Should I apply to Berkeley? Please help.

[etaylor10]

I finished college with a 3.38, scored a 172 on the LSAT, and have limited community service experience.  I'm applying to a bunch of schools and I'm wondering if I should toss an application Berkeley's way.  Cal is probably my top choice if I can get in, for location alone. 

A little insight is appreciated.

[gillesthegreat]

For what it's worth, I was 3.37/171 (167+175), with a PhD from Berkeley. They turned me down.

[etaylor10]

For what it's worth, I was 3.37/171 (167+175), with a PhD from Berkeley. They turned me down.

That's kind of what I was seeing.  It seems that my numbers just aren't quite up to par (mostly in the GPA).  More so than most of the top 10 schools, Berkeley seems to put a real emphasis on the UGPA.  Thanks for the insight.

[Matokah]

If Berkeley is your top choice (and you have the money to apply), I'd say go for it.  I'm just in the opposite boat with a higher GPA and a not-so-Berkeley-stellar LSAT.  Originally I wasn't going to apply, but I figured I'd be mad at myself and always wonder "what if?".  In the long run, I'll be glad to have spent the money to know for sure.

[Groundhog]

I'm worried about the GPA end of my application, as well.

[FossilJ]

No.

TITCR

[Groundhog]

No.

TITCR

Actually, I agree. Less competition! 

[pinkytrc]

WHY NOT!  Go ahead, what's the worst that can happen?  I mean, if you look at Harvard's stats, someone got in with a 150-something score!  You'll never know unless you try.  So unless you want to be really upset later when you drive past the school and think damn, should've applied...just go for it!  10 years down the road you won't miss the $, but you may miss that you didn't try.  Good Luck!

[etaylor10]

I don't buy this post.

Care to expound?

[etaylor10]

Are you really not sure if you should apply to Berkeley, or do you just need to have people tell you that you have a great chance of getting in so you will feel better about applying to Berkeley. Someone with your GPA and LSAT should be smart enough to figure out whether or not you should apply on you own, unless there are some factors outside your numbers that make you question whether or not you should apply. I'm assuming there are no other factors, since you didn't mention any. As a result, I don't buy that this is a legitimate question. Rather than asking "Should I apply to Berkeley? Please help." You should be saying "I want to go to Berkeley, and I need someone to tell me I'm going to get in. Please help."
[/quote]

It's an honest question.  It seems to me, based on calculators, LSN, etc. that I do not have a very good chance of getting in to Cal.  I do appreciate your opinion though.  I suppose I'll go for it and see what happens.