Eligibility
Newly admitted students to UC Berkeley for the Fall semester can opt into either Freshmen or Transfer Edge by locating the “Opt-Into Freshman/Transfer Edge” task in their Cal Central “Tasks” list (can be found in the middle column of "My Dashboard" tab). See detailed instructions about how to opt-in here.
Academic Advantages
Attending Summer Sessions gives you an early start on your Berkeley experience while also offering students the chance to take courses that fulfill breadth, prerequisite, and major requirements ahead of most incoming students, learn about the campus and its many resources before the fall semester through our orientations and workshops, and build community with their peers through socials and programming events.
Students who opt into Freshman/Transfer Edge will be able to browse and choose from hundreds of courses in the Berkeley Class Schedule, taking place in any of the summer sessions (A-F). Students can sort summer courses by session, course level, major requirements, and much more to narrow down course options using the Class Schedule. Students may enroll in any summer session, however, programming activities and workshops for Freshman/Transfer Edge students will primarily take place during Sessions C and D. Note: Enrollment in Summer Sessions courses is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Summer courses are the equivalent of semester-length courses, generally condensed into a 6 or 8-week session. Students can expect these courses to run at a quick pace and cover the same amount of material they would in a semester. Due to the academic rigor of summer, we recommend students enroll in no more than two courses.
When considering which classes to take, it may be helpful to review the general undergraduate graduation requirements. Academic departments have oversight regarding course availability to students. If you have any questions about prerequisite verification and/or course availability, please contact the academic department directly.
Additional Benefits
In addition to engaging in academic study, Freshman/Transfer Edge is a great opportunity for new Berkeley students to understand various campus resources better ahead of most students and get a head start on building their Berkeley community. The program offers online pre-program and welcome webinars designed to orient students, provide academic and mental health resources, access academic advising, and share tips on course selection. Participants also have access to a series of online workshops designed to familiarize students with campus resources.