does uc berkeley require essay

• Skip to Content
• Berkeley Academic Guide Home
• Institution Home

Berkeley Berkeley Academic Guide: Academic Guide 2023-24

Entry level writing requirement.

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).

The UC Entry Level Writing Requirement website provides information on how to satisfy the requirement by one of three options:

Standardized Exam option

See the link above for acceptable minimum scores on standardized exams.

Berkeley Writing Assessment (BWA) option {formerly known as the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE)}

High school students planning to attend a UC campus may take the Berkeley Writing Assessment  in May of their senior year. 

Admitted students who have not yet satisfied the requirement may take a make-up BWA their first semester at Berkeley .

English Composition Course option

Admitted student s may opt to complete a course articulated to the ENGLISH R1A course, as published in ASSIST , provided the course is completed by the start of the term of admission to Berkeley. A grade of C or higher will satisfy both Entry Level Writing and Part A of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Once an Admitted student begins courses at Berkeley, and the requirement has not otherwise been met, students must complete COLWRIT R1A. A grade of C or higher is will satisfy both Entry Level Writing and Part A of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Print Options

When you print this page, you are actually printing everything within the tabs on the page you are on: this may include all the Related Courses and Faculty, in addition to the Requirements or Overview. If you just want to print information on specific tabs, you're better off downloading a PDF of the page, opening it, and then selecting the pages you really want to print.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

UC Berkeley Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are UC Berkeley's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into UC Berkeley and build a strong application.

School location: Berkeley, CA

This school is also known as: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, UC Berkeley

Admissions Rate: 11.4%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at UC Berkeley is 11.4% . For every 100 applicants, only 11 are admitted.

This means the school is extremely selective . Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don't meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.

After crossing this hurdle, you'll need to impress UC Berkeley application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation. We'll cover more below.

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies . We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

UC Berkeley GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.9

The average GPA at UC Berkeley is 3.9 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.9, UC Berkeley requires you to be at the top of your class . You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes - AP or IB courses - to show that college-level academics is a breeze.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate . This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

UC Berkeley hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to UC Berkeley will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

UC Berkeley SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1415

The average SAT score composite at UC Berkeley is a 1415 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes UC Berkeley Strongly Competitive for SAT test scores.

UC Berkeley SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1300, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1530. In other words, a 1300 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1530 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

UC Berkeley has the Score Choice policy of "All Scores."

This means that UC Berkeley requires you to send all SAT scores you've ever taken to their office.

This sounds daunting, but most schools don't actually consider all your scores equally. For example, if you scored an 1300 on one test and a 1500 on another, they won't actually average the two tests.

More commonly, the school will take your highest score on a single test date. Even better, some schools form a Superscore - that is, they take your highest section score across all your test dates and combine them.

Some students are still worried about submitting too many test scores. They're afraid that UC Berkeley will look down on too many attempts to raise your score. But how many is too many?

From our research and talking to admissions officers, we've learned that 4-6 tests is a safe number to submit . The college understands that you want to have the best chance of admission, and retaking the test is a good way to do this. Within a reasonable number of tests, they honestly don't care how many times you've taken it. They'll just focus on your score.

If you take it more than 6 times, colleges start wondering why you're not improving with each test. They'll question your study skills and ability to improve.

But below 6 tests, we strongly encourage retaking the test to maximize your chances. If your SAT score is currently below a 1530, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it . You don't have much to lose, and you can potentially raise your score and significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

UC Berkeley ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, UC Berkeley likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 31

The average ACT score at UC Berkeley is 31. This score makes UC Berkeley Strongly Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 28, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 34.

Even though UC Berkeley likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 28 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 31 and above that a 28 will look academically weak.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 34 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to UC Berkeley, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 34.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

UC Berkeley considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in . If you don't pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1530 SAT or a 34 ACT . You should also have a 3.9 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.

For a school as selective as UC Berkeley, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.

But if you apply with a score below a 1530 SAT or a 34 ACT, you unfortunately start out with the odds against you and have a tiny chance of getting in. There are just too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses . You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
• We've gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. Read about our score results and reviews from our happy customers .

There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT/ACT prep program. Click to learn more about our program , or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:

Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of UC Berkeley here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Not accepted
• Electronic Application None
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $70
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Not used if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests Optional
• Scores Due in Office None

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language 2
• Social Studies
• Electives 1

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes November 30 March 31

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 110 Berkeley, CA 94720
• Phone: (510) 642-6000 x6000
• Fax: (510) 642-7333

Our Expert's Notes

We did more detailed research into this school's admissions process and found the following information:

You will submit a University of California application, which opens in August but can only be submitted during the month of November. The application consists of the online form, including your personal statement, and sending your ACT/SAT scores. Berkeley (and the other UC schools) have an interesting poilcy about letters of recommendation, transcripts and portfolios:

"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 does 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."

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in UC Berkeley, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to UC Berkeley.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than UC Berkeley. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for UC Berkeley, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for UC Berkeley, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If UC Berkeley is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

If You Liked Our Advice...

Our experts have written hundreds of useful articles on improving your SAT score and getting into college. You'll definitely find something useful here.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get FREE strategies and guides sent to your email. Learn how to ace the SAT with exclusive tips and insights that we share with our private newsletter subscribers.

You should definitely follow us on social media . You'll get updates on our latest articles right on your feed. Follow us on all of our social networks:

University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt short responses.

Please respond to any 4 of the 8 questions below.We realize that not all questions apply to all applicants, so be sure to select the 4 questions that you believe give us the best information about you.All 8 questions are given equal consideration in the application review process. Responses to each question should be between 250-350 words.

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Get Into UC Berkeley: Admissions Stats + Tips

Do you know how to improve your profile for college applications.

See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free.

Show me what areas I need to improve

What’s Covered:

How hard is it to get into uc berkeley, average academic profile of accepted uc berkeley students, what is uc berkeley looking for, how to improve your chances of getting into uc berkeley.

The first University of California school, UC Berkeley, was founded in 1868. A number of things have changed since UC Berkeley fielded its first class of 38 students (and just ten faculty members) 150+ years ago—today, the UC System has grown to ten campuses, including many of the best public universities in the nation , and boasts upward of 280,000 students and more than 227,000 faculty and staff. 

Of the UC System’s schools, UC Berkeley remains a sought-after destination for high-achieving high school students and is commonly thought of as the gold standard of the UC system.  

UC Berkeley had 88,076 applicants for its class of 2025 and admitted just 15,448 students, giving the university an acceptance rate of just 17.53% .

While UC Berkeley’s acceptance rate is extremely low, your personal chances of acceptance are potentially higher, or lower, depending on the strength of your profile. Our free admissions calculator can help you to better understand your chances at UC Berkeley. Taking factors like your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars into consideration, we’ll estimate your odds of admission and provide you with tips to improve your profile!

The average high school GPA of UC Berkeley’s class of 2025 is 3.86 , and 31.5% of the class of 2025 graduated with a 4.0. 

The middle 50% SAT score of UC Berkeley’s class of 2025 is 1300-1520 . Their middle 50% ACT score is 27-35 . The UC schools will no longer consider SAT/ACT scores , however. 

UC Berkeley didn’t publish the average high school class rank for its class of 2025, however, 96% of them graduated in the top 10% of their high school class and 100% graduated in the top 25%.  

UC Berkeley applicants must meet a specific set of academic requirements that apply to all the UC System schools to qualify for admission. Most high schoolers graduating from public school will satisfy these requirements, but applicants from private schools or who are homeschooled will want to keep a close eye on their coursework to ensure they’re fulfilled. 

To qualify for admission to UC Berkeley, an applicant needs to complete—and not earn a grade lower than a C in—a group of 15 courses  known as the “A to G subject requirements.” The A to G courses are:

UC Berkeley applicants are also required to meet a UC System-specific GPA requirement for admission. In-state students need to earn at least a 3.0 GPA, while out-of-state applicants must earn a 3.4 GPA or higher. 

STEM skills are highly valued at UC Berkeley and applicants to STEM programs face requirements comparable to lower-ranked Ivy League schools. UC Berkeley looks for students with research experience, which makes it a good avenue for STEM students to bolster their odds of admission. 

Essays play a considerable role in admissions decisions at UC Berkeley and are an area where competitive candidates can separate themselves from the competition. Attention-grabbing essays highlight the qualities UC Berkeley values that a candidate possesses—UC Berkeley is interested in students who demonstrate initiative, motivation, leadership, persistence, service to others, special potential, and substantial experience with other cultures. 

How UC Berkeley Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set,  UC Berkeley considers the following factors “very important” :

• Course rigor

These factors are “important” :

• Extracurricular activities 
• Character/personal qualities
• Volunteer work 
• Work experience

These are “considered” :

• Recommendations 
• Talent/ability
• First generation 
• State residency 

And these are “not considered” :

• Test scores
• Class rank 
• Geographical residence
• Religious affiliation/commitment
• Racial/ethnic status 
• Applicant interest

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

1. Achieve at least a 3.86 GPA while taking the most challenging classes available

Possessing a strong GPA is a very important factor in gaining admission to UC Berkeley—it’s one of just three factors the university labels “very important.” The average high school GPA of the university’s class of 2025 was 3.86 ; every student graduated in the top quarter of their class and a whopping 96% graduated in the top 10%. Good grades are often not enough at competitive colleges like UC Berkeley, they must come in the most rigorous coursework available. Applicants to top 30 schools like UC Berkeley will commonly have completed more than 12 AP courses . 

