Get the inside scoop on jobs and careers with Vault career guides. University of California, Berkeley Buzz Book is your complete resource to jobs, careers, interviews and recruiting.
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University of California, Berkeley Buzz Book Get the inside scoop on jobs and careers with Vault career guides. University of California, Berkeley Buzz Book is your complete resource to jobs, careers, interviews and recruiting. |
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University of California, Berkeley Buzz Book Welcome to the first edition of Vault's University of California, Berkeley Buzz Book. In this new and unique guide, we publish extended excerpts and sample admissions essays from surveys of students and alumni from the University of California, Berkeley to bring you the inside scoop on its undergraduate program. The survey comments cover the following areas:
The guide is intended to serve as a complement to other references to colleges and universities currently available that utilize school-reported data. Unlike those guides, Vault's Buzz Books (which also include the College Buzz Book, Business School Buzz Book and Law School Buzz Book) are composed almost entirely of information provided directly to Vault from students and alumni. (We asked the University of California, Berkeley to comment on the surveys after they were collected.)
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Admissions: Students Speak
Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 1/2006-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: June 2005
The admissions process to Berkeley is pretty straightforward. Student applications are due in November, which makes this the first application you complete. The form is a bit complicated if you attempt to do it on paper (hand writing and so on) but the application is also available online and can be easily accessed and understood. There are some drawbacks however, because the UC system is very picky about the language used on the application (all of your classes must be labeled a certain way, for example). Decisions are both e-mailed and mailed to the student in late March/early April. UC Berkeley is the last UC to announce their accepted students. Getting into Berkeley doesn't seem too difficult of a task to me--although I do know a lot of students who were rejected this year. Just be sure to have good grades and solid extracurricular activities--also do not exceed the word/letter count on your essays on the application. That is very important. Make sure your essays are well-rounded and give a complete picture of who you are. There is no interview so the essays are the only way for admissions officers to get to know you. I don't think that Berkeley is too selective--20 percent? I have no idea. They seem to accept a LOT of people. But with that said, they also have a HUGE applicant pool.
Academics: Students Speak
Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2001-5/2005
Survey Submitted: December 2005
The quality of education at UC Berkeley is definitely superb. My classes were taught by the leading experts of their fields. I had no difficulty in getting in popular classes. If there was an instance when I couldn't get in my first-choice class, I was able to get in during the following semester. The environment though is very competitive. This is one aspect of academics at UC Berkeley that I disliked. Most of my classes were graded on a curve, so there was a tendency for students to compete with each other. There was a heavy workload, as the professors expected a lot out of their students. You will definitely learn a great deal. Even though I don't like the competitive environment, I still appreciate the education that I've received. Just don't concentrate too much on getting the best grades. Enjoy your classes and learn for knowledge's sake.
Employment Prospects: Students Speak
Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2001-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: September 2004
Berkeley has a strong Career Center with constant career fairs and information sessions for all types of businesses. While finance and engineering related businesses are the most prominent on campus, you can easily find career information and sessions regarding any other type of industry. They also provide lots of programs and sessions if you're interested in attending med school, law school, MBA programs, or graduate school in another discipline.
Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/1996-12/1998
Survey Submitted: May 2004
There's a whole building devoted to job and internship opportunities; if you are willing to take the time to apply for positions, you can find things and there are people willing to help you look. Campus recruiting is big--there are all sorts of companies who try to recruit at Berkeley. So many departments are in the top echelon, that all types of job fields can come and find top candidates. The prestige with employers is very high. It is one of the top schools in the nation and that's not a secret. Very conservative employers might have the misconception that only liberal hippies go to UC Berkeley but even they know that it is a great school.
Quality of Life: Students Speak
Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 9/1999-5/2003
Survey Submitted: June 2006
Awesome quality of life. The Bay Area is one of the greatest places in the world. With a fantastic mix of culture, beautiful weather and great food, it's hard to beat this area. Berkeley also benefits from being a public school. With so many people attending, there is always an activity for someone to enjoy. Also, national sports teams can sure be a blast to watch. The football team, although it was terrible less than four years ago, has become a national team and has a legitimate chance to run at the title this year. Berkeley is probably the only school in the country with a world-class academic reputation and a legitimate chance to win the NCAA football championship. If you are at all a football fan, this is a great school to attend.
Social Life: Students Speak
Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/1992-5/1996
Survey Submitted: September 2003
Cal is what you make of it. Get out there and meet people! Join clubs and take leadership positions. When you apply to a job or grad school, there is always a section of questions about leadership positions. There are few bars and they have deteriorated. The Greek system is not that big, but it is great for making a huge school much smaller. There are many cheap eats all around Telegraph--and there is every type of food imaginable!
