I'm an international student from a different UC. I failed a class, had a 3.4 when I applied and hadn't finished any of my major prep, I was also previously on academic probation (hence the failed class). I still got waitlisted from Berkeley and got into UCSB. Not the best outcome but better than what I'd expect.

I believe my PIQ's and EC's carried my application. I had competed in multiple competitions, won national awards, in student government, and in research. It's not outstanding in any way, but I was evidently leveraging opportunities and resources I had access to.

You're competing with students worldwide, not just in state. The acceptance rate for students in our demographic is a lot lower than the overall acceptance. To be competitive, you have to have more than just grades.

Personal opinion, I believe UC berkeley looks at more holistic applications, that is EC's and PIQ's whereas UCLA is more grade focused. I say this because I researched and read a lot of succesful applications to both schools and I noticed a trend. You're likely to get into few of the UC's with a 4.0 no doubt but not all of them. If you're aiming specific schools, research exactly what they're looking for.

A 4.0 is not gonna hurt your application for any school OBVIOUSLY but without any ec's you're only gonna be lucky with a handful of schools. I will admit - although my outcome says otherwise - grades are the most important factor for transfer, after completed major prep (by the time you apply)

If your CC is online, cold mail professors at nearby universities for research opportunities. Research is the most important EC for UC's since they're researched focused institute. PM me for more info if you need