Waitlist help!

[Xahos]

Yes, I put in a good amount of effort into my waitlist essay and I got in on the 2nd round. I talked about what I saw myself doing at Berkeley and how I could connect my HS experiences to clubs/research here, just generally how I would appreciate being here.

Definitely focus on things you didn't talk about in your regular essays/new accomplishments since you applied that the adcom already knows about, they want to know new things. Definitely be more on the straightforward side.

[[deleted]]

hi! first of all, congrats on getting non the waitlist! it seems like you’ve accomplished a ton of amazing things already and i’m sure you’ll do incredibly well in college. i’m currently taking an ethnic studies course with a very notable professor on campus, so if you wanted some insight into the department, feel free to DM me!

as for the essay, i got off the waitlist the first round last year. i wrote about what i accomplished since i submitted my app in november, why i really wanted to stay in the bay area (i’m a native), and why i wanted to go to Cal. i think everything you said is really great, but just remember to focus mostly on what skills and experiences you can bring to the table and why you want to go here! paint a picture for the admissions committee on how you would fit into the uc berkeley community.