think grades are the ultimate indicator of a person's intelligence. A 4.8 GPA is pretty crazy though.

Answer 7

hholly. Your freind got rejected form UC Berkeley??? Wow. With a 4.0 GPA he should have got in. Perhaps you should check his SAT score, the different types of EC's, and of couse the recomendations and essays. (not to mention his AP test scores). If any of these are no suitable, its no surprise that UC Berkeley rejected him.

Answer 8

.Most any u. would be glad to have such a person Berkeley might if your friend could show some way left associations. Try a school with moderate staffing . It will be better for all society.

Answer 9

SUNY University Center at Stony Brook is very good for you if you want to go to NY

Answer 10

YOU SHOULD GET ALL UR H.S REQUIREMENTS ASK YOUR COUNSELOR TO HELP YOU OUT WHAT EVER COLLEGE YOU WANT TO GO TOO SEE WHAT THEY REQUIRE VOLUNTEER WORK ETC.. TRY AND FINISH ALL YOUR REQUIREMENTS BY JUNIOR YEAR SO SENIOR YEAR CAN BE REAL EASY