Have you ever worn a wet suit? Or eaten fruit cocktail? Well, both were the creations of the ingenious minds at University of California – Berkeley. The admissions department at UC Berkeley (“Cal”) is seeking the kind of student who wants to “challenge the status quo without an attitude.” UC Berkeley happens to be the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement.

Although 80% of the 26,000 undergrads on campus are from California, this #1 ranked public research institution is on a quest to recruit talented students from other states and abroad. The opportunities for exploration within UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) are plentiful. Some of the recent undergrad research opportunities included, “Richard Nixon: America’s Last Liberal President,” “Environmental Impacts of Food Safety Governance,” and “Griddle: Video Gaming for Power System Education.”

Here are some other facts to consider about UC Berkeley:

• Located just a 20 minute BART ride from San Francisco
• 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with 73% of undergraduate classes having fewer than 30 students
• The Mark Twain Papers are part of the special library collection
• Six tenure-track professors live with students as part of the Resident Faculty Program
• Undergrad students interested in the Haas School of Business start their four years in the College of Letters and Science and then transition to the business school

Although Berkeley is a large institution, a storied 146 year tradition gives it a vibe of familiarity.