Although we’ve been incredibly busy speaking to all of your students we’ve enjoyed all the interactions we’ve had with your schools and communities. Hats off to each and every one of you who organized, facilitated, and showed up for your students as they prepare to submit their applications. There is so much beauty in the work we do as educational professionals, especially as you pass on the next generation of students to campuses like ours! While wrapping up outreach season our staff is now preparing for reading. The start of November will be filled with training for a reading staff of 200+ readers! By mid-November reading will be in full swing - wish us luck! Lastly, our campus celebrated Latinx Heritage Month between September and October, and with that, we are happy to showcase some of the many events that occurred during that time!
Chancellor Carol Christ and Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean Olufemi “Femi” Ogundele were featured on PBS News Hour discussing UC Berkeley’s diversity initiatives. Femi talks about the changes we’ve made to our review processes and we are very excited this segment showcases the outcomes of those changes. Take a look at their conversation here!
Latinx Student Voices Instagram Post
On the theme of us showcasing our celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, our office created an Instagram post highlighting three Latinx student experiences. They discuss their educational journeys and cultural barriers they faced prior to admission. You can check out that post in the link above.
“3 Things We Wish Applicants Knew” Medium Article
While on the road, one of the most common questions we get is “how can I stand out on the application?” We know students are working hard on their applications and seeking feedback. If you are someone students are trusting to provide feedback, our recently updated Medium article “3 Things We Wish Applicants Knew: Perspectives from Application Readers” is a great read to support your feedback. Also, share this article with your students who need something to reference when they're filling out their applications! Don’t forget to check out our Medium blog for many articles just like this one.
Upcoming Office ClosuresDue to office-wide training and holidays we have office closures coming up that we want to put on your radar. During the following dates all visitor services will be closed:Reader Training | November 1 - 3Veterans Day | November 11Thanksgiving | November 24 - 25
UC Berkeley celebrates Filipinx Heritage Month throughout October. Although there are many events celebrating Filipinx history and heritage we have a few here that we are highlighting. Look out for next bulletin as we may have more passed events to showcase for you all! Filipinx Berkeley lecturers and faculty discuss preserving languages and their impact on decolonization in this Berkeley News article. (Photo courtesy of Joi Barrios-Leblanc) For our last highlight, our Berkeley library website curated an online exhibit about the Philippines and Filipinx history.
125-Year Anniversary of the Big GameThe Cal and Stanford rivalry is the oldest football rivalry in the west and one of the oldest sports rivalries anywhere. In 1982, the end of the “Big Game” ended off with what is infamously known now as “The Play.” Down 20 to 19, after Stanford scored a field goal, Berkeley made a miraculous comeback with the help of the Stanford band. Check out this video from our Light The Way campaign where legendary Cal announcer Joe Starkey discusses the history of the Big Game leading up to the 125th anniversary.
Outreach Last ThoughtsAs our outreach wraps up we just wanted to share some last updates and reminders: Many students will be preparing their applications in November and through the last week before the submission deadline of November 30th. Unfortunately, our office does not conduct outreach in November because we are preparing for reading and begin reading in mid-November. We apologize in advance and thank you all for your understanding. If you have connected with your Territory Manager for your school, feel free to share with them the school profiles and school context you feel is relevant for us as readers. We will upload your school profiles into our database to be used during the reading process. Any school context you provide to us can be helpful in training our readers in preparation to evaluate applicants from your schools.
Undergraduate Admissions Live Q&A
Join us later today (October 28) at 4 PM PST for a live panel with our UC Berkeley Admissions counselors who will be discussing UC application questions submitted directly by prospective first-year, transfer, and international students. Have questions during the conversation? Feel free to post them in the comments section, we will be doing our best to answer all of them! We will be live on YouTube at this link.
Summer has ended and schools are filled with students again–we hope you all stayed cool through the heat waves! You may have seen us on the road speaking with your students or will be seeing us on your campus soon. We love serving your students during this time of year as we all prepare for the application. It is incredible knowing we will be reading the applications of the students we are speaking with during outreach season. That is why we feel this time of the year refreshes our spirits as we approach reading season.
As we continue to bring back in-person engagements during our traditional outreach season, we are very pleased to announce our first in-person open house for prospective first-year and transfer students - The Berkeley Showcase. The Berkeley Showcase will take place on October 8th and we’ll be highlighting the best Berkeley has to offer, including presentations from academic programs, opportunities to visit centers such as the ASUC Student Union, the Fannie Lou Hamer Black Resource Center, and the Chicanx/Latinx Resource Center, and application workshops for both freshman and transfer students - and much more! Please help us spread the word and invite your students to The Berkeley Showcase. Students can register here!
