Accepting Your Offer of Admission
Q: How do I accept my offer of admission?
A: Accepting your offer of admission includes, agreeing to the Honor Code, accepting your Conditions of Admission and paying a $250 deposit (if required). The $250 is nonrefundable and will be credited toward your first-semester tuition bill.
Q: What is the admission deposit? What does it cover?
A: The $250 deposit is a portion of your first-semester registration fees; it is not an extra cost. The funds are a deposit. Like many other schools, we require a nonrefundable "down payment" to ensure a commitment on the part of the student. The deposit will show as paid on your first billing statement.
Q: What does it mean that my tuition/enrollment deposit is waived?
A: An admission deposit waiver means that you will have to pay the deposit when fees for the semester are due (in August for fall semester, or January for spring semester). For some students, the campus agrees to wait to receive these funds.
Q: How do I know if my deposit has been waived?
A: If your deposit has been waived you will not be prompted to pay after agreeing to the Honor Code and Conditions of Admission. You will also see a “Deposit Waived” indicator in your MAP@Berkeley portal.
Q: May I pay my admission deposit a few days past the deadline?
A: Unfortunately, no. There are no exceptions.
Q: How do I pay the admission deposit? Can I pay by check?
A: There are three ways to pay your admission deposit; e-check, credit card, or wire transfer. Paper checks are not accepted. You must complete each of the following steps by the deadline, for your acceptance of your offer of admission to be considered submitted:
- Navigate to the MAP@Berkeley portal, which will direct you to your Next Steps
- Accept your admission and the Honor Code Agreement and check the box next to each Condition of Admission, indicating that you understand and accept
- Select Continue
- You will then be instructed to pay the $250 admission deposit in full (plus a 2.75% service charge for students who pay with credit card).
Q: Why is the 'Accepting my Offer of Admission' still showing on my Task list in CalCentral?
A: If you are still seeing a task to accept your offer of admission, it means you have not gone through all of the steps to complete the process. The final action to complete this process is submitting your $250 deposit.
Q: Why do I see other charges when I try to pay my Admissions Deposit?
A: If you are enrolled in Berkeley's non-degree summer program you may see your tuition charges when you are accepting your offer of admission. Don't worry! You can pay your deposit now and your other charges later. Click Pay next to your account balance. Then, delete the charge you aren't ready to pay, leaving the $250 Admissions Deposit Item on the list and click "check out".
Q: What is a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR)?
A: The SIR is an old term for newly admitted students that is no longer used at Berkeley. We are now encouraging students to ‘Accept your offer of admission’ and to ‘Pay your admissions deposit’. Please bear with us as we continue to change the language on our website and other Berkeley communications. If you see a reference to SIR, please know that means to accept your offer of admission.
Conditions of Admission
Q: What are the Conditions of Admission?
A: Every offer of admission is conditional. All admitted students have conditions that must be met in order to sustain Berkeley's offer of admission. When accepting the offer, every admitted student is prompted to read and accept each of their conditions. You can find a printable version of your Conditions of Admission in the MAP@Berkeley portal, along with a printable version of your admission letter. Each condition check box must be selected. The student must then click Continue to progress to the admission deposit payment screen.
Q: How do I know whether Admissions has received all of my documents and that I have met all of the conditions?
A: You will find the list of documents that you are required to submit, along with the status of each document on the Task list at the center of the CalCentral Dashboard page. Each document will have one of the following next to it:
- Due Date- IF it has not been received
- Received- IF it has been received and is in the process of being reviewed but is not yet considered complete
- Complete- IF it has been reviewed by an Admissions Officer
You should print a copy of the FAQ and your Conditions of Admission for your records.
Q: If I am unable to meet all of my Conditions of Admission, what will happen?
A: Typically, your admission to Berkeley will be canceled. You must contact the Admissions Office using the Undergraduate Admission Update form if you believe you will not be able to meet your Conditions of Admission. The Undergraduate Admissions Update form is available to students on the MAP@Berkeley portal page. PLEASE NOTE: If you are admitted before March 28, 2024, you may not be able to submit your updates until after March 28. Rest assured, you will be able to provide your update. Thank you, in advance, for your patience. For assistance or questions, call our customer service desk at 510-642-3175.
Transcript and Test Score Deadlines
Q: How do I know which documents I am supposed to send to Berkeley?
A: You should review your Conditions of Admission at MAP@Berkeley - as well as the detailed CalCentral Task list - for a list of all required official documents and information about how to request each.
Q: How do I confirm that my documents have been received?
A: You should review your CalCentral Task list. You will see a listing of all your required final, official documents that have/have not been received to date.
Q: What happens if I do not provide all of my official documents?
A: Admitted students who fail to provide their official documents or who have misrepresented their coursework, grades, or test scores, may have their admission to UC Berkeley canceled. Please refer to your Conditions of Admission for detailed information.
Q: What makes a high school transcript official and final? May I fax it or send a scanned copy by email?