Highly selective schools like UC Berkeley use a tool known as the Academic Index to consolidate an applicant’s academic record into a single number and expedite the admissions process. Applicants who do not meet UC Berkeley’s Academic Index threshold are at risk of being dismissed as academically unqualified early in the admissions process and not having their entire application read. 

If your GPA is lower but you’re earlier on in your high school career, check out our tips for increasing your GPA . If you’re a junior or senior, it will be harder to increase your GPA, so the easiest way to increase your Academic Index is to get a higher test score.

2. Write engaging essays

After GPA and course rigor, essays are the only other factor UC Berkeley considers “very important” when making admissions decisions. All of the UC System schools, including UC Berkeley, require applicants to answer four essay questions from a collection of eight prompts: 

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.

2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Nearly every applicant at UC Berkeley will have an astounding academic record, which, for applicants looking to stand out, places a lot of weight on the essay. In general, a smart essay strategy is to write in your unique voice, highlight the characteristics that aren’t shown in the other parts of your application, and demonstrate how you’ll benefit UC Berkeley by being on campus. For more advice on how to ace UC Berkeley essays, check out our article, “ How to Write the University of California Essays 2021-2022 .”

3. Cultivate at least one or two Tier 1-2 extracurriculars (find your “spike”)

Extracurricular activities, along with volunteer work and work experience, are “important” to admissions decisions at UC Berkeley. Competitive applicants at top-tier schools like UC Berkeley generally have a “ spike ”—a highly developed interest with a few impressive, connected extracurriculars—rather than a collection of unrelated interests. 

All extracurricular activities aren’t equal; the more prestigious and rare the pursuit or achievement, the greater influence it will have on admissions officers. A good way to understand the value of extracurricular activities is with the four tiers of extracurriculars , which rank them according to their impact on college admissions. 

• Tier 1 includes the most impressive, rare, and influential activities. These range from being a nationally recognized musician or ranked athlete to winning a distinguished award like the Ayn Rand “The Fountainhead” Essay Contest . 
• Tier 2 is home to activities that demonstrate high levels of achievement or leadership, but are more frequently seen than those of Tier 1—for example, being class president, winning a notable regional award, or gaining state-level recognition in athletics. 
• Tier 3 encompasses more commonly seen activities that show what you’re like outside of the classroom but don’t reverberate the way those in the higher tiers do. Tier 3 activities include playing a varsity sport and holding a leadership position in a club.
• Tier 4 activities are the most common and least influential, including participation in a sport, club, or general volunteer work. 

Keep in mind, UC Berkeley considers both volunteer work and work experience “important” to admissions decisions, and an extracurricular activity that ties in with your spike and demonstrates a high level of achievement or leadership could push you past other candidates. 

How to Apply to UC Berkeley 

UC Berkeley, like the other schools in the UC system, uses the UC application. The deadline to submit your UC application is November 30 and decision notifications are sent on March 31 . 

Application Requirements

UC Berkeley only accepts the UC application for admissions and the UC application along with its four personal insight questions are the primary requirements for consideration. Standardized test scores are optional and are not used to make admissions decisions. You only need to submit a transcript after you’ve been admitted to UC Berkeley. 

Learn more about UC Berkeley 

Interested in learning more about UC Berkeley? Check out these other informative articles: 

• What is UC Berkeley Known For?
• The Ultimate Guide to UC Berkeley
• UC Berkeley vs. Stanford: Which College is Right for You?
• USC vs. UC Berkeley: Which College is Right for You?
• UCLA vs. UC Berkeley: Which College is Right for You?

Want to know your chances at UC Berkeley? Calculate your chances for free right now .

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to get into uc berkeley: 4 steps to a stellar application.

College Admissions

Wondering how to get into UC Berkeley? Getting accepted to Berkeley can be tough. How hard is it to get into Berkeley? In 2022-2023, Berkeley's acceptance rate was 15%.

This makes UC Berkeley a "strongly competitive school": it's not quite as ultra-competitive as Ivy League schools , but you'll need to have a strong application across the board in order to get accepted. In the rest of this guide, we'll explain:

• The UC Berkeley admissions requirements, when and how you should apply
• Exactly what Berkeley looks at when they review your application

All UC Schools Going Test Optional

Additionally, the University of California system of schools has decided to make one major change that extends beyond the Fall 2021 admissions season. UC schools will no longer consider SAT/ACT scores for admission or financial aid . Instead, they’re used for placement after you’re admitted). For more information about what that means for you, check out this FAQ .

How Does UC Berkeley Evaluate Applications?

Compared to many other schools, Berkeley is pretty transparent about what they're looking for in applicants and how they evaluate applications. They first make sure you meet the minimum UC Berkeley admissions requirements, then they assess your academic history, and then they do a holistic review where they take other areas into account, such as your extracurriculars and responses to essay questions.

UC Berkeley states that they use a "broad concept" of merit, which means no one part of the holistic review is automatically worth more than the others. Below are the factors UC Berkeley evaluates for the minimum requirements, academic assessment, and holistic review.

Minimum Requirements

• History: 2 years
• English: 4 years
• Mathematics: 3 years required, 4 years recommended
• Science: 2 years required, 3 years recommended
• Language other than English: 2 years required, 3 years recommended
• Visual and performing arts: 1 year
• College-preparatory elective: 1 year
• Have a 3.0 GPA in A-G courses taken in the 10th and 11th grade years (3.4 GPA for non-California residents)

Academic Assessment

• Your weighted and unweighted UC grade point average (calculated using 10th and 11th grade UC-approved courses only)
• Your planned 12th grade courses
• Your pattern of grades over time
• The number of college preparatory, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), honors and transferable college courses you have completed
• Your grades in those courses relative to other UC applicants at your school
• Your scores on AP or IB exams

Holistic Review

• Number and rigor of high school courses taken and grades earned in those courses
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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

Changes to UC SAT/ACT Testing Policy in 2021

As we mentioned earlier, UC schools are now test blind , which means they do not consider SAT/ACT scores for admission or financial aid.

So what does it take to get into Berkeley? Basically, you need to have good grades in difficult classes and show that you'll have a positive impact on campus. In the rest of this article we'll explain exactly what you can do to meet each of the expectations Berkeley wants to see in applicants.

UC Berkeley Application Deadlines

If you want to know how to get into UC Berkeley, you first need to know all the major application deadlines . Berkeley states right on their website that they almost never accept late applications, so don't miss any deadlines! UC Berkeley doesn't offer early action or early decision options, so everyone applying has the same deadlines.

The most important deadline you need to be aware of is November 30. This is the last day you can submit your Berkeley application.

How to Apply to UC Berkeley

There are four main steps to applying to Berkeley. The earlier you begin your application (as early as August 1) the more time you'll have to complete all the steps and the less pressure you'll be under to meet the deadline.

The steps are the same regardless of which UC school(s) you're applying to since all UC schools use the same application (and you only need to submit one application, even if you apply to other UC schools in addition to Berkeley. Below is an overview of how to apply to Berkeley. For more in-depth information, check out our complete guide to applying to UC schools.

Step 1: Create an Account

First you need to create an applicant account. This step will only take about a few minutes since you just need to fill out basic information. You’ll need to enter a valid email address to create an account, so be sure to use an email address that you frequently check.

Step 2: Complete the UC Application

After creating your account, you'll be immediately sent to the beginning of the application. Some of the key parts of the application include:

• Answering demographic questions
• Entering information about which UC school(s) you're applying to (you'd choose UC Berkeley, but you can also apply to other UC schools with the same application) and what you plan on majoring in
• Filling out your eligibility for scholarships
• Filling out your academic history (what classes you took, the grades you got in them, if they were honors or AP, etc.)
• There are eight personal statement questions , and you'll need to answer four of them. Each response needs to be between 250 and 350 words or less.The prompts are listed on the UC admissions website

Step 3: Pay Admission Fees and Submit Your Application

Once you've finished each section of your application, you can submit it, as long as it's between October 1 and November 30. You'll also need to pay a $70 application fee for each UC school you're applying to ($80 each if you're an international student). This means that if you apply to UC Berkeley and one other UC school, you'll pay a total of $140-$160. Then you'll click submit, and your application will officially be sent to Berkeley!

Step 4: Submit Your Standardized Test Scores

While UC schools have gone test blind, you may wish to submit your scores for placement purposes (for example, a high SAT Math score can help you place into a higher math class). If you're still planning on submitting your SAT/ACT scores, we have guides specifically on sending ACT scores and SAT scores to colleges if you need more information.

