cindy888,cindy888
cindy888,
UC Berkeley
B.A., History
Avid traveler, video gamer, reader, and History geek. UC Berkeley '21 (History/Political Economy double major, Pre-Law)
Features Included
10
Essays
17
Schools
8
Scores
8
Advice
7
ECs
0
Sports
3.89
GPA
35
ACT
Features Included
10
Essays
17
Schools
8
Scores
8
Advice
7
ECs
0
Sports

Background

Hometown Arcadia, California
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
Class of2021
First Gen College StudentNo
English First Language Yes
Other Language(s) Spoken French, Mandarin

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted10 schools
UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, WashU, UCSD, NYU, BC, UCSB, UC Davis, UC Irvine
Waitlisted or Withdrew2 schools
Amherst, Brown
Denied5 schools
Stanford, Princeton, Columbia, Yale, UPenn
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)

Applied for a B.A. in History

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

I wrote to create perfection--both in me and in the world around me. As a child, I was often left to my own devices while my immigrant mother juggled university classes and a waitressing job. To pass the time, I devoured the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie--mysteries captured my imagination--and mimicked their intricate plots in my Hello Kitty notebook, where they’d be edited and proofread until deemed worthy for narration in front of my audience...

Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
346 Words
Once I set a goal for myself, I strive to both achieve and surpass it. The most acute example of this is my penchant for advanced computer game strategies and competitions. I discovered League of Legends the summer before high school and was immediately humbled by the game's complex mechanics and steep learning curve. Although many people pursue video games for unproductive reasons such as escaping their real-life responsibilities, I saw gaming as an instrument to develop skillsets such as...

Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
285 Words
I am a traveler, of both geography and time. My adventures began at age three, when I was shipped off to stay with my grandparents in Harbin, China. Every Saturday, my grandfather and I would stroll through Zhongyang Dajie or explore St. Sophia Cathedral, flush with Russian architecture and tumultuous history. Although never formally educated, my grandfather would do his best to read museum placards and placate my endless barrage of questions; in my eyes, Laoye was the smartest man...

Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
357 Words
From a very young age, books were my solace. I started at my small local library, checking out three dozen books on Saturday, finishing them all by Sunday, and revisiting my favorites throughout the week until Saturday happily came around again. After devouring the humble selection offered by my local library, I cajoled my mother into driving an extra hour every weekend so I could start chipping away at the neighboring town’s larger collection. My life was divided into...

School Specific Advice

How to increase chances at my school
112 Words
The UCs generally prioritize GPA/test scores/grades over essays. However, holistic reviews are increasingly popular (Used at Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, and maybe more), so polish those essays! For my 4 essays, I wrote about:...

Why I ultimately chose my school
121 Words
I was rejected from or waitlisted by most of my reaches and "dream" schools, and honestly I just went for the cheapest and most prestigious option. I was lucky to get accepted to all the UCs...

General Admissions Advice

How to approach transferring schools
66 Words
Honestly, if you're unsure about the future or have money problems, instead of taking out huge student loans or regretting...

Post-college plans
107 Words
Plans change, a lot. Don't be too set on your future career or grad school ambitions, because people change as well. You might take a philosophy course and emerge enlightened, or spend...

My advice about getting recommenders
93 Words
Get to know 2-3 teachers junior year -- your favorite subjects, or just classes you put a lot of effort in. Even if you have a B or...

Recommended summer activities during high school and college
85 Words
Apply for prestigious programs (TASP, for example -- but none of the $4000 Harvard/Stanford/Princeton ****, only go for programs that are merit-based and...

What I’d change about my application process
64 Words
START. EARLIER. Really. It seems obvious, but seriously do not procrastinate. And it's fine to copy skeletons of essays ...

High School Performance

GPA
3.89
(no specification of weighting)
Rank
Top 10%
 
High School TypePublic
College Classes In High School
Academic Performance in High School Steady

Test Scores

Highest ACT
35
 
ACT Score Details
 
ACT Prep
PSAT Scores

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details10 classes and scores

Sports

N/A

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesFrench Club, Quiz Bowl/Academic Bowl, Tutoring/Mentoring, Clean Ocean Beach Sweeps / River Cleanup, Community Cleanup / Service, American Red Cross, Nonprofit, NGO or Charitable Organization
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received
Application Additional Materials

Similar Profiles

Ms. Gabs
UC Berkeley


Accepted to UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCSD, UCLA

I am an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley majoring in Business Administration (Pre-Haas) with a focus in Finance.
willoetojo
UC Berkeley


Accepted to UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UCSD, UCLA, BC

I am an Arcadia High School grad attending UC Berkeley
KMN178
UC Berkeley


Accepted to UC Berkeley, USC

I love philosophical or intellectual discussions, reading almost anything, hanging out with friends and eating sushi :)
Brittanybea
UC Berkeley


Accepted to UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCSD, Washington, Penn State, Case

UC Berkeley student, Pacific Northwest native, future astrophysicist. Go Bears!
Daniel97
UC Berkeley


Accepted to Harvey Mudd, Cornell, Dartmouth, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, San Diego, Olin, Rice

I'm a freshman studying Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley; I really love all things science, especially chemistry and physics, and competed in the National Science Bowl for all 4 years of high school.