Counselor Case Study Events
We are so excited to bring back our counselor case study series for high school counselors and community-based organizations (CBOs), in person! Join us either on-campus or in Southern California to learn some of the admissions updates at Berkeley and through the University of California system and gain insight into our application review process through case studies. We hope you can join us. Space is limited so register now! Bay Area Program | Register Now SoCal Program | Register Now Please limit registration to one person per program and one person from each school. We want to support as many schools and CBOs as possible. For questions, please email Stefan Montouth (smontouth@berkeley.edu)
New Majors and Minors
UC Berkeley’s College of Letters and Science is offering four new minors and the College of Engineering has a new program offered as both a major and a minor. Our @caladmissions Instagram page has a cool post breaking down these new programs. Check it out here! For more information please see our online catalog which includes information on course offerings, majors, and minors. NOTE: Some programs are not listed on the application, but students can inquire about them after they enroll at Berkeley.
Berkeley M.E.T. Info SessionJoin us to learn about the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology program in the College of Engineering and the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. We will provide an overview of the incoming freshman admissions process for high school students and for anyone else interested in learning more about Berkeley M.E.T. Tuesday, October 18, 4–4:45 p.m. | Register here Tuesday, October 27, 12-12:45 p.m. | Register here
Jocelyn De Jong (she/her) joined the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on Sept 1 as UC Berkeley's new AVC and Director of Undergraduate Admissions. Jocelyn brings 17 years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the undergraduate admission and recruitment processes. Her admissions career has been dedicated to public institutions and she recognizes the unique role they play in increasing social mobility, educating citizens, and advancing the public good. Prior to joining Berkeley, Jocelyn served as the Senior Associate Director of Admissions for Recruitment and Communications at the University of Washington in Seattle. There, she led the admissions counseling, visitation, and communications teams, and was responsible for developing the recruitment strategy for prospective students and influencers. Jocelyn was instrumental in creating the University of Washington’s first one-day Admitted Student Preview, which welcomed 7,000 visitors and yielded 75 percent of underrepresented student attendees. Before her time at the University of Washington, Jocelyn served as the Director of Recruitment at Washington State University, where she led the overall undergraduate, domestic student recruitment effort. Under her leadership, WSU set a record for multicultural enrollment during the fall of 2014. Jocelyn earned both a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Washington State University. Outside of work she can be found exploring new running routes, video chatting with her three nephews, or trying out a new recipe. Jocelyn encourages you all to contact her directly with your questions via her email at jddejong@berkeley.edu or her office line at (510) 642-2316.
Programs for First-Year Students
UC Berkeley Summer Sessions and Study Abroad have a few different program offerings for incoming, first-year students:UC Berkeley Dual Degree Programs provide students the opportunity to pursue degrees from a choice of two different universities: UC Berkeley and either Sciences Po in France or The University of Hong Kong. Each program awards two degrees, one from each university, in four years. The Global Edge Program invites first-year students to begin their undergraduate experience in a unique way. Incoming students start at UC Berkeley the summer before their fall semester by taking courses and participating in workshops. They will then spend the fall semester abroad in London with a community of other students. Fall Program for First Semester provides small classes, high-touch advising, and a collaborative learning community for incoming freshmen admitted to UC Berkeley’s College of Letters and Science.
How to Talk About Leadership
When speaking with students we often hear some common questions including things like: “how does UC Berkeley view leadership on the application?” or “how can I demonstrate leadership on the application?” For students with similar questions, we recently updated an article discussing our thoughts on leadership and tips on how to present it on the application. We encourage your students to check it out on our Medium blog, it’s titled “What Leadership Looks Like.”
We are in the middle of summer and unfortunately, the end is near! Before summer concludes we have some very exciting updates for you all regarding new (Berkeley-specific) UC application changes, campus major policy changes, and further developments in our outreach plans starting at the end of August. But, let’s not forget about the recently admitted Golden Bears starting in the fall of 2022. Despite an unprecedented year that included a record number of freshmen applicants (over 128,000 applicants) and a court ruling that threatened to cap our enrollment numbers, our admissions team persevered and offered over 19,700 freshmen and transfer students admission.
Please check out this article breaking down our upcoming class of Golden Bears!
We recently wrapped up Golden Bear Orientation and students are filling the campus. Berkeley is as lively as ever!
