Students must send a photocopy of their most recent STAR test results (from 2008, 2007, or 2006).

If a student has not taken the STAR test, we accept photocopied results of other achievement tests if they report national percentile scores. Examples of acceptable tests are listed below. If a student has taken a test that is not on the list, it is still admissible if it has national percentile scores and if it is from the last three years. We do NOT accept the College Board SAT or PSAT.

On the average, successful applicants have scored at or above the 90th percentile on their standardized achievement tests (both the mathematics and reading tests). Examples of frequently used standardized achievement tests that report national percentile scores:

CAT - California Achievement Tests CTBS - California Test of Basic Skills ERB - Educational Record Bureau (CTP4 or ISEE) IOWA or ITBS - Iowa Test of Basic Skills

PLAN SAT - Stanford Achievement Test (NOT the Scholastic Aptitude Test) SSAT - Secondary School Admission Test Terra Nova

On the average, successful applicants have earned an overall academic grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 on a 4-point scale. Some students show a disparity between their mathematics and verbal test scores, or have received an atypically low grade in a particular subject. Neither of these situations should be a deterrent to application. However, the program is less likely to meet the needs of students with a very wide spread between their mathematics and reading scores or between their test scores and overall academic GPA.

These are not hard-and-fast selection criteria, but rather are general guidelines. In selecting students, the overall profile of each student is considered carefully. One characteristic all students must have in common is the motivation and commitment to work hard and consistently in the Program.

(The following is an example of an actual Teacher Recommendation Form. A blank form is included in the application download.)

Dear Teacher:

Your current student who is requesting that you fill out this recommendation form is applying to attend the 2009 Summer Session of the Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) at UC Berkeley. ATDP offers summer classes to academically talented students. Receipt of this form is essential to the student's admission to the program. The student's application will not be evaluated until the ATDP receives this form.

Instructions: Below is a list of nine behaviors that are associated with academic talent and creativity. Please rate the student named above on each of these behaviors. Please elaborate on your ratings and provide additional information about the student by using the Comments section on the back of this page. For each behavior described below, circle one of the four ratings (NA=Not Applicable, Rarely, Sometimes, Frequently). Based on your observation of the student's behavior during the time that the student has been/was in your classroom: Circle "NA" if there has not been an opportunity to observe this behavior; circle "Rarely" if you have observed this behavior once or twice; circle "Sometimes" if you have observed this behavior more than once or twice but not regularly; and circle "Frequently" if you have observed this behavior regularly.

1. Becomes absorbed in intellectual activities and resists distraction.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

2. Possesses extensive knowledge about a specific area of interest.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

3. Makes up games and activities, or shows ingenuity in using everyday materials.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

4. Is able to transform material from one mode of expression (e.g., written, oral) into another mode of expression (e.g., pictorial, musical, dramatic).

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

5. Asks insightful and unusual questions which show a grasp of the concept underlying the issue or situation at hand.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

6. Works on a task or problem until it is completed.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

7. Takes on challenging tasks which are complex and difficult.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

8. Generates many unique ideas or solutions to questions and problems.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

9. Adopts a systematic strategy for solving problems and can change the strategy if it is not working.

NA

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

Please provide examples or additional information about the student's academic or creative abilities. Thank you very much for your assistance.

We would like to know about your participation in school or community activities as well as your non-academic interests.

This information will help us make decisions about course placement. Please respond on a separate sheet of paper. For each area indicated below, please list (a) the activities in which you have participated, (b) how many years you have participated in each activity, and (c) any leadership positions you have held. Areas you may include are:

• school/academic activities
• athletic activities
• community activities (e.g., scouting, youth organizations)
• visual and performing arts (e.g., drawing, dance, music)

Students are required to submit either an essay based on a topic in the application form, or samples of intellectual products they are particularly proud of, e.g., essays, poetry, science reports, computer programming projects, or architectural designs.

Instructions:

A. Submit a piece of work you completed since September 2008 and of which you are especially proud. While the work may have been done for a school assignment, it need not have been. You may submit a work in any academic subject such as: an English essay, a social studies report, a science project, or the printout of a computer program you have written. Your product should show original thought and be long enough for you to develop your ideas. The product you submit need not be in the same subject area for which you are applying. We cannot return your work, but we accept clear photocopies in place of originals. While you may submit photos or drawings in support of your work, they may not be submitted in place of the actual work itself.

The following is the actual essay topic in the application for the 2004 summer session:

B. Write a well-developed essay of no more than 1,500 words on one of the two topics below. You may either write in ink on lined paper, or type or use a word processor. Take time to consider the topic in depth, organize your answer, and give your essay a title. Write your name in the upper right hand corner of each page. Staple the pages together but do not staple them to the application.

QUESTION 1. While the internet offers an immense amount of information, there are inherent problems when middle school and high school students use it on their own as an educational resource.

• How should students separate opinion from fact in their research, and how do they reconcile conflicting information they might encounter?
• What are other academic problems arising from conducting research on the internet?
• What is your personal view of unsupervised internet use for research?

QUESTION 2. Interview 3 or 4 friends and family members of approximately your age to learn about their career aspirations and life goals. Summarize your findings, being sure to state the number of interviews, the ages of those interviewed, whether they are male or female. Use fictitious names.

• From your interviews what seem to be the most important considerations for your friends in planning for the future?
• Thinking about yourself and your own plans, in what areas do you agree or disagree?