What extracurriculars does UC Berkeley look for in computer science applicants?

UC Berkeley does not have a fixed list of extracurriculars that computer science applicants are supposed to have. What matters more is evidence of real engagement, initiative, impact, and intellectual curiosity, especially if your activities show how you explore computing beyond just taking classes.

For CS applicants, strong extracurriculars often include meaningful coding projects, hackathons, robotics, app or web development, research, internships, teaching coding, contributing to open-source work, or leadership in a CS-related club.

That said, you do not need every activity to be CS-related. If you have non-CS commitments like music, debate, sports, a job, family responsibilities, or community service, those can absolutely help if they show discipline, leadership, consistency, or character. A student with a few deep commitments usually comes across better than someone with a long but shallow list.

If you already have coding projects, focus on making them specific and substantial. It helps if you can show what problem the project addressed, what technologies you used, whether anyone actually used it, and what you learned from building it.