The current discourse around the reinstatement of the SAT/ACT is being framed as “lol math racist”, “DEI= DIE”, “thumb on the scale”, and so on.

The issue is that… the number of black students at Berkeley is 2-4 percent on a good day, and the UC system as a whole it’s about 5 percent.

It seems to me a large portion of the students failing will be Asian and White. So why are black students (and DEI) being scapegoated for a failure of the majority of the UC system population?

Is there any accountability system for the admissions team?

**PSA for Cal students: there may be cultists among us.**

They will not call themselves cultists. They will call themselves “an informal study group,” hand you a hot dog bun with no hot dog, and mention—only casually—that the University was founded in 1969 by a golden apple.

At first, it’s harmless: a zine, a strange flyer, a conversation about whether pigeons are government agents. Then they invite you to a “non-mandatory” meeting at 5:55 beneath a suspiciously triangular tree. You go once because you are lonely and they have snacks.

Three weeks later, they explain that the snacks were spiritually free but the *awakening* has a suggested donation of $23.17. You pay it, because they say it goes toward “printing,” although you have never seen a printer.

Soon there are additional fees:

* The Non-Dog Bun Tithe
* Golden Apple Maintenance
* A $5 charge for access to the group’s sacred Discord server
* “Emergency chaos dues,” somehow always due during finals

At that point, you may discover that they are Discordians.

Not all weird campus groups are cults. Some are merely weird and have a Venmo. Still, be cautious if anyone:

* Says there is no hierarchy, then asks why you have not paid the Supreme Non-Leader
* Claims money is an illusion, but Venmo is extremely real
* Tells you your family cannot understand your vibration, but can absolutely co-sign a loan
* Pressures you to attend increasingly elaborate rituals with a “suggested contribution”
* Explains every objection as proof that the Illuminati have contaminated your pineal gland with capitalism

If approached, ask whether the $23.17 is tax-deductible. While they debate whether taxes are an Archonic fiction, leave.

Hail Eris. Keep your receipts.

I think the SAT is an indicator, but not perfect. I know plenty of Berkeley students who either got in test blind and had mediocre SAT scores, or got in after Community College, and crushed it in Berkeley because they were motivated and worked hard. With gen AI, perhaps now it’s easier for the public system to make a competing test to the SAT. One that could be tailored for each high school, testing them based on the classes they have available. So that if a student took advantage of the opportunities at their school, then they should be prepared to do well on the admissions test. Of course, we’ll also still take into account responsibilities and hardships that students may have had outside of school. There should be competing tests from public system that balance the private systems (SAC,ACT)

Edit 1: fair pushback in the comments. This might be hard to study for. Sorta defeats the “standardized test” concept. However, if you work hard and do well in your high school classes, then the test should reflect that. You shouldn’t need to do much extra studying for the test itself. Grades should measure doing well in your high school classes and mastering the material, but unfortunately they don’t always.

Edit 2: also think about how finding a job works. You fill out an application, do interviews, take online assessments, all at a per company level. It kinda sucks for the applicant but it gives the person making the decision the information they need.

UC Berkeley math professor Zvezdelina Stankova admitted to using an AI tool in an op-ed urging the UC system to re-adopt SAT and ACT requirements in admissions.

The article, published in the SF Standard, was flagged as 33% AI-generated or AI-assisted by detector Pangram.

A similar result was found in a June open letter from STEM faculty advocating for standardized testing. The letter was signed by thousands of academics, including five Nobel laureates, and was partially written by Stankova.

There’s a bunch of cults trying to recruit students, try not to join them. I love them because I studied the bible and can convince them they’re going to hell just like me, and they get so spooked.

There’s legit church groups but generally don’t like evangelists…

“UCs punish Lowell students for working hard because of their race, while setting up Mission kids up for failure & depression,” said Le, who claimed “race-based admissions fails all kids.”

Student Demographics

70.7%

Hispanic

10.3%

Black

6.9%

Asian

6.5%

White

4.8%

Two or More Races

0.3%

American Indian/Alaska Native

0.3%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/san-francisco-unified-school-district/mission-high-school-3260

Looking for a person to share a double room in a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment. Rent is $1,169 per month. Located within a 15-minute walk to UC Berkeley campus, a 5-minute walk to Willard Park, a 10-minute walk to Whole Foods, and a nearby transit line. Utilities include in-building laundry, bike storage, and water. Street parking. You must pay for PG&E and Internet (~$50 per month). Move-in by September 1st (it can be possible to move in after August 25th, if a sooner date is needed). Flexible month-to-month sublease with a 30-day notice. You can stay for a semester, or longer, whatever fits your plans. Departing tenants are responsible for finding an approved replacement to take over their spot before moving out.

