The University of California - Berkeley

“Good gradesMar 11 2004Computer Science
good grades. good sat. No other way around it.. although I heard appealing works 70% of the time.
Female

“Good grades, good SAT, be smart and not afraidFeb 19 2004Political Science
Good grades, good SAT, be smart and not afraid to ask questions and find ways to get things done.
Male

“One of the most important things in your applicationFeb 06 2004Political Science
One of the most important things in your application is the personal statement. UC students do not get interviewed so the personal statement is your chance to show admissions officers what is special about you. As long as it's something interesting and LEGAL, you're bound to make an impression on the admissions officers. They also look at your application closely and examine you as a whole person. I've heard how some other colleges base their decision on just numbers. Rest assured, Berkeley is not one of those schools.
SAT: 1260 Male

“Work on the essayJan 19 2004Math
Work on the essay...it can be a big determinant in whether or not you are admitted. Become involved in extracurricular activities in high school, and be committed to them. The university would rather see that you did one activity for 4 years than 4 activities for a year each. Become a leader.
SAT: 1500 Female

“If you belong to the "disadvantaged" group, you'll getJan 06 2004Economics
If you belong to the "disadvantaged" group, you'll get in easily.

If you're a prospective engineering major who just happens to be Asian and you attend a super competitive school in a rich city, TOUGH LUCK... but once you arrive, you'll belong to the smartest group of people that really makes Berkeley shine.

Look:

If you're of "disadvantaged" race, you live in a low-class city, you're HS's average SAT is a strong 800, 1% of your class go to college (mostly community college or state colleges, etc...), and you took that ONE AP class in your junior year and got that GOOOOOD 3 while working full-time + overtime and taking care of your 13 siblings and your sick mother/father. Your GPA just happens to be a 4.99 (reference: ur classmate who got a 4.98 went to a community college. ur sister who got a 4.97 even got rejected from a local community colllege and therefore is working as a full-time babysister). CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE AUTOMATICALLY ADMITTED TO CAL! WELCOME TO THE BOTTOM 30%!!! yay!!!

Case 2:
You're a hard-working son/daughter of a doctor+lawyer parents living in a respectable $6.8million house in an upper class neighborhood. ur HS's average SAT is 1410, and you got a 4.2 GPA after taking 12 APs, on which you received 10 5's and 2 4's. O yeah, ur Asian and u got a 1540 onthe SAT.
YOU'LL GET INTO BERKELEY, BUT ONLY AFTER BERKELEY ACCEPTS THAT "underpriviledged/HISToRicalLY DiSaDvanTAGed group" but once you get in, you'll be in the top 4%.

and the final result comes out to be...
11% acceptance rate for the ultimate asian major: EECS (electrical engineering and computer science)
13% acceptance rate for undeclared-engineering
overall 15% acceptance rate for engineering.

and easy% acceptance rate for anti-asian arts/humanities majors.
SAT: 1580 Male