Directions: Berkeley
A Q&A with UC Berkeley Admissions Director Pamela Burnett

What is your background as it relates to the admissions office?

I began working in undergraduate admissions after completing my AB degree at the Berkeley campus 29 years ago, and I've been a manager since 1979. Over time, I've helped oversee the integration of the former Office of Relations with Schools with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and I've had significant responsibility for shaping and implementing an increasingly comprehensive admission process. I served as acting admissions director upon Bob Laird's retirement last year, and was chosen admissions director after a national search for the position.

How is the office structured or organized?

We have a staff of 12 for immediate outreach, with four of them located in Southern California. We also have a staff of about 20 admission counselors, and they are responsible for evaluating eligibility and transfer credit, as well as assisting with outreach. The outreach staff and the admission counselors all read applications in the selection process. Our Systems and Policy Analysis Group handles application data processing and records maintenance, and they research and analyze data from various sources to provide our readers with important contextual information for the review of each application.

Give us an overview of the application and evaluation process.

First of all, we do not use an academic index score or formulaic method for selection. Every single application is read and scored independently by at least two readers. Each reader reviews the entire file once to rate and score academic performance, then reviews the file again to determine a comprehensive score.

Fifty percent of applicants are selected for admission based on a review of academic performance, including the weighted [not capped at 4.0] and un-weighted high school GPA, and strength of academic preparation, including rigor of senior year, scores on required standardized tests, achievement in academic enrichment programs and other evidence of intellectual or creative achievement. The remaining 50 percent are selected based on a review of academic and personal achievement and qualities. We consider all achievement, both academic and personal, in the context of an applicant's circumstances and opportunities, and the ways in which he or she has responded to them.

What if there's a discrepancy in the scores between the two readers?

If there is a difference of more than one point between the read scores of the first and second readers, then the application goes to a third, more experienced reader who is unaware of the scores provided by the first readers.

Is the personal statement an important part of the application?

Yes. We can't overemphasize the importance of the personal statement in giving students the opportunity to really tell us about themselves or things that we would not understand through reviewing the rest of their application. For example, it can help the reader know what accounts for a drop in the pattern of grades or explain that Advanced Placement and honors courses at a high school are extremely limited, or that there was no help with school from parents because the parents did not graduate from high school or don't speak English.

How about the application process for transfers?

At the transfer level, Berkeley selects students for admission based primarily on academic performance and preparation. This is assessed by a review of the college GPA, completion of lower division prerequisite courses for the college or major and, also, the pattern of grades. We may also consider extracurricular achievement, employment and personal qualities. We read about a third of the transfer applications comprehensively, including a review of the personal statement. In the future, we hope to be able to read more or all of our transfer applications.

Do freshmen and transfers need to apply to particular colleges or majors?

Yes. Freshmen may apply to one of five colleges, and if they apply to the College of Engineering, they must specify a major. Transfer applicants can choose from the five colleges, the Haas School of Business and the School of Optometry. At the transfer level, we expect students to be well prepared for their chosen major, so applicants may not apply as "undeclared."

When do you notify students, and what opportunities do they have to see the campus before enrolling?

We mail our freshmen decision letters on March 29, and transfer letters on May 1. This year, we are going to post admission decisions on our Web site on the day we mail our letters. We'd like to invite all admitted and prospective students to Cal Day, our campus Open House, which is on Saturday, April 21. Cal Day provides a wonderful, fun opportunity for students and their families to get to know the campus. On other days, our Campus Visitor Services conducts student-led tours daily.

What do you view as some of the biggest challenges in recent years?

As a public institution, the University's mission, which is reflected by Regents' policy, gives each campus the responsibility to enroll an academically qualified student body that reflects the broad diversity of California.

Because of the unevenness of the opportunity for achievement among various populations in California, for a variety of complicated reasons, it is extremely difficult to fulfill that responsibility at a highly competitive institution like Berkeley without giving some consideration to factors that are now prohibited by University policy and state law.

Although formulaic assessment of applicants may be expedient, it is often not sufficiently thorough or fair. That's why Berkeley has given so much attention to the individual review of applications, though it requires extensive resources. If we're going to continue to read every single freshman application and an increasing number of transfer applications — and both of those numbers continue to go up each year — that means we need the additional staff, technology and space resources to keep up with the workload.

What do you see ahead for admissions and outreach?

In the foreseeable future, I think that we will continue with the comprehensive and thorough review work that we do. We hope to be able to continually refine the data we use in order to have the best information available about students' educational and individual circumstances. In outreach, I think that we will want to create more personalized, one-on-one time between our staff and students, particularly in underserved communities, at the high school and community college levels.

We also want to improve our relationship with counselors and other
individuals, like teachers, pastors and community organization leaders who help prepare students for college. We know that these individuals are key to students' college readiness.

What kind of student do you think best fits your campus?

Students who thrive at Berkeley are really excited by learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. They don't mind putting pressure on themselves, because they don't want to pass up opportunities for involvement in internships, volunteer work, and political, cultural and social activities. They feel that the hard work is worth it because they can experience and learn so much.

Are there misconceptions or stereotypes that you think people have about UC Berkeley?

We think that the size of the Berkeley campus and the competitiveness of our admission process can make Berkeley seem intimidating. However, despite our size, students here can find community and networks that make their experience intimate and supportive. In other words, they can find their niche and feel at home in this big place. At the same time, they can take advantage of an environment where they have vast choices and access to learning and research at the cutting edge.

Another perception, we think, is that Berkeley no longer welcomes students of color, given the decline in their numbers of admissions and enrollments after SP-1 and Proposition 209. In fact, African American, Chicano, Latino and Native American students make up 16 percent of our undergraduates, and we are working hard toward increasing that percentage. We regard diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and necessary for the University to achieve its full potential as a leading public university and a land grant institution.

What else would you like counselors to know about your campus or office?

The Berkeley campus and our office remain committed to the goal of achieving academic excellence, as well as cultural, racial, geographic and socio-economic diversity in our undergraduate student body, and we welcome opportunities to work with counselors toward this goal. The outreach staff welcomes their contact and would love to talk to them about group presentations or individual students. Interested counselors should call assistant director Mary Dubitzky at (510) 642-4306. We also welcome students and their families to visit the campus and encourage them to contact Campus Visitor Services at (510) 642-5215.