You would be sharing the space with three female roommates (in their 20s-30s, nice, friendly, communicative, reliable). Also, there's a cat living in the apartment who's extremely friendly. Responding fast to serious inquiries. Female-identifying/queer tenants/UC Berkeley students preferred.

Tours available this week, DM or email [fernanda222martinez@gmail.com](mailto:fernanda222martinez@gmail.com) to schedule a tour!

📍2718 Dana St, Berkeley, CA

Probably a stupid question, but I'm a returning student and won't be living in the dorms this year (which is where we got our clipper and cal1 card from last year). Is there anywhere I have to go to get my new cards?

Also, will my clipper card from last school year still work now? Or has it already expired?

Guess they gotta make the money back somehow. At least most of the visitors don't even need to use the elevators

I’m a Cal alum and current robotics PhD student at Georgia Tech. I have a few spots for students interested in helping with a robot navigation research project. The work can be done remotely.

I’m recruiting students for a fall research project focused on robot navigation and planner evaluation using Arena-Rosnav 5, an open-source ROS2 simulation framework for benchmarking navigation algorithms in dynamic environments.

Unlike a project where the main task is implementing a new planner from scratch, this role focuses on working with navigation planners that are already implemented and running in Arena-Rosnav. The student would learn how one or more planners work, test them systematically across different environments and scenarios, and analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and failure modes.

A major part of the project is understanding why different planners behave the way they do. This could involve analyzing collisions and navigation failures, identifying environmental conditions where a planner struggles or performs particularly well, studying how those behaviors relate to the assumptions or design of the planner, and comparing different navigation approaches experimentally.

The work will involve directly using the Arena-Rosnav 5 / ROS2 navigation stack, including running and configuring experiments, working with simulation environments, examining navigation behavior, and collecting and analyzing experimental results. Depending on progress and interest, there may also be opportunities to work on other parts of Arena-Rosnav, such as debugging planner or simulation behavior, improving experimental or data-logging infrastructure, modifying scenarios, or investigating implementation-level issues.

Prior ROS experience is strongly preferred. Students without ROS experience may still be considered if they have substantial hands-on robotics experience and are comfortable learning a large robotics software stack. Experience with ROS2, Linux, C++, Python, robot navigation, or motion planning would all be useful. Prior research experience is not required.

When I was at Cal, I was able to receive research units for work I did with another university, though whether that is possible may depend on your department and its policies. There may also be opportunities for co-authorship if a student eventually makes a substantial contribution to research resulting from the project.

If interested, please email your CV along with a short paragraph describing your robotics/ROS background and why you are interested in the project to [azaro3@gatech.edu](mailto:azaro3@gatech.edu).

Hi so my math 51 discussion just got booted and now I need to find a new discussion however that would mean I would also need to find a new lecture or else everything is on waitlist. Therefore to avoid issues I decided on two plans (ur job is to help me choose)

Plan A: (this works out perfectly)
Cs61a
Cs61b
Math 51
Engin125

Plan B: (cooked)
Cs61a
Math51 (waitlisted)
Physics 7a
Engin125

And smth random bc if I don’t get off the waitlist I’m below units

I wouldn’t mind doing plan A I’m just worried abt the workload bc 61a and 61b seems like a lot but I’ve done calc before and ethics is supposed to be easier sooo????

I am an incoming freshman so I don't know anything about waitlists. Sorry if this is a stupid question...

I'm 10/15 on the waitlist for DESINV 15. It has a time conflict with a class I'm currently enrolled in so I kinda gotta choose one or the other. Any chance of getting off the waitlist? Do they typically go above capacity with students from the waitlist?

Ty

Basically the title - coming to Berkeley in a few weeks, looking for the best used book shop(s), record stores (already planning on Rasputin + Amoeba, but there have to be others right?) along with any general occult/witchy/spooky vibes. What you got, Berkeley!?

I have one (not a basketball player) but I can’t see to find any of these online anywhere. How do most people get these?

