What extracurricular activities does Berkeley look for?

UC Berkeley looks for meaningful involvement showcasing leadership, initiative, passion, and impact in activities like community service (tutoring, volunteering), activism, student government, arts (music, theater, design), STEM projects (coding, app development), and club/varsity sports, valuing depth and contribution over mere participation, including significant family responsibilities or paid work. They seek students who demonstrate a "potential to become a proactive, persevering, humane, positive influence & leader" in their world, big or small.

What extracurricular activities do you need for Berkeley?

Your activities say more than your UC Berkeley SAT scores or the UC Berkeley GPA requirements. There are no extracurricular activities that will guarantee your admission to UC Berkeley. The UC Berkeley admissions team looks for leadership and consistency of involvement, not a specific type of involvement.

Does UC Berkeley look at extracurriculars?

We expect the reported grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, personal insight questions, and additional comments to give us the full picture of a student's experience and aspirations. This is why it is so important to answer each section of the application thoughtfully and thoroughly.

How to increase your chances of getting into UC Berkeley?

How To Increase Your Chances of Getting Into UC Berkeley?

1. Achieve stellar academics. Academically, the university's admissions committee will consider: ...
2. Highlight the right qualities. ...
3. Ace your personal insight questions. ...
4. Take recommended courses. ...
5. Participate in the right extracurriculars.

What is a 72% at Berkeley?

At UC Berkeley, a 72% falls into the C- range (70-72%), earning 1.7 grade points on a 4.0 scale and is considered a "Fair" grade, just above the barely passing D range, but it can vary slightly by department, with some scales placing it lower. 

extracurricular activities that top colleges DO/DON'T want to see

Is a 90% an A or B+?

A 90 is usually an A- (A minus), but it can sometimes be a low A, depending on the school or instructor's grading scale; it's almost never a B+, which typically starts at 87% or 88%. Many scales place 90-92% or 90-93% as an A-, with A- being the lowest "A" range. 

Is a 3.6 GPA at Berkeley good?

University of California - Berkeley

The University of California - Berkeley requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admissions, but typically admits students with weighted GPAs over 4.0. This might make Berkeley a 'reach' school, but if you have an unweighted 3.6 GPA, this will look good to admissions officers.

What is the #1 hardest college to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it varies slightly by year and source, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top, often with acceptance rates below 4%, with some lists pointing to Harvard or even Minerva University as the absolute lowest (around 1-3%) due to extreme competition and high standards. 

How to be a top 1% student?

To be a top 1% student, combine active, strategic learning (like active recall, spaced repetition, using external resources) with strong habits (consistent attendance, participation, managing health/time) and a growth mindset (believing in your ability to improve, seeing challenges as opportunities). It's about consistent, deliberate effort beyond basic requirements, focusing on deep understanding, and leveraging systems for efficient learning. 

Is it harder to get into UCLA or Berkeley?

UCLA is generally considered harder to get into than UC Berkeley due to having a lower overall acceptance rate and receiving more applications, making it the most selective UC, though both are extremely competitive and depend heavily on your major and profile. While UCLA often requires higher stats (especially GPA), Berkeley can be very competitive for specific programs like Engineering or Business, but might be slightly more holistic overall. 

What extracurriculars do UCs like?

As long as you have committed time and effort in what you do, it doesn't matter if you are a cheerleader, a school club secretary, the student body president, the church choir lead, the youth orchestra flute section leader, the state yo-yo champion, a homeless shelter volunteer, a barista at the local coffee shop, or ...

How does UC Berkeley select students?

In addition to the basic admission requirements, the campus selects its first-year class through an assessment that includes a holistic review of your academic performance as measured primarily by: Your weighted and unweighted UC grade point average (calculated using 10th and 11th grade UC-approved courses only)

What is the easiest major to get into at UC Berkeley?

