How to Get Into UC Berkeley
FREE LIVE WEBINAR FOR PARENTS OF 9TH - 11TH GRADERS
November 16, 2026 | 5 PM PT
Brennan Bowen
Former Admissions Officer at UC Berkeley
10+ years in selective college admissions
Berkeley doesn’t read applications like a private university. Learn what a former Berkeley admissions reader actually looks for, and how to build a file that stands out in comprehensive review.
Brennan B.
Former UC Berkeley Admissions Officer
10+ years in college admissions
of our recent students gained acceptance to a top 100 school
satisfaction rating from 400+ reviews on TrustPilot
students and parents served with admissions guidance
UC Berkeley receives more than 125,000 freshman applications a year and admits students by college and major, not just to the campus. The UC application has no letters of recommendation, no early decision, and no test scores, so the transcript, activities list, and four PIQs carry the entire file.
Drawing on years of reading applications from inside Berkeley’s admissions office, Brennan will walk you through how comprehensive review really works, what made one Empowerly student’s file stand out in a program that admits just 1–2%, and how families can start building that kind of application now.
Understand why the UC app plays by different rules
Learn how four equally weighted PIQs, 20 activity slots, and test-free admissions change how your family should plan compared with the Common App.
See your student the way a Berkeley reader will
Discover how Berkeley calculates its own GPA, reads rigor against your school’s opportunities, and admits by major, plus the common mistakes that sink strong students.
Learn from a real admitted student’s file
Follow one Empowerly student’s two-year path from strong but undifferentiated to admitted to Berkeley’s MET program, then hear live from a current Berkeley freshman about what made the difference.
Set your child up for a stronger senior year
Know what can be completed early so your family enters application season with more clarity, less pressure, and a stronger foundation.
College Counselor
Former UC Berkeley Admissions Officer | 10+ Years in College Admissions
Brennan B.
Meet Your Host
Brennan is a college admissions counselor with over a decade of experience in selective admissions and international education. He has reviewed thousands of applications as a former admissions reader for the University of California, Berkeley, and an external reader for Stanford. Brennan founded the college counseling department at an international school in Shanghai and has helped students gain admission to top universities worldwide.
In this session, Brennan will take you inside UC Berkeley’s comprehensive review process, from how Berkeley calculates its own GPA to what readers look for in the PIQs and activities list. You’ll leave knowing how Berkeley evaluates your student’s file and where to focus your effort to help them stand out.
College Counselor
Former UC Berkeley Admissions Officer
10+ years in college admissions
Register anyway and we'll send a recording. The live Q&A is for attendees only.
About 60 minutes, including the live Q&A.