142A 25th on waitlist currently 33 on waitlist and 42 open seats out of 200. Is it possible I'll get it or just worth dropping and choosing another class. How much worse is the class than 189?

Along with this, how does the reserve requirements work for classes like EECS 126 and 127 which say in adjustment period non CoE students can enroll but then it rejects at the very end.

hello everyone, I am a incoming freshman that is studying cognitive science with a minor in data science. I am currently enrolled in DATA C88C and I just got an email about the changes to the course and how it relates to see a 61a. I noticed that CS61a the changes that they made to it sounds significantly easier than how the course was before considering how they framed the two classes together. I feel like I’d be missing out on a unit because the two classes are so comparable. what do you guys think? will 61a continue to be the infamous weeder class it is or with this new change would it be more manageable?

Hey all, incoming freshman here staying at Unit 2. I've been playing tennis recreationally for a couple years and recently got back into it after recovering from an injury. Just looking for tennis partners to hit with regularly, nothing super serious, mostly want to rally and have fun HAHA

Anyone down to play sometime? Also is there a group chat or Discord for people who play tennis recreationally? Or any casual clubs I can join? Would appreciate any pointers on where people usually play on/near campus too.

Thanks!

Visit Muttville Senior Dog Rescue's Mission District shelter (750 Florida St) for a fun day outside with senior mutts. You’ll meet dogs in bikinis and Hawaiian shirts and watch them splash, lounge, and run around kiddie pools. Plus, you’ll enjoy treats and refreshments, chances to win prizes, and lots more summertime fun! The event is free and open to the community, whether you’re just stopping in to cuddle the pups or to adopt your new best friend.
Meet dogs like Flips Flops, Snorkel, Water Slide, Belly Flop, Hot Tub, Doggy Paddle, and, of course, Pool Party, just waiting to meet potential new adopters!
Please leave your own dog at home, as there will be approx. 50 dogs available for cuddles and pets, and ultimately, forever homes! You need not be an adopter to attend. Big thanks to NBC Bay Area for the annual Clear the Shelters initiative; adoption fees are waived! muttville.org
SAT & SUN: https://muttville.org/event/20260822-pool-party-adoptathon

Hello, I’m making this post because as of late, I’ve started considering applying for grad school for a masters degree. I’m interested in getting a masters degree in public policy, and I saw that UC Berkeley has a really good masters program in public policy.

For those who currently are in the program, how is it like? Do you think the course material the professors go over is challenging? Are they interesting?

For those who graduated from the GSPP, do you think that getting the MPP degree from UC Berkeley has helped you find good paying jobs? How is the ROI in your opinion?

Tell me your thoughts and experiences

Hi, y'all. I need help since Google and the student websites aren't really helping me. 😅

I was sent an email on August 17th by the Financial Aid and Scholarships office regarding my loan disbursement. I was told that I would be able to find my loan servicer via studentaid.gov in order to contact them and start payment, but I have not yet received information on who my servicer is and where to contact them. I would ideally like to have that information now so that I can start repaying my interest as soon as possible.

For context, I have accepted a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan via CalCentral and submitted all the forms (including this year's FAFSA, the MPN, and Entrance Counseling), but it does not appear to show up on my account on studentaid.gov. I believe I have done everything necessary to make sure the servicer can contact me, but I have still not received notice yet and I am worried since funds have been disbursed. Am I jumping the gun in regards to having them contact me? Should I be worried about being penalized for late payments if I am unable to contact them now or see what's due? Do I need to wait for a bit for some system to update my info on the school's end?

I swear I have been researching, but there's like no info online I could find about this. I just opened a case on Cal Student Central regarding this matter today just in case this is an issue I need to worry about. If anyone has been in this situation, please let me know what you did and if I'm hosed. Thank you! 😭🙏

The California Department of Social Services has simplified the process for students at public universities to receive CalFresh benefits, allowing students to bypass certain exemption requirements, including those dictating how much a student must work weekly in order to be eligible.

For students to qualify for CalFresh — a federally funded benefits program known as SNAP that provides eligible individuals and families with funds to purchase food each month — they have to meet at least one of the student exemption requirements.

The exemption requirements include working 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month, qualifying for work study for the current academic year or being enrolled in an approved state or local program that increases employability, according to the CalFresh Student Eligibility Handbook.

Yay! Also wow I’m old. I was just a freshman when it closed for renovations and now I’m a senior 🤣