What You Need to Get Into Berkeley

Berkeley wants top students so you need to make sure your application is strong across the board. Below are the five most important categories Berkeley evaluates when they look at applications. If you stand out in most or all of these areas you'll have a great shot at getting into UC Berkeley!

The classes you took in high school are often the most important part of your college application. When UC Berkeley admissions officers look at your classes, they're looking at two things: the actual courses you took and how difficult they were.

For the first category, they want to make sure you've taken the classes you need to succeed as a college student at one of their schools. This means taking the A-G courses that we mentioned above.

Remember that the A-G courses are the minimum UC Berkeley admissions requirements; most applicants will have gone well beyond these requirements. Some majors, especially those in math or science, recommend or require additional classes before you start college.

For example, if you want to major in chemistry, Berkeley requires you to have taken one year of chemistry, one year of physics, four years of math, and two to three years of a foreign language. Research your intended major on Berkeley's website to check the specific requirements you need to meet.

In general, it's best to take more classes in the fields you plan on majoring in. Berkeley also looks at the difficulty of the classes you took. They're specifically looking for honors, AP, or IB courses since these are more difficult than regular-level classes.

If your school offers these classes, you should take as many as you can without overloading yourself and still maintaining a high GPA. Taking difficult classes shows them that you're focused on your studies and can handle the challenge and workload of college classes.

Also, Berkeley specifically mentions that they look at the "quality of your senior-year program," so don't be tempted to slack off senior year with a bunch of easy classes!

It's not enough just to take the classes Berkeley wants. You also need to do well in them. Your grades and overall GPA are another critical component of your Berkeley application.

For Berkeley, as well as all UC schools, you need to have at least a 3.0 GPA in your A-G classes if you're a California resident, or a 3.4 GPA if you're a non-resident. Additionally, you can't have gotten below a "C" in any of the A-G classes.

However, you should aim higher than this. The middle 50% range for weighted GPA of accepted students in Fall 2022 at Berkeley is 4.17-4.31 . That means 25% of admitted students had a GPA lower than 4.17, and 25% of admitted students had a GPA higher than 4.31.

To give yourself the best chance of getting into UC Berkeley, you should aim to have a weighted GPA of 4.3 or higher. This means you'll have a higher GPA than the majority of accepted students which gives you a great chance at getting in. To get a weighted GPA of 4.3, you'll need to get As in most of your classes, and you'll also need to take advanced classes like honors or AP that'll further raise your GPA.

The University of California system has made some accommodations for students who may have had their GPA affected by COVID-19 as well.  

Pass (P) or Credit (CR) grades earned in spring, summer, and fall 2020, as well as spring and summer 2021, will meet A-G requirements for any student who was enrolled in high school during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years. This includes students currently enrolled in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. 

If you took the modified AP exams during spring 2020: UC will award course credit consistent with previous years for the 2020 AP exams completed with scores of 3, 4, or 5. You should report 2020 AP scores on your UC application in the same way that you’d report scores from previous or subsequent years.

Test Scores

While Berkeley doesn't require any AP scores or IB results, having at least a few of these will further strengthen your application by showing you can score well on tests that cover different topics.

Your goal should be to submit three AP or IB scores, with at least one related to the area you want to major in (so a math/science score if you want to be a biology major, a social science score if you want to major in history, etc.). For these exams, you should aim to get at least a  4 on the AP tests and a 5 on the IB.

You'll need to answer four of the UC personal insight prompts , and your responses should show:

• Who you are
• What you'd contribute to the Berkeley community
• What causes/topics/hobbies are important to you
• What your intellectual interests are

Maybe you've always been fascinated by space and want to attend UC Berkeley and major in aeronautical engineering, or maybe you dream of being a writer and want to major in English or Creative Writing.

Whatever your story is, this is the place for Berkeley to hear it, and it's the best place in your application to show them who you really are as a person. This is the part of your application where you can really show Berkeley who you are, so be sure to put time and thought into your responses.

Berkeley also specifically mentions that the personal insight section is one of the parts of the application they look at most closely. For a more in-depth look at how to stand out with your responses, read our guide on how to write outstanding UC essays.

Extracurriculars

Your extracurriculars are another important part of your Berkeley application. The best extracurriculars show your leadership skills and passion for whatever the extracurricular focuses on.

Exactly which extracurriculars you choose, whether they are related to sports, academics, arts, volunteering, etc., isn't that important. What will make your extracurriculars stand out is if you can show that you're passionate about them , have dedicated significant time to them, and have taken on a leadership role or important responsibilities.

Some factors Berkeley states they're specifically looking for in extracurriculars include:

• Special talents, awards, or achievements
• Leadership experience
• Significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus

They list the following examples of strong extracurriculars:

• Special talent in visual and performing arts, communication or sports
• Intensive study and exploration of other cultures
• Significant community service
• Significant participation in student government

Don't feel like you need to have all or even any of these experiences; they're just given so you can get an idea of what Berkeley is looking for. Pretty much any extracurricular that you're passionate about, skilled in, and have shown some leadership potential for is a great extracurricular to include on your application.

Note that, even if you send in additional materials, such as an art portfolio, Berkeley won't take these into consideration when evaluating your application, so be sure to do a good job describing your talents and accomplishments within the application. You can also use the Additional Comments box in the Personal Insights section (see the next section for more info on this).

What If You Have a Weak Area in Your Berkeley Application?

Not sure how to get into Berkeley if you flunked math freshman year, couldn't participate in extracurriculars for an extended period because you had mono, or something similar?

If there's a weak area on your Berkeley application, don't think it automatically means you won't get in. The majority of Berkeley applicants will have at least one part of their application that isn't as strong as the others, and very few candidates have a stellar application across all areas.

One way you can reduce the impact of these weak areas is to discuss them in the Additional Comments boxes. There are two Additional Comments boxes in the UC Berkeley application, one under Academic History and one under the Personal Insight section. It's in these boxes that you can explain any information you'd like the application readers to know.

For the academic history box, you could, for example, explain why some of your grades are lower than what you wanted (and what you did to raise your grades in future classes), or explain you didn't get to take as many advanced classes as you wanted to because your school didn't offer many.

For the personal insight box, you should include any relevant information about your extracurriculars there wasn't a spot for in the application, such as a time you showed exceptional leadership, took initiative, solved a serious problem, etc. Strong extracurriculars can help reduce the impact of a low grade or test score.

If you have a weak area of your application, do your best to explain what you've learned from it and how you've improved. Your maturity and self-awareness will impress the people reading your application.

Conclusion: How to Get Into UC Berkeley

How hard is it to get into Berkeley? Each year, Berkeley admits only about 15% of the students who apply, but you can increase your chances of getting in by understanding how to apply and knowing what the admissions officers are looking for. You can begin the Berkeley application in August, and you have until November 30 to submit your application.

Berkeley wants students who are intelligent, leaders, passionate about what they're studying, and will have a positive impact on campus. To show Berkeley that you're the type of student they want to admit, you should aim to take difficult classes and get good grades in them (aim for an unweighted GPA of about 4.3). You should also have strong extracurriculars and answer the Personal Insight questions thoughtfully.

Keep in mind that Berkeley's testing policies have changed as well. All UC schools are now test blind.

If you're not sure how to get into Berkeley, Berkeley admissions may seem overwhelming, but if you plan ahead and work to make your application as strong as it can be, you'll give yourself the best chance of getting into UC Berkeley.

What's Next?

Applying to other UC Schools? Read our guide on how to apply to UC schools for everything you need to know about the UC application.

Want to learn more about the University of California schools? We have an in-depth guide to the UC schools to make it easy for you to compare the schools and see which is best for you.

Working on your UC essays? Check out our guide on how to answer every UC essay prompt to get great writing ideas.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

• Our Culture
• Our Location
• Developing Leaders
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Sustainability
• Academic Approach
• Career Development
• Learn from Business Leaders
• Corporate Recruiters
• Dean's Speaker Series
• Dean’s Hosted Speaker Events
• Our History
• Acclaimed Alumni
• Commencement Speakers
• Dean Ann Harrison
• Haas School Board

• Full-time MBA
• Evening & Weekend MBA
• MBA for Executives
• Compare the MBA Programs
• Master of Financial Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Business
• Berkeley M.E.T. (Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology)
• Global Management Program
• Robinson Life Sciences Business and Entrepreneurship Program
• BASE Summer Program for Non-business Majors
• BCPA Accounting Summer Program
• Berkeley Haas Global Access Program
• Michaels Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business
• Boost@Berkeley Haas
• Berkeley Business Academy for Youth
• Executive Education

• Research & Insights
• Media Contacts
• Faculty Experts
• Faculty Directory
• Academic Groups
• Research Institutes & Centers
• Faculty Initiatives
• Case Studies
• Research Labs
• California Management Review
• Nobel Laureates
• Teaching Awards
• Visiting Executives & Scholars
• Faculty in Public Policy
• Faculty Recruitment

• Alumni Network
• Chapters, Groups, & Networks
• Slack Alumni Workspace
• Alumni Directory
• Email (Alumni Email Services)
• Student-Alumni Connections
• Professional Resources
• For BS, MA, MFE, & PhD Alumni
• For MBA Alumni
• Lifelong Learning
• Worldwide Alumni Events Calendar
• Give to Berkeley Haas
• Impact & Recognition
• Haas Leadership Society
• How to Give

Give to Haas

Your investments drive excellence

Full-time MBA Program

Essays help us learn about who you are as a person and how you will add to our community. We seek candidates from a broad range of industries, backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences.

