Berkeley c/o 2015 Applicants (2011-2012 cycle) Forum

[curiousgeorgia]

Just submitted! Hope I still made it in to that first batch of application reviews...

GL all!

[SemperLegal]

Hoping, waiting, wishing

[roguewave19]

How long were your personal statements? Did people mostly submit their 2 page statements from other schools or is it important to try to make it longer for Berkeley?

[lrslayer]

Mine was 2 pages but I submitted a ton of supplemental statements as well. Did you go for the 4 pager?

[roguewave19]

Mine was 2 pages but I submitted a ton of supplemental statements as well. Did you go for the 4 pager?

I'm debating... I feel like it ends naturally at 2 but if general consensus is to make it longer I could probably do something so I wanted to see how others approached it.

[curiousgeorgia]

How long were your personal statements? Did people mostly submit their 2 page statements from other schools or is it important to try to make it longer for Berkeley?

Mine was about 4 pages, but only because I wrote it for Berkeley and other schools that allow longer ones...then cut it down to fit the 2 page requirement for the rest of the schools. Not sure how much it matters either way.

[lrslayer]

My original PS was about 4 pages because I wrote 2 pages single spaced before i knew. after i edited and got it down to 2 i felt that it was more concise and flowed/sounded better. so i went with it for berkeley. that and all my supplementals, so i didn't want to bog them down. they will already be annoyed to look at the app of someone with a 3.2 GPA, don't want to piss them off more

seriously though, i have an amazing essay that explains the gpa and have a 4.0 at my degree granting

[sokomofo]

.

[EMZE]

Mine was 3 pages and a bit more. I had 2 PS's, the 2 pager, and the 2 and a half pager for the schools that did not set a hard 2 page limit. I then took that Why Cornell essay that they mandate on their app, and turned it into a Why Berkeley, because my reasons are pretty much the same. Inserted that at the end of my 2.5 page PS, blended the language, and bam.. theres the long essay for Boalt.

On a side note though, I have read somewhere (maybe here) where the Dean of Boalt specifically says how they give you 4 pages as an opportunity to make yourself stand out, so I kinda think they are hoping for applicants to use the given space.

[jim-green]

Mine was 3 pages and a bit more. I had 2 PS's, the 2 pager, and the 2 and a half pager for the schools that did not set a hard 2 page limit. I then took that Why Cornell essay that they mandate on their app, and turned it into a Why Berkeley, because my reasons are pretty much the same. Inserted that at the end of my 2.5 page PS, blended the language, and bam.. theres the long essay for Boalt.

On a side note though, I have read somewhere (maybe here) where the Dean of Boalt specifically says how they give you 4 pages as an opportunity to make yourself stand out, so I kinda think they are hoping for applicants to use the given space.

Same with me, 3.5 pages.

[anewaphorist]

Mine was 3 1/4 pages, I'm sending it to all the schools that allowed that long of an essay. Although the first is more theoretical, I have a 2-pager that emphasizes my "personal experience" for the others.

[aes6b]

Just submitted!
My PS was only 2 pages, but I also did a couple of supplemental essays. Good luck to you all!

[roguewave19]

Mine was 3 pages and a bit more. I had 2 PS's, the 2 pager, and the 2 and a half pager for the schools that did not set a hard 2 page limit. I then took that Why Cornell essay that they mandate on their app, and turned it into a Why Berkeley, because my reasons are pretty much the same. Inserted that at the end of my 2.5 page PS, blended the language, and bam.. theres the long essay for Boalt.

On a side note though, I have read somewhere (maybe here) where the Dean of Boalt specifically says how they give you 4 pages as an opportunity to make yourself stand out, so I kinda think they are hoping for applicants to use the given space.

Yeah I remember reading that too, which is why I asked. Good call though, I guess I can slip in some Why Berkeley stuff to get at least another half page in. Thanks!

[EMZE]

Mine was 3 pages and a bit more. I had 2 PS's, the 2 pager, and the 2 and a half pager for the schools that did not set a hard 2 page limit. I then took that Why Cornell essay that they mandate on their app, and turned it into a Why Berkeley, because my reasons are pretty much the same. Inserted that at the end of my 2.5 page PS, blended the language, and bam.. theres the long essay for Boalt.

On a side note though, I have read somewhere (maybe here) where the Dean of Boalt specifically says how they give you 4 pages as an opportunity to make yourself stand out, so I kinda think they are hoping for applicants to use the given space.

Yeah I remember reading that too, which is why I asked. Good call though, I guess I can slip in some Why Berkeley stuff to get at least another half page in. Thanks!

No problem. Just don't make you PS too good. Your numbers already blow mine out of the water.

