How To Get Into UC Berkeley: Acceptance Rate, Requirements, and Strategies

UC Berkeley is a selective school therefore getting into this university is very competitive. If you are a resident of California then you must have a GPA of 3.0 to become eligible for the admission process. For non-residence students, the GPA requirement is at least 3.40. Moreover, the student must not have grades lower than a C in required high school courses. Students also have to take part in substitute SAT subject tests for courses. If you don’t meet the admission requirements then you might get into UC Berkeley with a high enough score on the ACT/SAT plus on two SAT subject tests.

Key Takeaways

• The University of California Berkeley mostly known as UC Berkeley is a public land-grant research university located in Berkeley, California
• UC Berkeley is a very renowned university and according to Forbes, it has ranked #1 in the “America’s Best Colleges 2021” ranking
• UC Berkeley consists of fourteen colleges and schools and it offers 350 degree programs
• If you want to get into UC Berkely then you have to complete the “A-G” classes with a 3.0 GPA or higher
• You have to submit an additional supplemental essay if you apply for Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (MET) Program at University of California Berkeley

Overview Of UC Berkeley

The University of California Berkeley is California’s first land-grant university. UC Berkely consists of fourteen colleges and schools and it offers 350 degree programs. There are more than 31,000 undergraduate and 12,000 graduate students studying at UC Berkeley. UC Berkeley is ranked among the world’s top universities by major educational publications. Here is the world ranking of UC Berkeley – 

• #22 in National Universities
• #7 in Best Colleges for Veterans
• #48 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie)
• #160 in Best Value Schools
• #14 in Most Innovative Schools
• #82 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)
• #2 in Top Public Schools
• #2 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (tie)
  • Aerospace /Aeronautical / Astronautical
• #6 in Biomedical
• #3 in Chemical
• #1 in Civil
• #3 in Computer
• #2 in Electrical / Electronic / Communications
• #1 in Environmental / Environmental Health
• #7 in Industrial / Manufacturing
• #3 in Materials
• #4 in Mechanical
• #3 in Business Programs
  • Accounting
• #8 in Analytics
• #2 in Entrepreneurship (tie)
• #6 in Finance
• #5 in International Business
• #3 in Management
  • Management Information Systems
• #6 in Marketing 
  • Production / Operation Management
• #7 in Quantitative Analysis (tie)
• #3 in Real Estate
  • Supply Chain Management / Logistics
• #1 in Computer Science (tie)
• #3 in Artificial Intelligence (tie)
• #6 in Biocomputing/Bioinformatics/Biotechnology (tie)
• #2 in Computer Systems
• #4 in Cybersecurity
• #1 in Data Analytics/Science
• #5 in Mobile/Web Applications (tie)
• #5 in Programming Languages
• #2 in Software Engineering (tie)
• #3 in Theory
• #25 in Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects (tie) 

UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate

Below are admissions data for the class of 2021 – 

• Applications: 112,838
• Acceptances: 16,395
• Matriculants: ~6,500
• Acceptance rate: 14.5%

UC Berkeley has a transfer acceptance rate of 22%

UC Berkeley Admissions Requirements

“A-G” Course Requirements of UC Berkeley

• History/social science: Two years required
  • One year of world history, cultures, or geography
  • One year of U.S. history OR half a year of U.S. history and half a year of U.S. government
• English: Four years required
• Mathematics: Three years required, but four years recommended
  • One year of geometry
• Laboratory Science: Two years are required, but three years recommended
  • Must include two of the following: biology, chemistry, and physics
• Language other than English: Two years required, but three years recommended
• Visual and performing arts: One year is required
• College preparatory electives: One year is required
  • Can be additional A-F courses over the requirement
  • Other approved courses: psychology, speech or debate, computer science, economics, etc.

If you want to get into UC Berkeley then you have to complete the “A-G” classes with a 3.0 GPA or higher. However, only completing the minimum class and GPA requirements won’t be enough to get yourself into UC Berkeley. You have to show off your abilities and prove that you have what it takes to reach the end of the race. 

When UC Berkeley evaluates an applicant’s academic history, they pay close attention to three important factors:

1. Number of college prep, honors, dual enrollment, and AP or IB classes completed
2. The overall pattern of grades
3. Classes planned for 12^th grade       

Overview of UC Berkely’s Application Requirements

• Common Application: Not accepted
• Universal Application: Not accepted
• Electronic Application: Available
• An essay or Personal Statement: Required for all freshmen
• Interview: Not required
• Application Fee: $70
• Fee Waiver: Available

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT: Required
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing: Required
• SAT Subject Tests: Recommended
• Scores Due in Office: December 31

Coursework Requirements

• English: 4 years
• Math: 3 years
• Science: 2 years
• Foreign Language: 2 years
• Social Studies: 2 years
• History: 2 years
• Electives: 1 year

UC Berkeley Application Requirements

Below are the UC Berkeley application requirements – 

• Fully completed UC Berkely application form
• A high school transcript
• AP or IB exam scores (optional)
• Two letters of recommendation (optional)
• You have to submit an additional supplemental essay if you apply for Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (MET) Program
• If you apply for Global Management Program through the Haas School of Business then you have to submit an additional supplemental essay and you might have to face an interview

UC Berkeley Application Deadlines

Action	Deadline
UC Berkeley application opens	August 1
The period application can be submitted online	November 1-30
Application deadline	November 30
SAT/ACT must be taken by	December 31
Admissions decisions are sent out	Late March
Financial aid applications due	March 2
Reply date for all accepted first-year students	May 1
Admitted students must submit their final high school transcript	July 1

How To Apply To UC Berkeley

Applying to UC Berkeley is quite easy. Below are 4 simple steps that you can easily follow and apply to UC Berkely. Let’s check them out!

Step 1: Create An Account

The first step of applying to UC Berkely is to create an applicant account. You just have to fill out some basic information to complete the account creation process. You have to provide a valid email id to open the account.

Step 2: Complete The UC Application

After creating the account, the next step is to complete the UC application form. Some key parts of the application form are – 

1. Answering demographic questions

2. Choose which UC school(s) you’re applying to

3. Fill out your eligibility for scholarships

4. Report your standardized test scores

5. Fill out the academic history

6. Provide the answer to personal insight questions

Step 3: Pay Admission Fees And Submit Your Application

After completing the UC application, your next step is to pay admission fees and submit your application. You have to pay a $70 application fee for each UC school you are applying for. If you are an international student then your application fee is $80.

Step 4: Submit Your Standardized Test Scores

Next, you can submit your standardized test scores. UC Berkely has gone “test-optional” for fall 2021-2022 admissions due to COVID-19. So, you are not required to submit your SAT or ACT scores, but if you want then you can submit them. If you choose not to submit test scores, it won’t be held against your application and it won’t create any problem.

FAQs About How To Get Into UC Berkeley

References:

1. https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-into-uc-berkeley
2. https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/uc-berkeley-admissions

Last Updated on November 12, 2022 by Magalie D.