Our distinctive culture is defined by four key principles - Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. We encourage you to reflect on your experiences, values, and passions so that you may craft thoughtful and authentic responses that demonstrate your alignment with our principles. 

Below are the required essays, supplemental essays, and optional essays for the Fall 2023-2024 application cycle. 

Required Essay #1

What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why? (300 words maximum)

Required Essay #2

How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words max)

Required Essay #3 - Video

Required Essay #4 - Short Answer

Optional Essays

The admissions team takes a holistic approach to application review and seeks to understand all aspects of a candidate’s character, qualifications, and experiences. We will consider achievements in the context of the opportunities available to a candidate. Some applicants may have faced hardships or unusual life circumstances, and we will consider the maturity, perseverance, and thoughtfulness with which they have responded to and/or overcome them.

Optional Information #1

We invite you to help us better understand the context of your opportunities and achievements.

Optional Information #2 

Supplemental Information

• If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain. If not applicable, enter N/A.
• Name of organization or activity
• Nature of organization or activity
• Size of organization
• Dates of involvement
• Offices held
• Average number of hours spent per month
• List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.
• If you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended, or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission.)

Video: Extracurricular Supplement Tips

Senior Associate Director of Full-time Admissions, Cindy Jennings Millette, shares how we look at, and evaluate, extracurricular and community involvement.

• REQUEST INFO
• EVENTS NEAR YOU

Freshman requirements

• Subject requirement (A-G)
• GPA requirement
• Admission by exception
• English language proficiency
• UC graduation requirements

Additional information for

• California residents
• Out-of-state students
• Home-schooled students

Transfer requirements

• Understanding UC transfer
• Preparing to transfer
• UC transfer programs
• Transfer planning tools

International applicants

• Applying for admission
• English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS)
• Passports & visas
• Living accommodations
• Health care & insurance

AP & Exam credits

Applying as a freshman

• Filling out the application
• Dates & deadlines
• Personal insight questions

How applications are reviewed

• After you apply

Applying as a transfer

Types of aid

• Grants & scholarships
• Jobs & work-study
• California DREAM Loan Program
• Middle Class Scholarship Program
• Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan
• Native American Opportunity Plan  
• Who can get financial aid
• How aid works
• Estimate your aid

Apply for financial aid

• Tuition & cost of attendance
• Glossary & resources
• Santa Barbara
• Campus program & support services
• Check majors
• Freshman admit data
• Transfer admit data
• Native American Opportunity Plan
• Apply for aid

We spend time evaluating your academic achievements in light of the opportunities available to you and your demonstrated capacity to contribute to the intellectual life at UC. Some factors we may consider are:

• Academic grade point average in all completed A-G courses, including additional points for completed UC-certified honors courses.
• Number of, content of and performance in all A-G subject areas beyond the minimum requirements.
• Number of and performance in UC-approved honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate Higher Level and transferable college courses.
• Identification by UC as being ranked in the top 9 percent of your high school class at the end of your junior year ( Eligible in the Local Context , or ELC).
• Quality of your senior-year program as measured by the type and number of academic courses in any A-G subject area in progress or planned.
• Quality of your academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in your high school.
• Outstanding performance in one or more specific subject areas.
• Outstanding work in one or more special projects in any academic field of study.
• Recent, marked improvement in academic performance as demonstrated by academic GPA and the quality of coursework completed or in progress.
• Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, communication or athletic endeavors; special skills, such as demonstrated written and oral proficiency in other languages; special interests, such as intensive study and exploration of other cultures; experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service or significant participation in student government; or other significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.
• Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of your high school curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs.
• Academic accomplishments in light of your life experiences and special circumstances, including but not limited to: disabilities, low family income, first generation to attend college, need to work, disadvantaged social or educational environment, difficult personal and family situations or circumstances, refugee status or veteran status.
• Location of your secondary school and residence.

Selection process by campus

While all UC campuses use the same factors to evaluate applications, they often apply these factors differently. Be sure to review the selection process of each campus:

• Los Angeles

Do campuses make their admissions decisions independently from other UC campuses?

Each UC campus evaluates each application without knowing the status of the same application at another campus. In making admission decisions, campuses do not consider where you've applied or your admission status to other campuses. All campuses consider your application simultaneously, yet independently of all other campuses you applied to.

Good to know

Because the pool of students who apply to UC is different every year, the level of academic performance necessary for admission to a particular campus or major is different, too.

Acceptance rates depend on the number of applicants, their academic qualifications and the spaces we have available.

Supplemental Essay Prompts

Freshman admissions.

The Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) program seeks inquisitive, self-motivated students with a passion for finding and solving big problems.

The following essay question is designed to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. It gives you the opportunity to provide unique information about yourself, your interests, and your reasons for applying to the program. In addition to content, essays are evaluated for writing and critical thinking ability, skill in organizing and presenting thoughts, and the relevance of your answer to the question posed. Your response is limited to 350 words.

Required Essay: (350 words maximum)

Your supplemental essays must be submitted by 11:59 pm PST on December 15, 2023 .

Describe how the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program in Engineering and Business at UC Berkeley will help you to achieve your goals. Share with us the world you come from (for example, your family, school, community, city, or town). What unique experiences from your world motivated you to apply to our program?

Video Essay Invitation

Some applicants may receive a request to record a video essay. Video essay requests are by invitation only and will be requested starting in November. Videos must be submitted by 11:59 pm PST on January 12, 2024 . Check your email for an invitation and if requested, be sure to submit your video essay by the deadline.

The questions are:

• How have you contributed to and bolstered the communities you are a part of? (Communities can = school, extracurriculars, family, etc.)
• How will your admittance into the program catapult your educational journey or complement your career plans?
• What has been your biggest failure and how did you respond?

Continuing Student Admissions

The following essay questions were created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. They’re framed within the context of The Haas School of Business’s four Defining Leadership Principles and the College of Engineering’s mission and vision, and give you the opportunity to provide unique information about yourself and your interests. These essays are the principal means we have of gaining insight about you and your reasons for applying to the Berkeley M.E.T. Program. In addition to content, essays are evaluated for critical thinking and writing ability, skill in organizing and presenting thoughts, and the relevance of your answers to the questions posed.

All applicants are required to answer question A and to choose either topic B or C. The Admission Committee does not have a preference for either question B or C. They’re given equal weight in the review process. Essay D is optional.

Required Essay A: (500 words maximum) Describe your post-undergraduate goals. Why is the Berkeley M.E.T. Program essential in helping you achieve these goals?

Tip: We understand that both Haas and the College of Engineering (COE) have world-renowned reputations and faculty, strong alumni networks, and that majors have priority access to business and COE courses. Aside from these factors, why do you feel that studying both COE and Business is a necessary step in pursuit of your immediate post-undergraduate goals? You’re not required to include a detailed post-undergraduate plan, but you should address how the program will help you achieve your goals broadly.

Choose either Essay B or C: (500 words maximum)

Essay B: Describe a time when something important to you did not work out as planned. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the situation?

Tip : If you applied to M.E.T. as a freshman, this is an opportunity for you to share with us what has been enhanced since then.

Essay C: If admitted to Berkeley M.E.T., how would you help develop a sense of belonging for classmates from diverse communities? What challenges do you anticipate, and how will you respond to them?

Optional Essay D: (250 words maximum) Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application?

Tip: Use this essay to explain academic issues, grade disputes or personal/family/medical circumstances you want the admission committee to be aware of. Currently, there are unique circumstances impacting applicants to Berkeley M.E.T. You may also use this essay to discuss how you’ve been impacted by matters such as the pandemic, social unrest, and/or natural disasters.

Admissions FAQ

Admissions frequently asked questions.

Below you can find many of the frequently asked questions we receive from prospective graduate students. We hope you can find the answer you’re seeking!

General Questions

Q: How can I apply to graduate school?

Explore our Steps to Apply to learn more about the application process or contact departments for more details on each program you are interested in. You can find contact information including links to the websites for each program at Graduate Programs & Application Deadlines .

Q: Can I apply to more than one program?

No, you may apply to only one graduate or concurrent degree program per admissions cycle (Fall, Spring, and Summer term).

Q. What are the requirements for admission to graduate programs at UC Berkeley?

The minimum application requirements are listed on our Application Requirements page.

Many departments have additional requirements than those mentioned above, and satisfying minimal standards does not guarantee your admission. Please check with the program to which you’re applying for more information on our Graduate Programs & Application Deadlines page .

Q. How does the admissions process work at UC Berkeley?

Submit an online application on or before the deadline for the program in which you are applying. Deadlines for programs vary. Check the Graduate Programs & Application Deadlines page for more information.

