<p>It definitely helps a lot if you’ve mentioned that you have prior experience in programming for EECS. EECS is widely regarded as one of the toughest if not the toughest major to get into for at UC Berkeley. So any mention of prior programming experience definitely helps.</p>
<p>@saif235 While it is certainly possible for people to be accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious EECS program without any prior programming experience, it is very rare. Usually, the small number of people who do get accepted for EECS without any prior programming knowledge are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Minorities in EECS (still very good of course but regarded as a minority in the field of EECS)</li>
<li>Truly exceptional</li>
</ol>