University of California, Berkeley

Overview

UC Berkeley is a large public research university and the founding campus of the University of California. As a state university, it gives priority to California residents, and out-of-state and international students pay nonresident supplemental tuition on top of base fees. Undergraduates enter one of several colleges, such as Letters and Science or Engineering, and the program you list on the application matters for review.

How to apply for fall 2027

All nine UC undergraduate campuses use one shared form, the UC Application. It opens August 1, and you may submit between October 1 and November 30. Berkeley does not participate in early action or early decision, so everyone applies in the same window.

• Do not send transcripts at application. You self-report your courses and grades, and admitted students send official records later.
• The fee is $80 per UC campus, or $95 per campus for international and non-immigrant applicants.
• Instead of a single essay, the UC Application asks you to answer several short Personal Insight Questions.

Test-free review

Berkeley states that it is test-free and will not use SAT or ACT scores in any part of the application process. Grades, course rigour and optional exams such as AP or IB still count. If an admitted student has submitted SAT or ACT scores, Berkeley may use them for placement or credit.

The University of California is reviewing its testing policy. The UC system says nothing will change before June 2027, and that fall 2027 applicants will not need SAT or ACT scores. Any later change would affect fall 2028 or later, and no decision had been made when this profile was updated.

Costs and aid for international students

The UC's financial aid eligibility page says international students are generally ineligible for student loans and eligible for very few scholarships, and most pay nonresident supplemental tuition for their whole program. Plan to fund the full cost from family resources or outside scholarships. Application fee waivers are limited to US citizens, permanent residents and some California residents.

Writing the Personal Insight Questions

The UC Application asks you to answer four of eight Personal Insight Questions, each in up to 350 words. They are not essays in the Common App sense. Answer the question directly, give a specific example, and explain what you did and what changed. Reuse is fine across UC campuses, because one application goes to every campus you choose. A Canadian student can draw on part-time work, family responsibilities or community roles as readily as on school clubs.

Preparing as a Canadian student

Because UC review leans on your coursework, a strong Grade 11 and Grade 12 course load is the centre of a Berkeley application. Use our Grade 12 courses for engineering article if you are aiming at Berkeley Engineering. The StudyBrix United States guide explains how state university pricing works.