Please follow departmental instructions on how to submit transcripts, supplementary information, department-specific material, statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. The department reviews applications and recommends admission to the Graduate Division. The Graduate Division issues the official notification of admission.

Q: I’m not sure which graduate program at UC Berkeley is best for me.

UC Berkeley offers a wide range of graduate programs, and we encourage you to visit our Choosing Your Program page for tips.

Q: I already have a doctoral degree from another university. Can I still apply to a doctoral degree program at Berkeley?

Students who already hold a doctoral level degree cannot be admitted to another doctoral degree. However, in extraordinary circumstances, the faculty of the department may request an exception from the Dean of the Graduate Division. The department must demonstrate that the second degree field of study and program are distinctly different from that of the original degree, and that there is a professional or scholarly purpose that requires this second degree.

Q: I would like to transfer to Berkeley. How do I go about this?

You cannot transfer credit from other institutions if you are seeking a Ph.D. degree. A master’s student may transfer up to 4 semester units or 6 quarter units of course work completed as a graduate student at another institution if (a) the work was taken in graduate status at an accredited institution, (b) it did not form part of a program for a degree previously awarded at UC Berkeley or elsewhere, and (c) the grade received was at least a “B” and the student’s overall GPA at both institutions was at least 3.3. Acceptance is subject to the approval of the Graduate Division upon recommendation of the department concerned. Transfer of credit will not reduce your academic residence requirements or the required minimum of 200-series courses in the major field.

Q: I just want to take graduate level courses. How can I do this?

There is a non-degree option called “Course Work Only” (CWO). You will need to meet all of the normal criteria for admission, and be approved by the department. Not all departments accept CWO students. There is a limit of two semesters of study and admission to this status precludes future admission or change of major into a degree program at Berkeley.

Some UC Berkeley faculty will grant permission to students to audit courses; this is an unofficial status and completely at the discretion of the individual faculty member. No record of attendance is provided by the Registrar’s Office.

Concurrent Enrollment is an option through University Extension that allows you to enroll without being admitted to a degree program.

Summer Sessions is also open to all individuals. Please go to the Summer Sessions website for the current course offerings.

Many courses are offered through University Extension . Details are available from their office located at 1995 University Avenue, or by calling (510) 642-4111.

Application Fee

Q: How much is the application fee?

The non-refundable application fee for U.S. citizens and current permanent residents is $135; for all other applicants, the fee is $155.

Please pay the application fee immediately upon submitting your application through the application status portal. If you fail to pay the application fee or to obtain a fee waiver, your application will not be reviewed.

Q: Am I eligible for an application fee waiver?

Each year, we are able to accommodate only a limited number of application fee waivers. To be eligible for a fee waiver, you must be a U.S. citizen or current permanent resident who demonstrates financial need or participated in certain programs. Please see the Application Fee Waiver page . We regret to share that we are unable to accommodate other requests at this time.

If none of these apply to you and if you haven’t already, please reach out to your program of interest to ask if they might have any options to assist you.

Q: I am eligible for an application fee waiver based on the criteria, but do not see the option to select it.

To be eligible for a fee waiver, you must be a U.S. citizen or current permanent resident who demonstrates financial need or participated in certain programs. Once you complete the Biographical Information and Personal Background sections of the application, the fee waiver will automatically appear in the Payment / Fee Waiver section if you are eligible.

Q: How do I pay my application fee? 

Payments are submitted by credit card only.

Q: My credit card payment for the application fee was rejected. What can I do?

Make sure the information you enter in the payment page matches the information on the credit card exactly (name, address, security code). You can also try to use another credit card. In cases where your card is rejected, your bank may place a temporary hold on your funds. We cannot release the hold. If the hold stays on your account for more than 5 days, you will need to contact your bank.

Q: How do I calculate my GPA?

Please direct all GPA related questions to your department. The department will be able to provide you with specific information on their GPA calculation requirements.

Q: My grades were impacted by COVID-19 or changed to a P/NP grading policy. How will the Graduate Division review these grades?

UC Berkeley evaluates applicants for admission to its graduate and professional schools holistically, meaning that we consider an applicant’s combination of personal accomplishments, letters of recommendation, personal statements, academic record, and test scores in making our admissions decisions. Such a review will take into account the significant disruptions of COVID-19 when reviewing students’ transcripts and other admissions materials from Spring 2020. We understand that many institutions across the country instituted P/NP grading policies during that semester. Thus, we will not penalize students for the adoption of P/NP and other grading options during this unprecedented period, whether the choices were made by institutions or by individual students. Our admissions evaluation will focus primarily on a student’s academic performance prior to this period, and if applicable, following this period. What is most important is that applicants demonstrate that they pursued a challenging curriculum that was relevant to their plan for graduate or professional school.

Application Submission

Q: Did you receive my application?

Once you submit your online application, you will receive an email confirming your submission. You may log back into your application to monitor the status of the materials received or processed, such as: fee waivers, test scores, letters of recommendation, and admission decision. Please contact your department if you need to make any changes or need to provide additional application materials.

Q: Can I submit an application after the deadline? What if I have extenuating circumstances (e.g. natural disasters, network outages, civil unrest) that will prevent me from submitting by the deadline, are there any options?

The application system will not allow you to submit your application after the deadline. That said, we understand that exceptional circumstances may arise that make it difficult to complete the university’s graduate application on time. Please visit our Exceptions for Applicants with Extenuating Circumstances page for flexible options and exceptions to help you complete your application, and contact your program of interest directly. Contact information can be found on the Graduate Programs & Application Deadlines page.

Q: Can I submit materials or make changes on my application after the application deadline?

Only departments may decide whether to accept application materials submitted after the deadline, so please contact your department/program directly with this request. Contact information can be found on the Graduate Programs & Application Deadlines page.

Q: When will a decision be made on my application?

While decisions are typically sent out between February and April, every department has different timelines. Contact the department for more information.

Q: My department recommended me for admission, but I haven’t received an official notification from the Graduate Division.

Congratulations on being recommended for admission! It can take up to two weeks for the department and Graduate Division to process the recommendation. If it has been more than three weeks and you have not received notice of admission, please contact your department directly to inquire about your application status.

Q: How do I accept or decline the offer of admission?

Visit our Accepting Your Offer of Admissions page for next steps. Log into your application status page and view your admission letter. The “Reply to Offer of Admissions (SIR form)” will appear at the bottom of your status page.

Letters of Recommendation

Q: How does my recommender submit their Letter of Recommendation?

In the Recommendations page of the application, enter the recommender’s name and email address and send the invitation. An email request will be sent to them along with a link to upload their letter into your application.

Q: How do I edit a recommender entry (i.e. name, email, waive your right to view letter option)?

If the invitation has been sent, you will need to exclude the original entry and create a new recommender entry with the correct information. In order to upload their letter, your recommender will need to use the new link, as the old link will be deactivated.

Q: What do I do if my recommender is not receiving the email request or they cannot upload their letter?

Please ask your recommender(s) to check their junk/spam folders. If they still haven’t received the email, we recommend asking them to use a different server or web browser. If the issue persists, ask if they have a personal email address that you may use instead. Please add the recommender again using the new email address, send the invitation, and exclude the original invitation. If your recommender is still unable to receive the invitation, please have them email their letter to us directly at [email protected] .

Q: Can I submit my application even if my recommenders have not yet submitted their letters?

Yes, you can submit your application before all of your letters are submitted.

Q: Can I add recommendations after I have submitted my application?

Yes, you can add recommenders if you have not already had three letters submitted on your behalf. You can add additional recommenders through your status page.

Q: How do I follow up with my recommender?

After sending the initial invitation to your recommenders, you can send reminder emails via the Recommendations page even after you have submitted your application. There will be a link back to the Recommendations page at the bottom of your status page.

Q: Can I use Interfolio for my recommendations?

Yes, Interfolio will provide you with a specific email address for each letter that can be entered into the recommendation field.

Q: How do I check the status of my recommendations?

When a letter is uploaded into your application you will receive an email. You can also check by logging back in to your application status page.

Q: Can my recommender submit their letter after the deadline?

The system does allow recommendations to be submitted after the deadline. Please check with the program you are applying to regarding their recommendation deadline requirements.

Test Scores

Q: I am not sure if I have to fulfill the evidence of English Language Proficiency requirement and take the TOEFL or IELTS exam. Can you please share what the exemption criteria is?

All applicants who have completed a basic degree in a country/region in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to institutions from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, Israel, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asian countries, most European countries, and countries in Africa in which English is not the official language.

If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a recognized U.S. institution, you do not need to take a standardized test. Instead, you must upload an unofficial transcript from the recognized U.S. institution.

We are accepting the TOEFL IBT Home Edition and IELTS Online; we do not accept the Duolingo or IELTS Indicator exams.

To see if you qualify for an exemption, please read our criteria here .

Q: What is the minimum requirement for English Language Proficiency tests?

TOEFL IBT: 90, IELTS: 7 out of 9. We are currently not accepting the TOEFL ITP Plus for Mainland China. Please check this website in September for any updates.

