UC Berkeley Admissions??

Question

What are my son's chances? What should be covered in personal statement? Help, please!

SAT I = 1940 (retake Oct-07)
SAT II = 710 Math II, 780 French
GPA = 3.8, grades improving, 1st time honor roll junior yr-2nd sem
School = SF full IB diploma program; taking HL Math, Chem, Physics, French
Athletics = lettered in soccer + coach’s award; track (most improved); cross-country
Community Service = three years of one week/summer to build homes in Tijuana with no power tools; six weeks tutoring at UC Berkeley Pre-Engineering Partnership at the Center for Underrepresented Engineering Students
Misc = months spent in France (educational and personal trips) and recent school trip to India; certified scuba diver, national karate champion (4 gold and 2 bronze AAU medals at 9 yrs old); 2nd place Adult Intermediate Bay Area Dictée Competition;
College Major = possibly math, chemistry, physics (but probably not engineering). Maybe Air Force ROTC with goal of becoming a pilot.

Answer 1

I'm a Berkeley freshman now and I went through this whole process last year too. When it comes to academics and activities, he seems well-off. For my application, the personal statement was broken into three parts: what you'll bring to Cal, your motivation, and a free response.

Find out which of his activities he's most interested in and have him write about it. If he decides to write about building homes, he can talk about everything he's learned both socially and personally. Another idea is to write about an event that changed his perception or brought about an understanding he didn't previously have.

He has plenty to write about. I think it's advisable for him to really show that he is truly interested in what he does. Showing growth and the ability to accept and change has much more weight than having a skill he never plans on using again. (another point, his skills and what he plans on doing with them)

I wish your son the best of luck!

Answer 2

Unfortunately I also have to wonder about his race/ethnicity, and maybe any personal struggles that would be worth mentioning in a personal statement. History of success in spite of disadvantage looks good to a place like Berkeley. History of wealth and privilege could stack the odds more against him.

As for that personal statement, I would certainly discuss personal issues, struggles and/or values that inspire him to do certain types of academic work. It should touch on ideas that genuinely interest him. It should have the structure that any essay requires, and have flawless grammar. It should convey passion, rather than a mechanical work ethic.

It looks like he stands a good chance, but Berkeley is often considered the best public university in the nation, so I'm sure they've turned away students with similar credentials.

Basically, he's done well enough to certainly apply, if he indeed wants to go to that school. No real use mulling over probabilities. The decision is theirs, so apply and see.

Answer 3

The grades and extracurricular activities look good, but I would like to see better test scores. Study for the SAT I and also take the ACT plus Writing Assessment (many students do much better on the ACT than the SAT). The new personal statement prompts are here: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html#fall08 The personal statement is very personal by nature and your son should discuss whatever will make him stand out as an prospective student at Cal.

Answer 4

i'd say he has a good chance as long as he brings his GPA up to at least a 4.0