Why Choose FPF?
Here are nine reasons why should you spend your fall with the Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF).
1. FPF prepares you to excel at Cal. UC Berkeley research has shown that FPF students acquire exceptional academic skills in our program. FPF students do as well or better academically than their fall-admitted peers.
2. FPF students are eligible to live in campus residence halls. Although housing is not guaranteed, FPF students may apply to live in UC Berkeley residence halls. There are also privately owned dormitories near campus that house UC Berkeley students and offer a good option for FPF students. Find out more about Berkeley housing options by reading the campus' Living at Cal Information Guide and FPF's housing page.
3. FPF offers many of the same courses as UC Berkeley does for first-semester students. Begin spring semester with a full semester of UC Berkeley-equivalent courses under your belt. FPF courses meet graduation requirements for a UC Berkeley undergraduate degree. All FPF coursework, units, and grades are automatically transferred to Cal at the end of the fall semester, making for a smooth transition to campus in the spring.
Grades earned in UC Berkeley Extension's Fall Program for Freshmen are computed as part of the UC Berkeley grade point average (GPA). Students must maintain a minimum overall C average, or 2.0 GPA, in FPF coursework, or their spring admission to UC Berkeley is subject to cancellation. Every year the majority of FPF students matriculate to UC Berkeley in the spring.
4. FPF courses and instructors meet UC Berkeley academic standards. Because FPF courses and instructors are approved by UC Berkeley's Academic Senate, courses in the FPF curriculum are directly equivalent, both in rigor and content, to those offered on campus. In addition, many FPF instructors have taught or currently teach similar courses on campus.
5. FPF follows the same academic schedule as UC Berkeley. Our classes follow the same academic semester schedule as Cal, with classes beginning on Wed., Aug. 27 and ending Wed., Dec. 10. Both programs hold final exams Dec. 13-20.
6. FPF provides the educational and social benefits of a small college. With just 650 students, FPF is able to offer small classes and an intimate teaching environment. Instead of lectures of 400 or more students, FPF lectures are no larger than 75, with many even smaller. Most instructors also conduct their own 25-student discussion sessions, providing students with more individual attention and quality instruction. In addition, the small-school setting allows freshmen to build a close network of peers for studying and socializing.
7. Most students attend at least one class in a UC Berkeley campus classroom. All FPF Reading & Composition (R&C) courses are located on campus, giving students a chance to familiarize themselves with the physical layout of Cal and campus life.
8. FPF students benefit from UC Berkeley student services. UC Berkeley Extension and FPF have a close partnership with UC Berkeley and many of our student services are integrated. FPF students are eligible to apply for UC Berkeley dorm housing, obtain a Cal Photo ID and use campus libraries, use the Recreational Sports Facility (for a fee), receive financial aid, join student clubs, and more.
9. Spring-admitted College of Engineering (COE) students can also benefit from attending FPF. The general academic requirements for UC Berkeley's COE program differ somewhat from the College of Letters & Sciences, and our program offerings accommodate many of those differences. COE students can read more about how FPF can prepare them for COE classes in the spring.
Note: FPF may not be able to offer appropriate level coursework for IGETC graduates. Please see our Academic Requirements page for more information. Generally, however, spring-admitted transfer students should wait until spring to begin at Cal.