Q: I am taking the TOEFL or IELTS exam, but my test date is after the application deadline. How should I report my score?

In the application, please add your future test date and leave the scores empty. From the test center, please send your score reports directly to UC Berkeley. See the below question for instructions.

Q: My GRE, TOEFL, and/or IELTS score is still showing up as “Awaiting.” Did you receive my score report?

Please confirm that you sent your GRE and TOEFL score report via ETS to institution code 4833 for Graduate Organizations; no department code is needed.

IELTS scores must be sent electronically from the testing center; no institution code is required. Our address for identification purposes is: University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division, Sproul Hall Rm 318, MC 5900, Berkeley, CA 94720. Please do not mail any score reports to us.

It typically takes 7-10 days for the GRE, TOEFL, and/or IELTS score reports to match in our system, and we accept score reports past the application deadline. If your score report isn’t marked as “Verified” within 2 weeks, please contact us again.

Q: What is the Berkeley institution code for reporting the GRE or TOEFL?

4833 for Graduate Programs

Q: Is the department code required for the GRE or TOEFL?

No, the department code is not required for your GRE or TOEFL scores to match up with your application.

Q: How long are GRE and TOEFL/IELTS scores valid for?

The GRE is a departmental requirement, all questions should be referred to the program. Scores are reported for 5 years after taking the test. Specific information can be found at the GRE website . For the TOEFL/IELTS please see the application requirements page .

Q: My program does not require the GRE score. If I self-reported scores on my application, do I need to send an official score report?

If your program of interest does not require the GRE score, you do not need to send a score report, as this will not be evaluated with the application. If your program is GRE optional and you would like your score to be considered with your application, please send your score report via ETS to institution code 4833 for Graduate Organizations.

Q: Where do I send my official IELTS score report?

All IELTS scores must be sent electronically from the testing center, no institution code is required. Our address for identification purposes is: University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division, Sproul Hall Rm 318, MC 5900, Berkeley, CA 94720. Please do not mail any score reports to us.

Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Questions

Q: What do I do in order to become a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI)?

To learn about academic appointments, you should read the Appointments Handbook . Hiring of GSIs is done directly by the departments. Please contact the programs directly, information can be found on the Graduate Programs & Application Deadlines page .

Undocumented Graduate Student Questions

Q: As an undocumented student, am I eligible to apply to UC Berkeley graduate programs?

Yes, undocumented students are eligible to apply to any UC Berkeley graduate program.

Q: As an undocumented student, am I eligible for an application fee waiver?

Undocumented students may be considered for an application fee waiver if they demonstrate financial need. Visit Prospective Undocumented Graduate Students  for additional information.

Q: How do I respond to questions about residency/visa status when I apply?

The application has a Personal Background section, for example:

Residency/Visa status: What type of residency or visa status do you expect to hold at the start of the term for which you applied?

For protection purposes, there is no option to disclose any type of undocumented status (DACA-mented and AB540 included). If no residency/visa status listed feels appropriate for you, there is the option to list “OT” – Other visa type”

Residency/Visa status: What type of residency or visa status do you currently hold?

Undocumented students should select “unknown” as a visa would not be applicable.

For questions related to navigating UC Berkeley as an undocumented graduate student, contact Undocumented Graduate Student Specialist at: [email protected] or visit the undocugrads website .

Still have an unanswered question?

We want you to get the answers you need as fast as possible. To do that – please be sure to review all the FAQs above. If the above information does not answer your question, please contact us via the online form below.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Selection Process

Selection is based on holistic review for first-year applicants, and comprehensive review for transfers, of all information—both academic and personal—presented in the application..

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 first-year applications where no one piece of information is weighted more heavily over another. “Comprehensive review” refers to the process of evaluating transfer applications where all academic and personal attributes are considered, but more emphasis is put on academic preparedness for the major.

UC Berkeley is among the more selective universities in the country, becoming more competitive each year. Due to student demand, selectivity varies among Colleges.

The goal of our selection process is to identify applicants who are most likely to contribute to Berkeley’s intellectual and cultural community and, ultimately, to the State of California, the nation, and the world.

• Learn more about first-year requirements and holistic review
• Learn more about transfer requirements and comprehensive review

About transcripts and portfolios

As part of the UC application process, UC Berkeley and other UC campuses do not ask applicants for transcripts, portfolios 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, resumes, etc. – UC Berkeley does not consider these during the application review. We expect the reported grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, personal insight questions, 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.

University of California 2023-24 Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Nov 30

You Have: 

University of California  2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 4 out of 8 essays, 350 words each.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball , Community , Activity

The UC application sounds like a riddle. Every student must write four essays, but choose from eight prompts. The rules may be unfamiliar, but the game is the same: tell admissions something they don’t know – and then do it three more times! The instructions counsel you to “select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances,” and frankly, we couldn’t agree more. A strategic applicant will choose a constellation of prompts that highlight vastly different aspects of their lives and personalities, leaving an admissions officer with a deep and complete picture of who they are. Don’t get hung up on trying to divine the questions admissions wants you to answer. In the end, they just want to get to know the real you, plus the application swears that “there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.” So follow your heart (!) and don’t let the fatigue get to you. Avoid robotically starting every answer by restating the question and be as anecdotal as possible. With each essay, your goal isn’t just to answer the question, but to tell a very short story about yourself!

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.  

Things to consider: a leadership role can mean more than just a title. it can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. what were your responsibilities, did you lead a team how did your experience change your perspective on leading others did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization and your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. for example, do you help out or take care of your family.

When answering this question, avoid the siren song of your resume. This question isn’t asking you for a list! Remember: it’s your job, as an applicant, to use every essay as an opportunity to reveal something new about yourself. Think of a moment when you were in a position where you worked really hard to help a group of people. Maybe you are always the one helping your younger siblings with their homework, and you struggled to find ways to engage your dyslexic younger brother with math. Maybe, as a camp counselor or church volunteer, you were in charge of choreographing and instructing a number for a group of seven-year-old hip hop dancers to perform. Perhaps, on a Habitat for Humanity school trip, you became the head cook, whipping up everything from pancakes to chicken fajitas while galvanizing a team of sous chefs to pitch in.  

The point is, try to isolate a single leadership moment, and bring it to life with vivid details. Describe where you were, what was happening around you, and what you were feeling. Discuss what challenges you faced, and what you ultimately learned from the experience. Don’t shy away from challenges or even failures, since these are exactly the sorts of character-building experiences that can demonstrate resilience and quick thinking.

2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

Things to consider: what does creativity mean to you do you have a creative skill that is important to you what have you been able to do with that skill if you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution what are the steps you took to solve the problem, how does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom does your creativity relate to your major or a future career.

You may think that this question was geared towards the artistically inclined, but take a closer look. The wording offers many potential definitions that veer away from traditional conceptions of creativity (and actually, it asks you for your personal definition!). Creativity lies in your outlook: seeing the opportunity to use one of your skills in a novel situation; looking at a problem from a new angle to find the solution that no one else could see. This question is, in reality, ideal for the more scientifically oriented to create a more well-rounded profile. Creative types, on the other hand, might want to proceed with caution since, really, every question is an opportunity to show off your talents and describe your artistic endeavors.

No matter who you are, though, remember this classic writing advice: show don’t tell. So, you claim that gardening, or Calculus, or painting is how you show your creative side. Okay. So, then immerse the reader in this activity with you . If you enjoy gardening, describe the plants, their qualities, and how you make your horticultural choices; are you drawn to the aesthetics or are you botanically inquisitive? Similarly, if your subject is Calculus, show the reader how you sat in your dad’s office for six hours straight trying to calculate Pi on a three dozen sheets of paper using red crayon.  If you love to paint, show the reader where you paint, what you paint, and why you paint, describing the colors, textures, materials—the essential process behind your art. Write descriptively so that the reader can feel as if he or she were experiencing your creative passion with you.

3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?  

Things to consider: if there’s a talent or skill that you’re proud of, this is the time to share it. you don’t necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about it, feel free to do so). why is this talent or skill meaningful to you, does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom if so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule.

If question 3 reminds you of question 2, you’re not alone. Often, when we talk about a talent or skill that we have honed over the course of a lifetime, we’re inclined to describe it as an art — a creative extension of who we are. So if you choose to respond to both of these questions, make sure to highlight distinct skills in each. 

The good news is: finding your subject should be easy! You just need to answer this question: what makes you proud? Think about the stories that your friends and family like to share about you. Think about moments when your hard work paid off. When you can zero in on an experience that makes your heart swell, you’ll be able to pinpoint your essential subject. If the memory of your first swim meet victory still makes you smile, draw us into your rigorous training schedule; describe the aspects of the sport that motivate you to wake up early and push yourself. What were your challenges? What has this experience taught you? This narrative should have a clear timeline that traces your growth from the past to the present and into the future. How do you plan to further develop your talent in college and/or after college? Show not only that you have grown, but that you will continue to grow as you take your first steps into adulthood.

4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Things to consider: an educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. for example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that’s geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you — just to name a few. , if you choose to write about educational barriers you’ve faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them what personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge how did overcoming this barrier help shape who are you today.

