On the following pages are five actual applications to Berkeley for the 1999 freshman class. Based on the information provided, you must decide which of the students deserves to attend Berkeley. You may choose all, none, or some of the five applicants. After you've finished each application, you can find out whether the applicant got in or the school turned them away. You will also be able to see what an experienced admissions reader thought of each application.

You should know that according to University of California policy, each application will be read by at least one other reader before a final decision is made.

Read each application carefully. Each application should be reviewed in less than 10 minutes (most readers take about 6 minutes.)

Pay attention not only to grade points and SAT score, but also to the type of classes the applicant took in high school. If the student has a particularly low verbal score on the SAT, is there something else, such as a high score on the AP English test, which balances out the low score? Is English the first language of the applicant?

Take into account the level of education of the parents, the income of the household. Look at what the applicant has accomplished outside of school, sports, community service or jobs. Also, pay particular attention to the essay, as this is the student's chance to tell us more about him/herself beyond the grades and test scores. Look at it as the applicant's own letter of recommendation.

The only thing you cannot take into consideration, according to the law, is the race of each applicant.

Note: For privacy reasons, some of the information in these applications has been edited, including name of high school and class rank.

here's the first applicant..

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