3 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY | TRANSFER ADMISSIONS GUIDE
ACADEMIC HISTORY:
ɖ For the academic sections, make sure to accurately and
completely fill out the coursework and grades from every
college you have attended. This application is self reported, but
we will validate the accuracy of the application after a student
is admitted. Use transcripts to accurately report your academic
information. Berkeley also understands that grades and test
scores are static. We get more context about you through
other parts of the application.
ACTIVITIES & AWARDS:
ɖ For the extracurricular activities section, report any activities
or work experience as completely as possible, including number
of hours per week, weeks per year, years after high school, and
responsibilities. Any activities or work experience while in high
school will not be considered; for transfer admissions, your
post-high school activities are most important. If there is not
enough space in these sections, use the additional comments
to provide us more details and context about your story.
ɖ Berkeley seeks diverse and unique perspectives. It is important
to recognize that you do not have to do everything. While
clubs and student organizations are great to report, you can
also list other activities, such as family responsibilities and
work experience. Lean into your eccentricities and do not
do anything just because you think it will look good on your
application. Be yourself.
PERSONAL INSIGHT QUESTIONS (PIQS):
At Berkeley we use personal insight questions to:
ɖ Discover and evaluate distinctions among applicants whose
academic records are often very similar
ɖ Gain insight into your level of academic, personal and
extracurricular achievement
ɖ Provide us with information that may not be evident in other
parts of the application
What we look for:
ɖ Initiative, motivation, leadership, persistence, service to others,
special potential and substantial experience with other cultures
ɖ All achievement in light of the opportunities available to you
ɖ Any unusual circumstances or hardships you have faced and
the ways in which you have overcome or responded to them.
Having a hardship is no guarantee of admission. If you choose
to write about difficulties you have experienced, you
should describe:
ɒ How you confronted and overcame your challenges, rather
than describing a hardship just for the sake of including it in
your application
ɒ What you learned from or achieved in spite of these
circumstances
How to answer your personal insight questions:
ɖ Thoughtfully describe not only what you’ve done, but also the
choices you have made and what you have gained as a result.
ɖ Your personal insight questions are a way for us to get to know
you. Treat it like a conversation or an interview.
ɖ Allow sufficient time for preparation, revisions, and careful
composition. Your answers are not evaluated on correct
grammar, spelling, or sentence structure, but these qualities will
enhance overall presentation and readability.
Things to remember when applying to a professional college:
ɖ If you are applying to a professional college (such as the College
of Engineering or Chemistry), it is important that you discuss:
ɒ Your intended field of study
ɒ Your interest in your specific major
ɒ Any school or work-related experience
Keep in mind: You can use the Additional Comments box to
convey any information that will help us understand the context of
your achievement; to list any additional honors awards, activities,
leadership elements, volunteer activities, etc.; to share information
regarding a nontraditional school environment or unusual
circumstances that has not been included in any other area of
the application. And, finally, after we read your personal insight
questions, we will ask the question, “What do we know about this
individual?” If we have learned very little about you, your answers
were not successful.
For general information on the Personal Insight Questions please
visit: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/
applying-as-a-transfer/personal-insight-questions.html
CONTEXT MATTERS
Berkeley seeks authentic and innovative scholars. Here is what you can do to show us who you are in your
application. We want you to make the most out of your application and take full advantage of each section. Here are
a few tips to get you thinking.