A: Fax, email, or paper copies of the official transcript will not meet the requirements. We require an official high school transcript from your school with a date of graduation, original seal, and signature. If this proves difficult to obtain, you can contact the Admissions Office at 510-642-3175 to discuss your options.
Q: What am I supposed to do if my AP, ACT or SAT tests scores are not available by July 15?
A: Berkeley acknowledges only AP scores that are 3 or higher. Reported APs with scores lower than 3 are not required as a Condition of Admission. Your AP test scores are not available on your checklist until July. If we do not receive your test scores within 10 days after the July 15 deadline you will be notified via MAP@Berkeley. If we still do not receive these scores, your admission may be canceled.
Q: Why do I have to send AP scores if I do not intend to take these courses in college and do not intend to seek college credit for the AP test?
A: Because you were admitted on the strength and truthfulness of your application, you must send us your credit-bearing AP scores. The admission of any applicant who has provided misinformation on AP exams or scores is subject to cancellation.
Q: My grades will not be available until after July 1. Will you cancel my admission to Berkeley?
Q: I forgot to have some/all of my official documents sent to Berkeley, and now it is past the deadline. Can I still send them?
Q: I am out of the country and will not be returning until after the official documents due date has passed.
Q: I have requested my official transcripts many times, but my school is very slow about providing them.
Q: My official transcripts are coming from a school outside the US, and they may not arrive by the deadline.
A: The campus allows you approximately 10 additional days after the deadline to provide all official documentation. If official documents are not provided, your admission will be subject to cancellation.
Q: Do first-year students in the Fall Program for First-Semester also have to send official documents to Berkeley by July 1st?
A: Yes. Please review your Conditions of Admissions document found at MAP@Berkeley. All admitted students must submit the documents referred to in their Conditions of Admission by the deadline(s) shown in this document.
Q: I am a new first-year, but I took some college courses. The grades that I received for my college coursework are recorded on my high school transcript. Do I still need to submit a college transcript?
A: Yes. You must also submit an official transcript from the college or university that you attended while in high school, even if the college grade is recorded on your high school transcript.
Q: I took a course/courses at UC Berkeley. Do I still need to send that transcript to you or do you already have this information?
A: If you were enrolled in a Berkeley Summer Session course we will already have your transcript information. However, if you enrolled through UC Berkeley Extension, you must request that the transcript be sent to our office.
Q: If I was directly admitted to the Fall Program for First-Semester, can I appeal to traditional fall start?
A: No. Students admitted directly to the Fall Program for First-Semester (FPF) are Berkeley students. The only difference is taking your first fall semester courses. FPF is a small, collaborative learning community for first-year students in their first semester. FPF offers smaller classes and much greater connections with your instructors, classmates, and FPF adviser. It’s like a small liberal arts college with the resources and opportunities of a large research university. Learn more about FPF.
Deferring Admission
Q: May I defer my admission to next fall?
Q: I have been admitted to the fall term. May I defer my admission to spring?
A: The Office of Undergraduate Admission reviews requests to defer admission to a future term or academic year with a compelling reason. Students who would like to request a deferral of enrollment may submit the Request for Deferment form. The Request for Deferment form will be available from May 15 to June 15, 2024. You will receive a response to your request for deferment by July 31, 2024.
Final Steps to Enrollment
Q: I am an admitted student and I do not know what I am supposed to do now. Is my admission final?
Q: When can I stop checking the website for new requirements?
A: If you meet all of the requirements in your Conditions of Admission, your admission to Berkeley is final and no longer provisional. However, CalCentral will be your main source of information, so you must check your checklist on a regular basis.
Q: Can I apply for housing before I accept my offer of admission?
A: No, you can only apply for housing after you accept your offer of admission and before the housing application deadline using your CalNet credentials.
"Who Can I Talk to About...?"
Q: Now that I am admitted, who can I talk to about the courses that I should enroll in during my first semester at Berkeley?
A: You’ll be invited through a task in CalCentral to complete Golden Bear Advising. Golden Bear Advising covers campus academic resources, an introduction to your college, and how to enroll in your classes. Please visit Golden Bear Advising for more information!
Q: Who do I talk to about a change in my courses, grades, or tests that occurred after Berkeley admitted me?
A: You should report changes to your schedule to the Undergraduate Admission Update form on the MAP@Berkeley portal page. PLEASE NOTE: If you are admitted before March 28, 2024, your admissions officer may not begin responding to form submissions until March 28. Rest assured, your submission will be captured and responded to. For assistance or questions, call our customer service desk at 510-642-3175.
Q: Who do I talk to about the American History and Institutions requirements and the American Cultures requirement?
A: The American History and Institutions requirement is a University of California requirement. The American Cultures (AC) requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement. AC courses are offered in more than 40 departments in many different disciplines. For information on how to satisfy this requirement, please visit: http://americancultures.berkeley.edu/
Q: I still have a lot of questions about my enrollment! Who do I talk to?
A: Don't worry, we have you covered. Just go to the Cal Student Central website and check out the top questions. If you cannot find an answer, you can open a case (instructions are on their website).
