<p>How hard is it for out of state applicants to get in?</p>
<p>I am from the east coast, and I know that particularly from my school, it is very, very tough. Frankly, it is almost more of an achievement to get into Stanford for example, than Harvard.</p>
<p>My school is extremely prestigious and well-known, but it is mostly known on the East Coast (we are generally regarded as a “feeder school” to the ivies). However, I would love to go to a school like Berkely, but I am discouraged by the fact that UC Berkely does not know my school at all.</p>
<p>Berkeley does not favor any private schools. If anything, UC’s may give greater weight to those who went to public magnet schools in California. For instance, my public magnet high school had an average SAT of 1380+. </p>
<p>But yes, it would seem discouraging in your situation if you wanted to go to California that bad. Its the same for California students who want to go east. UCSD is a very very highly regarded school, and admissions into its engineering programs is only slightly below that of Cal Tech, Berkeley, Stanfurd, MIT.</p>
<p>Remember, no one I know ever moved back to the east coast after going to school in California, even after graduation. Good luck in your admissions.</p>