<p>Would you be able to cover a year of community college expenses out of pocket? That would allow you to reserve the GI Bill benefits to pay for tuition at a more expensive 4-yr school.</p>
<p>As others have said, jumping straight into an elite engineering school is unrealistic. Even if you somehow managed to be accepted, you would not be well enough prepared to perform at the level of the other, better prepared, students. </p>
<p>You have several options. One is to start at a CC, to be better prepared in math and physics. Another is to enter a less elite but solid 4-yr engineering school, such as SUNY Buffalo or Missouri UST. </p>
<p>If you want to aim for CA, I suggest looking to see if there are any particular agreements between CA CC’s and UC’s, with preferred acceptance paths. Starting at a CC in CA could allow you to establish residency in CA also, which could help with tuition later. Berkeley is pretty high to aim however - you should also research the other UC’s - Davis, Irvine , Santa Barbara, San Diego, Santa Cruz, etc. Good luck.</p>