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Families

Congratulations to you and your family on your student’s admission to UC Berkeley! And, welcome to the Golden Bear family. You should be very proud of your student’s extraordinary achievement. 

What do parents/supporters need to know?

For you, Cal Parents is a great resource to connect with parents of Berkeley students. Check this page for upcoming parent events. 

Everything that a student needs to know is in their MAP@Berkeley portal. We encourage parents and other supporting family members to review this information with their student. Here are some of the most important documents. 

Conditions of Admission

All UC Berkeley offers of admission are conditional. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions finalizes a student’s admission once all final requested documents are received (transcripts, test scores, etc.) and we verify that the student’s transcripts match their application and that the student maintains satisfactory academic progress through their spring term. Please remind your student to check their application email (and their Berkeley email once they create it) for updates and reminders. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Many questions are answered in the student’s MAP@Berkeley portal where we include frequently asked questions (FAQs). We include some of the top questions and answers on this admit site, but we recommend taking time to review the entire FAQ list in MAP@Berkeley.

Financial Aid

If your student is receiving financial aid, the financial aid award letter will be accessible through Cal Central once it’s available.

Important deadlines

May 15 – Deadline for first-year admits to accept their offer of admission to Berkeley
May 16 – Priority deadline for all first-year admits to apply for housing
June 1 – Deadline for transfer admits to accept their offer of admission to Berkeley
July 1 – Deadline to submit all final documents

MAP@Berkeley vs. Cal Central

Students receive their admission notification in MAP@Berkeley. Additionally, they will review their conditions of admission, frequently asked questions, and any other important letters in MAP@Berkeley. After reviewing the admission decision letter, MAP@Berkeley gives the student access to Cal Central. Students will go to Cal Central to accept their offer of admission, review the financial aid award letter, sign up for newly admitted student events, and see the deadline for final admission documents. After the student accepts their offer of admissions, they should check their MAP@Berkeley portal and Cal Central frequently. Cal Central will later be the student’s main academic portal – the place where they view their academic record, review future financial aid awards, etc. 

Mandatory TB and immunization program

All incoming and re-admitted students must satisfy Tuberculosis (TB) screening and immunization requirements as mandated by the UC Office of the President (link is external) prior to the start of their first semester. Failure to comply by the deadline will result in a late fee and may block your enrollment in classes for the following semester.

For more information on the requirements and the deadlines visit uhs.berkeley.edu/requirements. If you require assistance with the compliance process, please contact us.

Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

All registered students at the University of California are required to meet the university’s health insurance mandate. Registered UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) as a way to meet this mandate.
Berkeley SHIP is a comprehensive major medical insurance plan, providing medical, counseling, prescription, vision and dental services. All students can use the Tang Center, whether you waive SHIP or not.