Top Law Schools

So Berkeley's application doesn't let you upload a diversity statement, and they're kind of explicit about the fact the previewer won't see what box you checked for race. But Berkeley's URM boost is one of the highest out there.

How does this happen?

twentypercentmore wrote:So Berkeley's application doesn't let you upload a diversity statement, and they're kind of explicit about the fact the previewer won't see what box you checked for race. But Berkeley's URM boost is one of the highest out there.

How does this happen?

By state constitution, Berkeley cannot Consider race in applications, sometimes groups even sue to enforce this.

However, surprisingly an institution filled with opinionated lawyers has found ways to mitigate some of the effects while staying in compliance.

twentypercentmore wrote:So Berkeley's application doesn't let you upload a diversity statement, and they're kind of explicit about the fact the previewer won't see what box you checked for race. But Berkeley's URM boost is one of the highest out there.

How does this happen?

I think that there usually is an indication that somebody is a minority on their application somewhere.

Black students are often in black student organizations in UG and put that on their resume, sometimes minorities or people with differing sexuality write their PS about it, etc.

Kronk wrote:

twentypercentmore wrote:So Berkeley's application doesn't let you upload a diversity statement, and they're kind of explicit about the fact the previewer won't see what box you checked for race. But Berkeley's URM boost is one of the highest out there.

How does this happen?

I think that there usually is an indication that somebody is a minority on their application somewhere.

Black students are often in black student organizations in UG and put that on their resume, sometimes minorities or people with differing sexuality write their PS about it, etc.

Like it or not, you can tell a lot from just a name too.

Definitely. Plus, Berkeley trumpets our LS up as having a ton of diversity, which is true, but tbh when they say "60% minority" or whatever it is, that's mostly not URMs. I don't know that our population of anything other than asian students is significantly larger than peer schools.

When I was getting advice for getting into the UCs as an undergrad, I was told to explicitly bring up my race in my PS, even if the PS wasn't about my ethnicity. They were very clear about it and made it seem like it was a much bigger deal than quality/rigor of classes, clubs, really anything else (aside from GPA of course).

Additionally, the campus has a ton of programs designed to get low income, low resource students from Oakland (and other nearby struggling cities) to apply, and if you formally participate in these programs you have an insanely higher chance of getting in. I know of one that has a 90% acceptance rate even though there aren't GPA requirements, just URM + 1st gen student status. If the undergrad cares this much I'm assuming that the law school also cares.

The campus as a whole also has a huge population of Asians, who are often included in stats on minorities or diversity, even though they don't receive the URM bump. It's a lot more common for Asians in CA to live with their parents during undergrad and after, even if they have successful careers. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a significant amount of Asians (or other minorities) turned down other schools to stay close to their families.