Since 1992, the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) - a “high-touch” undergraduate academic and student development program - has re-written the story of who can succeed in science at Berkeley and beyond. Having served over 3,800 undergraduates from high-potential majority low-income, first-to-college, and historically marginalized backgrounds, many of its members enter the University with SATs and high school GPAs significantly lower, on average, than Berkeley biology-majors-at-large.
Across all majors, underrepresented minority students (URMs) who participated in BSP had higher graduation rates than those not in BSP. For firstyear entrants, the average graduation rate for URMs in BSP is 92% compared to 83% URMs-at-large at UCB. For transfer students, the average graduation rate for underrepresented minority students in BSP is 94% compared to 89% at UCB.
Learn more about BSP program outcomes and the community below.
All Student Member Meeting Spring 2020
"Universities like UC Berkeley are set up in a way that best supports students from backgrounds similar to those who've been historically successful. I was looking to fill the gaps, to create the support that was missing at Berkeley in order to better serve the students that no one really expected to survive or succeed in science. I saw a lot of talent being wasted, so, like Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics, I went looking for that "undervalued talent" — students with the potential to be scholars."
— John Matsui |Director & Co-Founder of the Biology Scholars Program