Did accepted student day at UC Berkeley yesterday…..
Very interesting. Admissions told us that UCB had an overall acceptance rate of 10% and 5% for Engineering. Hilliest campus I’ve ever been on. Beautiful day. A bit chaotic. Eclectic is a fair description. It definitely had a vibe. My kid said he liked it way more than he thought he would.
18 Replies
3mo
Or is it built above grade? That last photo makes it look like it is almost below grade relative to the surrounding area.
(In response to this post by CrystalCoveHokie)
3mo
(In response to this post by CrystalCoveHokie)
3mo
...structure above grade.
(In response to this post by JoesterVT)
3mo
construction. I remember visiting Duke and UVA stadiums with same in ground construction.
** Edited by 89HOKIE at 4/19/2026, 6:30:32 PM
(In response to this post by MP4VT2004)
3mo
400' above ground, held in place by gigantic marijuana buds and coke snorting straws.
I actually do know - or did know now that they're all dead - good pals on the VT faculty over the last 10-12 years I was in the 'burg and they all were Berkeley grads. Smart as hell.
(In response to this post by MP4VT2004)
3mo
And please, don't take that as some sort of negative comment. An exceptional kid like yours should explore all his options.
But in my mind, when the USNA sent the invite I'm kinda surprised he's still looking. It's obviously not for everyone....but if it was enough for him to jump through all of the hoops during the application process there I'm surprised it wasn't over at that point.
Again, coming from a guy who's been average to very slightly above average his whole life, so your mileage will definitely vary....
(In response to this post by CrystalCoveHokie)
3mo
He was recently awarded a very competitive and selective national security critical language scholarship by the US State Department for Chinese language and cultural immersion in Taiwan for the coming academic year. He should return with a high level of Mandarin fluency. He has decided that this is the route he will take for the next year.
I’m not completely sure where this will lead us on the college front. We are still trying to determine options and planning. More knowledge is better. Thus the trip to Cal……Which we were told at least 10 times yesterday is the #1 public university in the US.
(In response to this post by JoesterVT)
3mo
I was above average at everything except geography.
Good luck to him!
How does this year abroad affect the colleges? Everybody good with sliding him to the next year? In this unique situation, will the Naval Academy just slide him to the next class or will he have some hoops to jump through?
(In response to this post by CrystalCoveHokie)
3mo
His medical clearance, which was a pain in the butt, is good for 2 years. He would have to otherwise reapply. We are still trying to figure out the process on the civilian side of the equation.
I’m not unhappy. The State Department program is a one-time opportunity. It has real value. At least in theory everything else is on the table. And he gets another summer as an ocean lifeguard. And he’ll be here at home until September. And it’s him making adult choices. Big ones.
(In response to this post by JoesterVT)
3mo
(In response to this post by CrystalCoveHokie)
E
EDGEMAN
3mo
At least I think he received his first degree there...
(In response to this post by CrystalCoveHokie)
