In the middle of June, Lindsay went on vacation to California. While she was there, she took the opportunity to visit UC Berkeley and gain some perspective on the campus. Check out what she thought below.
UC Berkeley
Why is this school awesome?
Lindsay: Berkeley has an incredible history of activism and social change, and that legacy is felt on campus today. There's a gold plaque in the student center with a quote from a speech Martin Luther King Jr. gave on Berkeley's campus against the Vietnam War in 1967. It says, “You, in a real sense, have been the conscience of the academic community and our nation.” To this day, Berkeley continues to be that conscience and it's exciting to attend a school that values activism as much as it does academics.
5 words to describe campus?
Lindsay: PROGRESSIVE, EXPANSIVE (seriously, the campus is really big), MULTICULTURAL, ECLECTIC (in terms of both students and architectural styles), REDWOOD-ED.
The "typical student" is...
Lindsay: Passionate, socially and politically engaged, interested in changing the world – through research or policy or art.
International perspective?
Lindsay: California occupies a special place in the international student consciousness and for good reason; at Berkeley, you're essentially going to school among the redwoods! That said, while Berkeley has international students from over 88 countries, the class is predominately composed of California natives. Over half the student body is California-base, and the admissions rates for in-state students are decidedly higher (19.5% in-state vs. 8.8% for international students as of 2015).
Tips for the application process?
Lindsay: As of April 2015, UC Berkeley started to invite a select few applicants to submit two letters of recommendation – so be on the lookout for additional correspondence once you submit your application!
Fun Facts?
Lindsay: Their Amazon mail center is amazing!
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