The institutions in the University of California system all utilize the same application form, regardless of the campus to which the student is applying. Beginning in fall 2012, the eligibility requirements are a specified number of courses in history, English, mathematics, laboratory science, foreign language, and visual and performing arts, plus one college-preparatory elective. The system also requires a GPA of at least 3.0 (3.4 if a non-resident) with a "C" grade or better, as well as the ACT With Writing or the SAT Reasoning test. An additional requirement is a personal statement in which the applicant describes life experiences and aspirations.
In addition to the general UC eligibility requirements, Berkeley has its own six factors that the school considers in weighing each application for admission. These factors are the applicant's full record of achievement in college prep courses completed in high school, personal qualities including leadership ability and character, the applicant's likely contribution to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the Berkeley student population, performance on standardized tests, achievement in academic enrichment programs and other evidence of achievement.
California residents can apply as incoming freshmen based on one of three paths: the statewide path, requiring that the applicant be in the top 12.5% ranking of California students; the local path, requiring ranking in the top 4% of a high school participating in the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program; or the examination path, which requires the student to have earned high scores on the ACT With Writing or SAT Reasoning test and two SAT subject tests. Close to 90 percent of incoming freshmen in the UC system are California residents.
Transfer students are required to have completed 60 units of UC-transferable semester units by the end of the spring term before the fall term applied for begins. The transfer applicant must indicate his intended major on the application, and the review process includes assessing the applicant's academic record to ensure that the prerequisite courses for that major have been completed. As with the freshman applicants, a UC general application and personal statement are required. The majority of transfer students come from California community colleges.
Out-of-state applicants are held to the same admission requirements as California residents, with the additional requirement of a GPA of 3.4 as opposed to 3.0. For home-schooled applicants, admission is either through the examination path or through admission by exception, which involves explaining the student's unique circumstances in her personal statement. International applicants must meet the same basic requirements as other applicants and must pass an English exam and acquire the necessary visas to live in the U.S.