See our @CalAdmissions Instagram photo dump for move in day.
Alternative Major Option
UC Berkeley is joining the rest of the UC campuses in allowing students to select an alternative major on the UC application. We encourage your students to take advantage of this option, especially if they have a second-choice major they’re interested in. Our advice remains that students should select the major they are most interested in as their primary major. We will only guarantee a review of the primary major, while alternative majors will only be used if space is available, for example, as we consider available space during the wait list process.
Changes Involving High-Demand Majors
First-year applicants admitted to one of the 12 high-demand majors in the College of Letters and Science will be guaranteed a space in the major. While this will not be a direct admission to the major, the process to declare will be simplified and space will be held for them contingent on certain requirements. Students interested in a high-demand major are encouraged to apply for it on the application, which gives them the best chance of declaring that major. Students who do not select a high-demand major can apply to declare after enrolling at Berkeley, but it will be through a comprehensive review process directly with the major department.
Additionally, any student interested in completing a double major will be limited to one high-demand major in the College of Letters and Science. Students who are interested in more than one major should be encouraged to add the high-demand major as their primary major on their UC application.
More information will be posted on this page in the coming weeks as details are finalized.
Starting the month of August, your students may start their UC application for fall 2022, including entering personal information, self-reporting their courses and grades, and drafting their Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). Starting this cycle, the application submission period begins on October 1st, and the deadline is November 30th! This gives your students a larger window to submit their applications. Once the application is submitted your students cannot make changes to the application, so please plan accordingly. As a reminder, the UC system does not participate in Early Action or Early Decision.
Encourage your students to get a head start by logging in to My UC Application.
Transfer Direct Admit-to-Major Pilot Program
Starting fall of 2023, participating academic departments will pilot a direct admit to major program in Berkeley’s College of Letters and Science for transfer admits. There will be 27 departments participating in the program including four high-demand majors: Art Practice, Computer Science, Data Science, and Social Welfare. On the UC application, when selecting the major, the portal will inform students that they are applying directly to the chosen major. If an applicant is admitted to a major participating in this program they will not have to go through the process of applying to or officially declaring their major during their first semester on campus. Transfer admission and major declaration procedures will not change for majors that are not participating in this pilot program. More information will be posted on this page in the coming weeks as details are finalized.
Outreach
We hit the road starting at the end of this month! We hope to humanize and demystify our admissions process for prospective Bears. Our outreach staff is finalizing their individual outreach plans to the territories they manage and there is an updated schedule on our website for events your students should look forward to. We appreciate your patience if you have requested a school visit or our attendance at a college fair. We will do our best to consider your requests and you will be notified whether or not we will attend.
New Hire Spotlight - Michael Gaetos
Michael Gaetos (he/him) is our new AAPI Community Liaison. Born in the Philippines and raised in the Bay Area, he graduated from UC Berkeley in 2021 after having transferred from Diablo Valley College. At Berkeley, he studied political science with a minor in education. As a former student advisor, Michael’s extremely excited to be returning to the office, and looks forward to speaking with students to help them navigate their journey into higher education! As a first-generation college graduate, he hopes to stay in the field of higher education to advocate for greater access and equity. In his free time, Michael enjoys playing volleyball, trying new food spots, and traveling with family and friends. Friends describe him as sociable, always out & about, and always awake!
Plans for Outreach
New Hire Spotlight - Naseem Salim
Naseem Salim (they/them) is our new Assistant Director and LGBTQ+ Community Liaison. They graduated from UC Berkeley in 2021 with a B.A. in Public Health and look forward to returning to campus as a staff member. Growing up between Tehran, Iran, and the Bay Area, Naseem approaches their work with a multicultural lens—they are excited to support prospective and new students in exploring spaces that best fit their passions, identities, and needs. Naseem is particularly invested in helping to make higher education more welcoming and accessible. During their time away from work, Naseem can be found rock climbing, enjoying the outdoors, making art, and cooking for loved ones.