[freestallion]

What are the chances of someone with 173 and 3.8 getting in? I am getting realllyyyy nervous because Berkeley just shot up in importance to me due to personal reasons. I really need to get in. Ahh! But I see on LSN that half the people with my numbers get rejected anyway http://berkeley.lawschoolnumbers.com/ap ... ,8&type=jd

Ugh, what are they looking for?!?!

[jim-green]

What are the chances of someone with 173 and 3.8 getting in? I am getting realllyyyy nervous because Berkeley just shot up in importance to me due to personal reasons. I really need to get in. Ahh! But I see on LSN that half the people with my numbers get rejected anyway http://berkeley.lawschoolnumbers.com/ap ... ,8&type=jd Ugh, what are they looking for?!?!

They musta had something Berkeley didn't like, because their LSATs are well above Berkeley's.

[curiousgeorgia]

What are the chances of someone with 173 and 3.8 getting in? I am getting realllyyyy nervous because Berkeley just shot up in importance to me due to personal reasons. I really need to get in. Ahh! But I see on LSN that half the people with my numbers get rejected anyway http://berkeley.lawschoolnumbers.com/ap ... ,8&type=jd

Ugh, what are they looking for?!?!

I think that Berkeley's graph is a scenario where LSN fails us. Obviously, a lot more than 10 or so people with your numbers applied to Berkeley that cycle, it just so happens that the ones who posted their information on LSN were denied for other reasons. I wouldn't read too much into it if I were you, I think your numbers put you in great standing for Berkeley.

[jim-green]

What are the chances of someone with 173 and 3.8 getting in? I am getting realllyyyy nervous because Berkeley just shot up in importance to me due to personal reasons. I really need to get in. Ahh! But I see on LSN that half the people with my numbers get rejected anyway http://berkeley.lawschoolnumbers.com/ap ... ,8&type=jd Ugh, what are they looking for?!?!

I think that Berkeley's graph is a scenario where LSN fails us. Obviously, a lot more than 10 or so people with your numbers applied to Berkeley that cycle, it just so happens that the ones who posted their information on LSN were denied for other reasons. I wouldn't read too much into it if I were you, I think your numbers put you in great standing for Berkeley.

They may have had typos in their PS, or wrote at the end That's Why I want to go to Stanford, etc. or maybe they advocated a flat tax.

[freestallion]

Thanks guys. My application is focused on public interest work, and I specifically wrote a couple of paragraphs about why I want to go to Berkeley, so I am crossing my fingers that all this comes together and gets me admitted. I am just frustrated because it seems like such a crapshoot. Ahh!

ETA: I am going to be in the area in a few weeks and hope to visit Berkeley (and Stanford too). Anyone know what we can do while visiting before we are admitted? I might just walk around the campus if nothing else..

[ScrabbleChamp]

What are the chances of someone with 173 and 3.8 getting in? I am getting realllyyyy nervous because Berkeley just shot up in importance to me due to personal reasons. I really need to get in. Ahh! But I see on LSN that half the people with my numbers get rejected anyway http://berkeley.lawschoolnumbers.com/ap ... ,8&type=jd Ugh, what are they looking for?!?!

I think that Berkeley's graph is a scenario where LSN fails us. Obviously, a lot more than 10 or so people with your numbers applied to Berkeley that cycle, it just so happens that the ones who posted their information on LSN were denied for other reasons. I wouldn't read too much into it if I were you, I think your numbers put you in great standing for Berkeley.

They may have had typos in their PS, or wrote at the end That's Why I want to go to Stanford, etc. or maybe they advocated a flat tax.

I LOL'd.

[jim-green]

They may have had typos in their PS, or wrote at the end That's Why I want to go to Stanford, etc. or maybe they advocated a flat tax.

I LOL'd.

I wrote that for you, bro.

[ScrabbleChamp]

They may have had typos in their PS, or wrote at the end That's Why I want to go to Stanford, etc. or maybe they advocated a flat tax.

I LOL'd.

I wrote that for you, bro.

Good call.

[EMZE]

I applied 27 Oct, status just says "We have received your application." I am seeing some others applying around the same time that have already seen their status change to "under review."

I am just trying to figure out when I need to start calling/emailing admissions centers to make sure they are not waiting for something on my end.

[bleylaw]

come on its berkeley, i go to undergrad here, you can taste the desire for diversity in the air. they really want whatever stereotypes people have of them to be true lol. they probably reject 4.0 180 just to say they did

[tamarind49]

I applied 27 Oct, status just says "We have received your application." I am seeing some others applying around the same time that have already seen their status change to "under review."

I am just trying to figure out when I need to start calling/emailing admissions centers to make sure they are not waiting for something on my end.

I had that same problem too. Submitted 10/12, and my status was "We have received your application" for a long time. I got the "UR" email finally on 10/27. So I guess you just need to wait a while