UC Berkeley Fall 2016 Admits, Waitlists, and Rejections

Wadadli
Sat, 30 Apr 2016 19:27:11 +0000

Alright, here are my answers to part two. I applied to Haas, so keep in mind that my thoughts are on applying for that program.

Advice for future applicants?
Try to finish all major prep and breadth by the Spring semester before transfer and all of the math courses by the Fall semester before transfer, if you can. That’s something I wish I knew when I started. I was told by three different Haas admissions counselors that they really want to see both of your Calc grades. I also think I would have been a little less worried if I knew they had all of that info up front. At the same time, I am still taking 16A, so it’s not like not finishing will automatically disqualify you either.

Get whatever help you can as soon as you can because they really do put a fair amount of resources into helping students navigate the process. If you can get into TAP, Experience Berkeley, or the Starting Point Mentorship program, definitely do it. My TAP counselor really helped me with my essays which were a hot mess when I started. Once you join one of these programs they will send you email updates about upcoming events. They have workshops where actual admissions counselors will read your essays and provide feedback. One of the Assistant Director of Admissions at Haas read my PS at one of these and gave phenomenal feedback. The Haas admissions webinars were also really helpful. Finally, google “Ms. Sun,” she is a consultant who has a blog which has a ton of resources as well.

Strengths and weaknesses in your application?
My strengths were: probably my grades and personal statements. I started worked on my essays in August and was really proud of them at the end. I have a lot of work experience, so my Haas resume was pretty full too.
My weaknesses were: I may not finish the breadth unless I take the final two classes over the summer and I did not have the math series done when I applied. I did not have a lot of volunteering because I was working full time. I also got a B in Pre-Calculus and I was concerned that it would be a knock against me, even though it’s not part of the major prep.

Lingering thoughts about the admissions process?
Man, that was intense! I have not put that much effort into anything in a long time. There are a ton of resources I did not know about until late in the process but, thankfully, it was enough. I’m still a bit stunned, really.

Congrats to everyone who got in! Thank you all for making this past year a lot more bearable.