This question is tricky because it has two parts. So first break the question down: You can write about either A.) How you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity OR B.) How you have worked to overcome an educational barrier. The “or” is key. You are not being asked to write about both parts of this question. Just write about one.

If you have participated in an afterschool program, internship, honors program, or a special class that was meaningful or inspiring to you, you will want to think about choosing option A.  Maybe it was an afterschool program for young, aspiring lawyers, or an advanced history class that you took at your local community college. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your ambition and highlight the kinds of challenges that engage and excite you. Beyond underscoring an academic interest, reflect on the personal qualities required for you to succeed. And remember to show, not tell! It will save you from accidentally humble-bragging your way through this assignment. 

Now, for option B. If you have worked to overcome a disability, struggled in school because you have a different background than your peers, suffered financial hardship, or something along those lines, you can choose to write about option B. To nail this tricky task, you will need to highlight not only the ways you struggled, but also the qualities that helped you succeed. How would you define yourself? Resilient? Hardworking? Brave? Zero in on a quality that resonates with you, and write targeted descriptions that bring it to life. (No one is going to believe you if you just write, “I am resilient,” and leave it at that.) Lastly, reflect on how this barrier shaped who you are today, and what skills you gained through facing this educational barrier.

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Things to consider: a challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. why was the challenge significant to you this is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone, if you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life for example, ask yourself, “how has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family”.

If you skipped question 4 or chose to write about option A, this question is a gift: a second chance to showcase your resilience in the face of obstacles. On the other hand, if you chose to write about option B in question 4, this might feel redundant. You are free to write about both, but again, proceed with caution and be sure to select a totally different challenge.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: questions that ask you to describe a struggle or failure are really probing for stories about success. What pro-active steps did you take to address the problem at hand? Even if your solution didn’t work out perfectly, what did you learn? In facing this challenge, did you discover a courageous, creative, or hard-working side of yourself? Did you learn something valuable about yourself or others? Highlight the upside. How did this challenge shape who you are today? And how will the skills that you gained dealing with this challenge will help you in college and beyond?

6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. 

Things to consider: many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can’t get enough of. if that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom — such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs — and what you have gained from your involvement., has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, ap, ib, college or university work) are you inspired to pursue this subject further at uc, and how might you do that.

If you’ve ever referred to yourself as a “nerd” or “geek”, this question is probably for you. To nail down a topic for this bad boy, you can work in two directions: (1) think about how your favorite academic subject has impacted your extracurricular pursuits, or (2) trace one of your favorite hobbies back to its origins in the classroom. Maybe your love of languages led you to take a job at a coffee shop frequented by multilingual tourists. Or perhaps your now-extensive coin collection was resurrected when you did a research project on ancient Roman currency. Whichever way you go about it, building a bridge between the scholarly and the personal lies at the heart of answering this prompt.

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? 

Things to consider: think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place —like your high school, hometown or home. you can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community, why were you inspired to act what did you learn from your effort how did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community.

Some backwards advice: When writing about community service, you should always start with yourself. Community service essays are cliché minefields. To avoid drifting into platitudes, you need to ground your writing in the specificity of your life. Don’t start with the action and end with what you learned. Instead, dig into your motivations. If you spent weeks petitioning your school community to raise the hourly wage for custodial staff, what prompted you to act? What assumptions did you have about income inequality and what did you learn about your community in the process? Or, maybe you weren’t too enthused about your community service. Maybe you participated in a soccer-team-mandated day of coaching a pee-wee team. What caused your skepticism? How did you turn the experience around?

Also, don’t just choose a topic that sounds impressive. “This year I acted as the co-chair of the Honors Society, presiding over twenty different cases.” If you didn’t, in fact, really enjoy Honors Society, write about a topic that means something to you instead. Think of a moment where you felt like you made a change in your local community. It can be something small; it does not have to be monumental, but it should mean a great deal to you. Describe the moment, using detail to bring it to life, and then reflect on what that experience taught you, and how you hope to continue these activities in the future.

8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Things to consider: if there’s anything you want us to know about you, but didn’t find a question or place in the application to tell us, now’s your change. what have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better, from your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for uc don’t be afraid to brag a little..

This question is really just what it says it is—an open-ended, choose-your-own-adventure question.  Is there something that you really, really want to tell the UC admissions team that you feel makes you a strong and unique candidate that is not showcased in the other three personal insight questions? As with the other questions, whatever topic you choose, please use detail and description to bring this topic to life for the reader, and include thoughtful reflection on why this topic matters to you. Also, be sure to explain why your chosen topic makes you stand out as a strong candidate for the UC schools, since the question specifically asks you to do that!

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

We're here to help.

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

School Stats:

• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guides
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

At USC, arrests. At UCLA, hands off. Why pro-Palestinian protests have not blown up on UC campuses

A t USC, Los Angeles police officers in riot gear swarmed the campus, arresting 93 pro-Palestinian protesters and clearing their tent encampment.

Across town at UCLA, scores of Palestinian supporters set up about 20 tents, created a perimeter around their "Palestine Solidarity Encampment" and peacefully protested day and night — all without arrests, suspensions or intervention by campus staff, who watched from the sidelines. Private security guards with bikes separated the pro-Palestinian group from Israel supporters, and UCLA eventually added metal barricades after counter-protesters repeatedly tried to breach the encampment and in at least one case witnessed by The Times entered and shoved a woman to the ground.

The scenes this week illustrate starkly different responses to campus protests, which are sweeping the country as students at more than 20 colleges and universities have launched encampments, demonstrations and other actions to express solidarity with Palestinians, urge an end to Israel's military operations in Gaza and demand divestment from firms that do business with Israel.

USC — along with other private institutions such as Columbia and Pomona — cracked down on violations of campus rules with police force and student arrests.

In the public University of California system, by contrast, UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara have used a far lighter hand, tolerating students who flouted bans on overnight camping and other rules as long as they remained peaceful and did not impede campus operations or interfere with teaching and learning.

Part of the difference is rooted in the legal requirement for public universities to honor the 1st Amendment, which does not apply to private institutions. But not all public campuses have refrained from an aggressive response. The University of Texas at Austin, for instance, sent in armed state troopers who arrested more than 50 people this week for staging what witnesses said was a peaceful protest. The university president, defending his response as a legitimate action to maintain campus order, is facing a faculty vote of no confidence.

The more permissive UC response has been shaped by decades of experience with high-profile protests and in particular the 2011 uproar at UC Davis, where campus police pepper-sprayed students who were peacefully protesting economic and social inequality during the Occupy movement. Video of the incident went viral, and the widely condemned police actions resulted in the firing of at least one officer, a $1-million legal settlement with the student demonstrators and a UC systemwide review and report on how best to handle campus protests.

The report, noting the need to balance 1st Amendment rights with campus safety and security, made 49 recommendations, placing communication and dialogue as a "cornerstone" of responses, with police force used as the very last resort. In a key underlying principle, the report called for "a substantial shift away from a mindset that has been focused primarily on the maintenance of order and adherence to rules and regulations to a more open and communicative attitude."

"What's so bad about students pitching tents on a green? That doesn't threaten the core teaching and research mission," said Christopher Edley Jr., a UC Berkeley law professor who co-authored the report. "It's messy and appears to create turmoil, but ... you're dealing with a large community of 20-year-olds who we expect to be passionate and who we know are collecting experiences as well as knowledge. It's incumbent on us to be as tolerant as possible without compromising fundamentals."

Even some sharp critics of pro-Palestinian protests, which they see as antisemitic, have refrained from calling for an end to the encampments. Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), whose district includes the UCLA campus, said he was “appalled and disgusted” by calls to destroy Israel and praise for the Hamas militant group and believes UC officials are not doing enough to safeguard Jewish students. But he said he supports the rights to free speech, to peacefully assemble and to protest, and would continue to fight for their protection "no matter how strongly I may disagree."

UC Davis Police Chief Joseph Farrow, who chairs the UC Council of Police Chiefs, said campuses generally favor a lenient approach to protests, including encampments, within reason.

"If people are gathering peacefully and in an area not doing harm or disrupting operations, universities will probably let that go," he said.

By contrast, USC senior administrators directed their campus security officers to clamp down on violations of its rules against overnight camping, said Assistant Chief David Carlisle of the Department of Public Safety. He said his team, which numbered about 25 officers, warned students against camping and moved in to remove tents and sleeping bags when their orders to do so were ignored. He said the crowd became "hostile," so campus authorities decided to call in the LAPD, which deployed nearly 100 officers and made the arrests.

USC is now allowing students to stay outside overnight as they continue their protests — but not in tents. Carlisle said the difference is that they are not violating bans on overnight camping.

"When it becomes clear that they are intending to set up a tent city, that would violate university policies," he said.

USC President Carol Folt defended her decision in a message to the USC community Friday.

"This week, Alumni Park became unsafe. No one wants to have people arrested on their campus. Ever," she wrote. "But, when long-standing safety policies are flagrantly violated, buildings vandalized, DPS directives repeatedly ignored, threatening language shouted, people assaulted, and access to critical academic buildings blocked, we must act immediately to protect our community."

