Hey everyone,
I’m an in-state applicant for UC Berkeley and planning to apply for CS. I have a strong academic profile, but my most significant extracurricular is that I’m on a US international Olympiad team (can’t specify which one for privacy reasons). I know CS at Berkeley is insanely competitive, so I’m wondering how much of a boost this gives me in admissions.
Since the major is so impacted, will this make a real difference, or is it just another strong EC in the pool of highly qualified applicants? I assume it’s a big deal for MIT/Stanford, but I’m curious about how Berkeley evaluates something this niche, especially since they don’t do holistic admissions the same way privates do.
@Gumbymom might have an idea.
Yes, it can definitely have a positive impact on your chances. How much is really up to UC Berkeley admissions but this is what UC Berkeley considers in their holistic review:
We review students using a holistic review process. This means that we not only look at academic factors, but also non-academic factors. Using a broad concept of merit, readers employ the following criteria which carry no pre-assigned weights:
- The applicant’s full record of achievement in college preparatory work in high school, including the number and rigor of courses taken and grades earned in those courses.
- 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.
- Race, ethnicity, gender, and religion are excluded from the criteria.
All achievements, both academic and nonacademic, are considered in the context of the opportunities an applicant has had, and the reader’s assessment is based on how fully the applicant has taken advantage of those opportunities. For an applicant who has faced any hardships or unusual circumstances, readers consider the maturity, determination and insight with which the applicant has responded to and/or overcome them. Readers also consider other contextual factors that bear directly upon the applicant’s achievement, including linguistic background, parental education level, and other indicators of support available in the home.
The review recognizes a wide range of talent and creativity that is not necessarily reflected in traditional measures of academic achievement but which, in the judgment of the reader, is a positive indicator of the student’s ability to succeed at Berkeley and beyond.
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Thanks for the breakdown of Berkeley’s holistic review process! Since CS is now direct admit under CDSS, I’m wondering how much weight a US International Olympiad Team carries in this context.
Given that Berkeley CS (both CDSS and EECS) is among the most competitive programs, do you think this level of achievement (without specifying which Olympiad) would significantly boost my chances? Would it be seen as “exemplary, sustained achievement” under their criteria, or is it more of a strong supporting factor rather than a game-changer?
Also, how much do you think this will help? Could it set me apart meaningfully, or is it just a nice boost in an already hyper-competitive applicant pool?
Thank you so much
I do not work in admissions so I cannot determine how much of an impact it will have but I would say it will be a significant achievement.
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Just to add. If you’re at this level and you have the grades and stats to get into Berkeley, that says a lot about you without knowing anything else. It also makes you interesting. . Add in a great essay and I would think you would be looked at competitively. Good luck. Still have other schools that are safeties etct. All these schools are resches.