Staff Spotlight - Ricardo Avitia
Serving in an interim capacity since October 2021, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is pleased to announce that Ricardo Avitia has been named the new Senior Assistant Director and Transfer Reading Manager. Ricardo is a proud Golden Bear Alum! He has been working in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions since 2014 and has served in various capacities as a Transfer Specialist, Diversity Coordinator, Alumni Ambassador Coordinator, and was recently appointed to Transfer Manager. His 15 years of professional experience have all been student-driven and primarily dedicated to working for transfer students. He believes in creating equitable and accessible practices that further support, make visible, and enhance the transfer student experience. In his free time, Ricardo likes to discover new music to add to his extensive vinyl collection comprised of music from all around the world. Please help us welcome Ricardo Avitia to his new role as Senior Assistant Director, Transfer Manager in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Upcoming Admissions Dates
Staff Spotlight - Cameron Sadafi
After serving as the interim Senior Assistant Director of Admissions and the senior international specialist for the past two cycles, Cameron Sadafi has taken on the role in a permanent capacity. Cameron has been with UC Berkeley since 2018. His efforts in outreach to underserved regions contributed to a growth in countries represented on campus from 74 countries to over 100 countries. Prior to UC Berkeley Cameron worked in international admissions for the University of Colorado, Boulder where he was primarily responsible for the regions of Canada, South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Cameron is a first generation Iranian-American and first generation college student who is passionate about diversity, access, inclusion and belonging and loves advising students and families on the college going process as well as identifying their best fit college or university. Outside of work, Cameron loves spending time in nature with his wife and dog, spending time with his family and traveling abroad to immerse himself in different cultures, cuisines and customs.
Admitted Student Website & Programming
The students we admit this week belong at Berkeley, and while we know many of them have other options, we want them to learn as much as they can about our campus. We believe in the power of community and are dedicated to engaging with our newly admitted students to showcase the opportunities available and the communities that will support them along the way should they choose Berkeley. Our newly admitted student website provides information about how students can engage with us in person and virtually, including Cal Day on Saturday, April 23, 2022. While this website currently has limited content, it will be updated after decisions are released.
Black Recruitment and Retention Center
The Black Recruitment and Retention Center invites your students to participate in our first ever Black Student Tour which will be catered toward Black Community College students in the Bay Area. We invite your students to come and learn about the Black Experience at Cal while receiving a tour of our Beautiful Campus! BRRC was founded in 1983 and is a student-run organization at the University of California, Berkeley designed to help increase the number of Black students enrolling in and graduating from Cal. To participate, please have your students fill out this form. If you have any questions, you can reach our transfer coordinator, Holli Burnett, at brrctransfercoord@gmail.com.
bridges Multicultural Resource Center’s Transfer Empowerment Day
The bridges Multicultural Resource Center at UC Berkeley is inviting community college students to participate in our annual Transfer Empowerment Day (TED). TED is a one-day, online conference that aims to demystify, liberate, and empower current community college students in their journey to higher education. The goal of TED is to reach out to all community colleges and support students in making the transition to a four-year college more comprehensive and attainable. At our program we will have a:
We hope to support low-income, first-generation, underrepresented students of color by providing ourselves as a resource. Through multicultural collaboration as a coalition-wide conference, TED seeks to empower underrepresented students of color to pursue opportunities for post-secondary education, increase exposure to college resources, and support with their upcoming UC Application. Please RSVP ASAP at: tinyurl.com/TED22rsvp
Update on Staffing
The admissions office is currently hiring for several positions. Interviews are taking place for the following positions:
These positions are crucial to the success of our office’s enrollment strategies and the campus’s diversity efforts. We are looking forward to introducing you to these new staff members in these critical positions.
Earlier Filing Period
An important change to the application process has been announced in a recent University of California bulletin. Effective beginning with the fall 2023 admissions cycle (applicants filing in 2022), the University of California has changed the application filing period. The new filing period will be October 1 – November 30. Note: the deadline will not change. UC recognizes the month of November can be stressful for students, who are possibly navigating the submission of multiple college applications, preparing for end-of-term finals, and the onset of the holiday season. Allowing students to submit their application as early as October 1 could ease some of the pressure students normally feel at the end of the year, as well as those worsened by the pandemic.
Admission Release Dates
In the coming weeks, a select number of students will be notified that they have been admitted to UC Berkeley, most of whom will be candidates for the Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholarship or admits to other special programs. Most students will receive their decision during our normal release period - March 24th for freshman applicants and April 22nd for transfer applicants. If your student doesn’t hear from us in the next few weeks, please inform them that no decision has yet been made and they are still in the review process. If you know of students who have been admitted via Early Decision at another university and are happily committed, please encourage them to withdraw their application to UC Berkeley prior to March 1 so we can confirm the withdrawal before our March decision release. The withdrawal form is live in their MAP@Berkeley portal.
Office Hours through February
During the next several weeks while our staff is continuing with the application review process and while in-person staff support is limited as we monitor the recent COVID surge, our availability will be limited and may change frequently. The best way for students to reach us is to fill out a Contact Us form or go to our website for updated phone and office hours. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience during this busy time.
Staff Spotlight
Timetra Marie Hampton is our new Senior Associate Director in Undergraduate Admissions overseeing the freshman and transfer application review processes as well as our finalization procedures. She is originally from Little Rock Arkansas but moved to the Inland Empire in Southern California where she would finish both middle and high school. She attended San Diego State University where she became a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc and California State University, San Bernardino where she attained a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Child/Human Development. Her passion and goal in working within post secondary education is to ensure institutions prioritize the education of underrepresented populations and that undergraduate admissions continues to admit cohorts of diverse students.
Staff Spotlight - Pete Smith
Pete Smith is a professional within the international education field whose career has been dedicated to serving and interacting with diverse communities, both at home and abroad. He joins UC Berkeley as an Assistant Director of Admissions and International Specialist. Pete earned a Master’s Degree in Education with a focus in Multiculturalism. He has held teaching positions in American and South Korean public schools, worked within higher education at four institutions across three countries. In his free time, Pete enjoys exploring new places, playing music, and being active outdoors.
Staff Spotlight - Michael Cervantes
Michael Cervantes is a UC Berkeley student affairs professional with over six years of experience supporting both prospective and current students with financial aid, billing, and registration. Michael is originally from Compton, CA, and is a proud UC Berkeley graduate, a first-generation college graduate, and a former financial aid recipient. As the Assistant Director and Visitor Experience Manager, Michael will spearhead our front-desk operations, in-person events, and student worker program. Michael likes to watch movies, eat good food, spend time with friends, and explore the SF Bay Area. Go Bears!
Staff Spotlight - Marissa Chavez
Marissa Chávez (they/she) is a proud product of the Central Valley - Merced, CA. They earned their BA in Political Science - Public Service from the University of California, Davis after transferring from Merced Community College. After working in behavioral health and recovery services programs for five years, Marissa went on to obtain a Master of Science degree in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs from Cal Poly SLO. Recently Marissa served as the program coordinator for Sonoma State University's First and Second Year Programs. In this role, they managed a team of 60 peer mentors and collaborated with both student affairs and academic affairs to improve the student experience and increase retention and success rates. As the Assistant Director of Pathways & Persistence, Marissa will connect with Puente seniors to consider UC/UC Berkeley in their post-secondary plans, provide guidance on the application process, and support students in their transition from high school through their first year at Berkeley. When not working, Marissa can be found doing research, listening to podcasts, attending concerts, or taking their cat on a walk.
Office Availability
Over the next few months we will be limiting our in-person services so that our staff can focus their efforts on reading the applications of your remarkable students. Please take note of the following office hours and closures.
For information on additional ways to contact us please visit our website.
Over the next few months we will be increasing our virtual availability and limiting our in-person services so that our staff can focus their efforts on reading the applications of your remarkable students. This week, our office will be closed, but our phones and a Virtual Front Desk will have limited availability. And starting November 29 our office will be open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00p.m.-4:00p.m. Please take note of the following office closures:
Visit our website for additional ways to contact us.
The OUA Systems team is thrilled to welcome Amy Goodman back as their new analyst in charge of security and documentation. Amy previously worked with the team before testing the waters outside of UC Berkeley. In her new role, Amy will focus on process improvement where she’ll support the office as they read, select and finalize applicants. Adding the missing piece to the Marketing and Communications team puzzle, Terri Washington will serve as our Senior Assistant Director of Communications. Terri has been a part of the UC Berkeley community for nearly six years, having previously been with Cal Performances as their Social Media & Digital Content Specialist. In her new role in the admissions office, Terri will be a project manager for all digital and print communications.
High School Counselor Survey ReminderAs we continue preparations for the fall 2022 application cycle, we are looking to gather contextual information from you about your school. To be considered in this application cycle, please fill out this brief counselor survey by October 31. This information will be used as context during our application review process which is crucial for us as we incorporate holistic review in our application reading process. We recognize that you may provide us with a high school profile, and this survey is not meant to replace your profile; however, the specific information requested in our survey allows us to gather consistent information across high schools. We would appreciate you completing this survey even if you do send us a high school profile. Thank you for helping us better understand your students within their various environments. NOTE: If you submitted this form last year, please do so again so we can ensure we have the most up-to-date information. If you have already submitted the form this year you do not need to resubmit.
