University of California
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How difficult would it be for international students to get admission to the University of California?
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- Grades: You need good grades and be in the top 5% of your class. If the rest of your profile is extremely strong, you'll probably be fine being in the top 10% too.
- Resume: Make sure your Resume looks neat and impressive. Presentation is very important; mention relevant details about your projects or internships. The quality of your work is extremely important rather than quantity.
- Letters of Recommendation: This is probably one of the important components of the application. Make sure you get extremely strong recommendations. Strong recommendations can make a huge difference.
- GRE Scores: While some people think all their application chances depend on their GRE scores, this is not the case. GRE is only a part of your application, so don't limit yourself if you don't do too well. For UC Berkeley, you're good if you have 163+ in Quant, 154+ in Verbal, and 4+ in AWA. This does not mean you won't get admitted if you score below them.
- Work Experience: Working in a reputed international company and getting good records from your boss there would definitely help.
- Statement of Purpose: Probably the most important part of your application. UC Berkeley requires an Academic Statement and a Personal Statement. Make sure you spend a lot of time on them. Start as early as possible, as your SOP will never be perfect, and there will always be scope for improvement.
Hope this helps. Good Luck!