The "easiest" UC Berkeley major often points to those in the large College of Letters & Science (L&S), especially those not listed as "High-Demand" like Math or Interdisciplinary Studies (for transfers), as most L&S admits are not major-specific initially, allowing easier declaration later, with Linguistics or Ancient Greek & Roman Studies sometimes showing higher transfer admit rates. For first-years, applying to L&S broadly and aiming for non-impacted majors, or even considering majors like Art Practice, Political Economy, or Social Welfare (which are lower-demand for L&S), provides better odds than highly competitive fields like Engineering or Computer Science.
 

Does Berkeley care about extracurriculars?

UC Berkeley is a highly selective school, so it's essential to present a strong application that showcases your academic and extracurricular achievements.

What is the hardest major to get into at Berkeley?

The hardest majors to get into at UC Berkeley are consistently Computer Science (CS) and other STEM fields like Engineering, often with single-digit acceptance rates, alongside highly impacted majors like Business (Haas), Public Health, and Political Economy, requiring exceptional academic performance and strategic application, especially for first-year applicants. 

Is Berkeley a Coke or Pepsi school?

UC Berkeley is a Pepsi school, having renewed a 10-year exclusive partnership with PepsiCo in 2023, making them the official beverage provider for the campus, much to the frustration of some student groups who advocate for Coke or other options. While the agreement covers most drinks, exceptions exist for dairy, coffee (like Peet's), and alcohol, and students often push back against the contract's limitations and environmental impact.
 

What is the 3/2:1 rule in studying?

The 3-2-1 rule in studying refers to different effective techniques, most commonly: reading a concept three times, saying it out loud twice, and writing it down once from memory for better retention, or using it for motivation with 3 minutes of activity, 2 minutes of deep breathing, and 1 minute of focused prep before studying. Another version involves reviewing new material 3 times the first week, 2 times the second, and 1 time the third, using spaced repetition for long-term memory.
 

What is the 90/10 rule for colleges?

The 90/10 Rule in higher education requires for-profit colleges to get at least 10% of their revenue from non-federal sources, with a maximum of 90% from federal aid (like Title IV funds and recently, military benefits) to ensure they aren't solely reliant on taxpayer money and offer real value. Failing this rule for two consecutive years results in losing access to federal student aid, a penalty designed to protect students from low-quality, predatory institutions. Recent changes have closed loopholes by including GI Bill and military assistance in the 90% calculation, forcing for-profits to diversify funding.
 

What is the 8 8 8 rule for students?

The 8-8-8 rule for students is a time management strategy dividing your 24-hour day into three 8-hour blocks: 8 hours for focused study/work, 8 hours for quality sleep, and 8 hours for personal time (hobbies, friends, health, relaxation), promoting balance, reducing burnout, and improving overall well-being by ensuring all aspects of life get attention.
 

What is the #1 party school?

For 2026, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), is widely ranked as the #1 party school by sources like Niche, based on student surveys about campus party scenes, access to nightlife, and Greek life, followed by schools like Florida State and Tulane. Other strong contenders often mentioned include the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USC, and the University of Alabama, with rankings varying slightly by publication and criteria.
 

What's the easiest Ivy League to get into?

Statistically, Cornell University is often cited as the "easiest" Ivy League to get into due to its highest overall acceptance rate (around 8-9%), but it's crucial to understand that no Ivy is easy, and acceptance varies significantly by college within Cornell, with some programs like Engineering being highly competitive, while Hotel Administration and ILR are less so. Dartmouth College and Brown University are next in line by acceptance rate, but all Ivies are extremely selective. 

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, often defined by family income, tend to go to highly selective, elite universities like Dartmouth, Yale, Penn, Brown, Princeton, and Stanford, MIT, and Harvard, with some Ivy League schools having a higher concentration of these students than the bottom 60% of income earners. Rankings vary, but MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley consistently appear at the top for overall academic standing, attracting top talent across all income levels. 

Is a 4.15 UC GPA good?

The average weighted GPA of admitted students is around 4.15-4.29, which is a very competitive GPA range. However, don't let these numbers discourage you, as a 4.1 GPA is still quite solid.