But many USC students and faculty members condemned the university’s decision to call in LAPD officers, saying their presence escalated tensions. One Palestinian American student, who did not want to be named due to safety concerns, said the aggressive actions of police and campus security were unexpected and unwelcome but "nothing compared to a genocide, to occupation, to apartheid” which she said Palestinians are suffering.

Former UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal said that decisions over how to respond to campus protests aren't easy. At least a few times a year, he said, he tussled with the tricky issue of what to do when student protests blocked the only two entries to campus. He generally allowed them to shut down the campus for a day, despite backlash from some "furious" faculty who wanted him to more quickly restore access. Then he got more criticism when he did call in police to reopen the campus.

"It's easy to overreact too quickly," he said. "When you bring in police and start arresting students, there is definitely an aftermath."

In a newly issued open letter, nearly 470 faculty and staff across all nine UC undergraduate campuses expressed support for students who nonviolently demonstrate, saying the right to do so needed "active protection" after New York police arrested more than 100 Columbia University peaceful protesters, suspended them from courses and evicted them from student housing. The letter called out UC's own controversial history involving protests, including the pepper-spray incident, the 2015 arrest of UC Santa Cruz students protesting tuition hikes and the 2020 firing of graduate student workers involved in a wildcat strike.

"Arresting or punishing students who protest peacefully and nonviolently on our campuses is antithetical to our university’s highest ideals of learning and scholarship and violates our university’s fundamental values of decency and respect," the letter said. "Especially during difficult moments of intense political contestation, it is essential that all members of our university community respect each other and not engage in authoritarian power plays."

UC's more tolerant approach played out at the three campuses where students staged protests this week.

At UC Berkeley, nearly 100 tents remained up in the "Free Palestine Camp" by Sproul Hall, the historic home of the campus’ free speech movement. With the last day of instruction Friday and finals starting after that, the campus is prioritizing the academic interests of students, said Dan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor for executive communications.

He said the campus has refused demands to shut down the encampment, along with a two-month protest at Sather Gate, to honor the right to engage in nonviolent political activities. Students have complied with campus directives to take down signs hanging on the gate but have needed repeated reminders against using amplified sounds. Last month, Chancellor Carol Christ decided to post monitors at the gate to reduce conflict after receiving complaints about the activities there.

"We're dealing with these protests in the exact same way we have dealt with nonviolent political protests in the past and that is in line with the UC systemwide standard that instructs us not to request law enforcement involvement preemptively and only when there is a direct threat to the physical safety of the campus community," Mogulof said. "We've seen at our own campus and others that calling in law enforcement can have unintended consequences."

Berkeley's measured response, while criticized by some, has been praised by others on both sides. In a social media post, the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area affirmed the protesters' right to free speech even though their words were "abhorrent" and said UC Berkeley administrators were "committed to ensuring Jewish safety and participation in campus life."

Hundreds of UC Santa Barbara students completed a daylong occupation of the student resources building without mishap this week. The event featured workshops, art projects and other actions to express solidarity with Palestinians, call for a cease-fire and demand an end to Israel-related investments. No encampment was set up.

Bishnupriya Ghosh, a professor of English and global studies and member of Academics for Justice in Palestine, credited collaboration and communication for the peaceful outcome, including regular discussions with Chancellor Henry Yang and other senior leaders.

The campus response "has not been draconian at all because of open channels of communication to administration, which have been very productive," Ghosh said.

UCLA's response to the protest activities also drew mostly favorable reviews. Saree Makdisi, an English professor of Palestinian heritage, said he appreciated the respectful tone of the Bruin Alert that went out Thursday, announcing that the school would "support a safe and peaceful campus environment that respects our community’s right to free expression while minimizing disruption to our teaching and learning mission." He said he only wished UCLA had acted earlier to set up barricades around the encampment to protect those inside from what he said was physical and verbal aggression from Israel supporters who appeared not to be students but outsiders.

Edley, the UC Berkeley law professor, said his biggest critique of the overall campus response was a failure to more creatively use the moment to help deepen understanding of the fraught, complex and contested history of the conflict. Faculty might have bought space in student newspapers, for instance, to publish essays from all perspectives "in a vigorous search for shared truth."

"This is a great university, and the opportunity to deeply inform students about this problem is profoundly important," he said. "So I hate to see it reduced to a problem of law and order."

Times staff writers Jaclyn Cosgrove and Angie Orellana Hernandez contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

UC Berkeley’s Premier Undergraduate Economics Journal

Gender Demographic Disparities Between Teachers and Professors

SHARLA SABARUDDIN – APRIL 27, 2024 EDITOR: SHASHI BALASUBRAMANIAN

When I ask my friends about their best elementary, middle, and high school teachers, I am met with a consistent chorus of names beginning with “Mrs” or “Miss.” Before entering higher education, many of my peers and I predominantly remember our educators as being women. This trend, however, is not simply anecdotal — in the United States, 74.3% of all teachers identify as women , with the remaining 25.7% identifying as men.

Despite this, when we look at the demographics of higher education, we see a slightly opposite trend. Nationwide, 43.3% of employed professors are women, while 56.7% are men . At UC Berkeley in particular, the divide is much more pronounced. A profile from 2023 highlights that, of the 1546 employed faculty members on campus, only 37.1% identify as women, with 62.5% identifying as men .

What drives this gender disparity in the educator workforce? What leads women to pursue careers as educators in primary and secondary schools, more often than in higher education? What historical contexts drive this polarization in gender demographics? 

Historical feminization of primary and secondary education in the U.S.

Beginning in the late 1800s, education became highly feminized. Following the Industrial Revolution, there was a sudden increase in enticing job opportunities—particularly for young men. Teaching was not seen as an alluring job prospect; it was a rather poorly paid profession and, with the academic year only lasting eight to ten months, most qualified young men were not drawn to pursue it as a career path. Few individuals were willing to fill the positions, resulting in a labor shortage.

However, with young girls being educated alongside their male counterparts in classrooms by 1950 , there was a growing number of capable, educated young women who were able to fill teaching positions. Gender stereotypes of the era placed women in the role of caregivers, and teaching children is often viewed as a logical extension of that position. As the U.S. population continued to expand in the second half of the 19th century, school districts grew in tandem, requiring an even greater labor force of teachers. By the end of the century—towards the late 1880s— women made up 63% of all the country’s teachers .

However, despite this enduring history of the feminization of education in the U.S., we do not see this pattern carry over to collegiate teaching. If anything, there is a higher proportion of men in academia than women—especially in STEM subjects. Of over 40,000 science professors in the U.S., men make up 71.8% of the workforce, with only 28.2% of all science professors identifying as women .

Women teachers and professors. 

So then, what sets professors apart from teachers, and what are the factors that drive women into primary and secondary education, and men into higher education?

Gender stereotypes also largely contribute to this. Students often misattribute the levels of education of their male and female instructors, placing more confidence in male professors . Because of this, women in higher education typically receive lower student ratings, and can therefore have a harder time becoming tenured faculty. In addition, a 2016 ScienceOpen paper found that students often held female professors to higher standards compared to their male counterparts.

However, these gender stereotypes and their resulting influence on student perception are not the sole driving force propelling women into lower-level education. As explored in an OECD report from 2022 , the career path of teaching is often particularly appealing to working mothers. Being a teacher provides working mothers with flexibility regarding school breaks, allowing them time for family and work responsibilities. In the U.S. childcare responsibilities predominantly fall on mothers; a 2015 study found that fathers do about half as much work in raising their children compared to mothers . As a result, working mothers, especially ones with working husbands, are much more likely to seek out employment opportunities that allow them to continue prioritizing child care. Additionally, individuals pursuing a career in academia starting as assistant professors typically take about 7 years to become tenured faculty. This longer timeline may dissuade many working mothers from pursuing a profession in higher academia with the added responsibilities of childcare.  

Considering the barriers that female professors face and the convenience of lower-level education for working mothers, it makes sense that many women who want to pursue careers as educators opt to work as teachers. Working mothers often don’t have the time and resources to immerse themselves in the lengthy process of becoming tenured faculty and may gravitate toward career paths with more immediate stability.

As members of the UC Berkeley community, we have a responsibility to explore how we may better support female faculty members. With our faculty demographics lagging behind the nation’s average in gender distribution, it is vital to encourage and support women — especially working mothers, who face a myriad of socio-economic obstacles — in their pursuit of careers in higher academia.

Featured Image Source: Shutterstock Disclaimer: The views published in this journal are those of the individual authors or speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of Berkeley Economic Review staff, the Undergraduate Economics Association, the UC Berkeley Economics Department and faculty, or the University of California, Berkeley in general.

Share this article:

Related Articles

The Economics of Sports Stadiums: Does public financing of sports stadiums create local economic growth, or just help billionaires improve their profit margin?

Presidential Economics: A Series on Presidential Candidates’ Economic Proposals Part 3—Elizabeth Warren

Interview with Mathieu Pedemonte

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter!