Breaking Down the UC Berkeley Meal Plan & Dorm Housing Prices

today I break down the UC Berkeley meal plan options (Blue, Gold, Ultimate) and explain the on-campus dorm housing prices for traditional and suite-style living!
Interested in having a Berkeley student read your college application essays? Check out Study Hall College Consulting at shcollegeconsulting.com!
add me on Instagram if you wanna! / xrachel_lin
Video Contents:
00:00 - Introduction
0:43 - Meal Plan Options
1:17 - Blue Meal Plan
3:23 - Gold Meal Plan
4:46 - Ultimate Meal Plan
6:03 - Dorm Pricing
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music by bensound
intro by taylor layman
If you are new here, hi! My name is Rachel and I am currently a senior at UC Berkeley where I am double majoring in cognitive science and legal studies. I am originally from Maryland!

[@rachel_lin]

Applying to UC Berkeley? Check out Study Hall College Consulting at shcollegeconsulting.com! It’s a team of myself and other UC Berkeley students where we specialize in reviewing college application essays and consulting 1:1 with students and parents. We also have a blog on our website where we post weekly tips and tricks! 📚🌟

[@alondrac]

you have the most helpful and insightful videos. thank you!!

[@rachel_lin]

alondra c thank youu, it means a lot 😋🥰

[@belair5009]

0:42 Meal plans (general) 1:17 Blue meal plan 3:23 Gold meal plan 4:47 Ultimate meal plan 6:02 Berkeley Dorm housing prices (general) 6:34 Traditional room prices (Clark Kerr, Stern, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3) 8:13 Premium traditional room prices (Blackwell) 8:47 Mini suite prices (Unit 1, Unit 2) 9:07 Suite prices (Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Clark Kerr, Foothill, Stern)

[@jacquelinedalmada3939]

i love u

[@dannyontiveros940]

I've been watching your videos for months and I can't believe I'm just now finding out you're from Maryland too!! I was accepted into class of 2025 and you've been so helpful in helping me make my decision to commit to Cal :)

[@rachel_lin]

Omg yay MD!! Congratulations I’m so excited for you! 🎈🎉🍾 Thank you so much for watching 🥰 go bears 🐻

[@user-mk6zk4ce3v]

I AM A FAN RACHEL I LOVE YOU SO MUCH SO MUCH FROM ALGERIA KEEP CONTINUING YOUR VIDEOS LOVE YOU LOVE YOU SO MUCH ❤️❤️💕❤️💕

[@rachel_lin]

نَـــجْـــمَـــة،.awww thank you so much that really means a lot , you’re so sweet 🥰🥰

[@senalda4706]

Thank you so much for this

[@rachel_lin]

no problem! thank you for watching :))

[@Jangoora]

Ok can I just say thank you so so so much! Just got accepted and was so confused ( wasn't expecting to get accepted) you have my Indian Hindu blessings and wishes!

[@rachel_lin]

Aw thank you so much Kartikeya!! Your comment has made my day 🥰🥰 congrats on your acceptance! Super excited for you!!

[@leslie9722]

Thank you so much for all these helpful videos, it helped a lot since I’m gonna be a freshman this year and I was feeling so lost!! Your personality seems amazing too ❤️ Also, are suites the only dorm rooms with their own bathrooms inside the room? :)

[@rachel_lin]

Aw thank you so much, it means a lot! Congrats on Berkeley!! Suites and apartments have private bathrooms, otherwise, the traditional style dorms all have the large communal bathrooms that the floor shares! go bears!

[@kaylatherianos-park4552]

first off, thank you for all your uc berkeley content - you don’t know how helpful these videos are! secondly, do u have any info on what dorm building is most common for transfer students?? i know they are set to open the new helen filler apartments but just to prepare myself if i don’t get placed in that i wonder what my backup options should be

[@rachel_lin]

Thank you for watching! Congratulations! Martinez Commons and Channing Bowditch were some other good options that transfers/older students live in.

[@ghadiaoun5534]

Thank you! The video was really helpful💪 i wanted to ask if i have the right to purchase a meal plan if i live off campus

[@rachel_lin]

Ghadi Aoun yep! If you live off campus you can still purchase a meal plan!

[@danieljang3032]

this was so helpful!! thank u :) what benefits do u get as an RA?

[@rachel_lin]

Daniel Jang as an RA we get housing and a meal plan 😋

[@JohnAK72]

Tnx very helpful

[@rachel_lin]

Thank you!! 🤗

[@salamahsalamah5356]

I wanna study both legal studies and Cog Sci! Can u do a video on it ??:)

[@rachel_lin]

hey hey! I have a video where I talked about changing my major and how I ended up with Cog Sci and Legal Studies, if you want to check that out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2i4iZ95ebipoMk. Let me know if you have any questions about declaring or anything! Thanks for watching :))

[@randomnessy12]

Thanks so much for this! Extremely helpful. You said in the beginning that you were an out-of-state student. Just wondering if you are paying full price for the out-of-state tuition or were you able to land some scholarships to bring your expenses down? Also wanted to ask how far exactly are these dining halls from the main campus and typically how long do students travel from the dorms/dining halls to wherever their lecture halls are?

[@rachel_lin]

Thanks for watching! There are probably scholarships you can find to help bring the cost of college down. Additionally, the work-study program is another good option. For me after freshman year, I became a Resident Assistant (RA), so I worked in the dorms, and as compensation for this job, we get housing and a meal plan. Regarding your second question, check out my video about breaking down the housing options: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpe9daZomJKGocU. In the video I point out where the dorms and dining halls are located in relation to campus. I would say that I would always give myself at least an hour for a lunch break so that I could walk from class to the dining hall and then back to class with enough time... especially sometimes there are long lines in the dining halls. So I would typically spend 20-30 minutes eating but then time-wise spent 45 min with walking. Hope this helps!

[@randomnessy12]

​@@rachel_lin thanks so much for all the info! you've been very helpful. i'm still choosing which university to transfer to, but i'm 95% sure i'm gonna SIR to Cal. Thanks again!

[@popcorncat123454321]

Thank you, this was super helpful! Does foothill only have suites or does it have traditional doubles as well?

[@rachel_lin]

Thank you!! Foothill only has suites, but you could get a double room within a suite. See the housing website, housing.berkeley.edu/foothill, under bullet point 2: Single, double, and triple rooms arranged in suites that vary from three to eleven bedrooms. Hope this helps!

[@popcorncat123454321]

@@rachel_lin thank you so much!

[@kristydinh7402]

Thanks ❤

[@rachel_lin]

Thanks for watching! 😀

[@navy8274]

For the mini suites, where are the bathrooms/showers? And is there any common area or kitchen like outside of the room? or somewhere else in the building?

[@rachel_lin]

Navy Raul the mini suites- usually the bathroom/shower is between the two rooms. In the high rises, there is usually a kitchen on the ground floor for everyone in the building to use. The suites have a little lounge area with couches and a little “kitchen,” which is like cabinets and a sink but no stove or burners. Hope this helps!

[@emilygonzales235]

thank you!! and i have a question, how exactly does the does the payments works? sorry im just a senior at high school and have no idea to wich college to apply or how exactly does the system works.

[@rachel_lin]

Thanks for watching Emily! If you are living in the dorms at your college, you would typically pay for Tuition and Room/Board at the beginning of each school year. For example, my college was broken into two semesters a year - Fall and Spring, so we would have to pay to attend before those semesters began. Hopefully that helps! The college application process is hard to figure out, so definitely let me know if you had any other questions! :)

[@annikafuhrer4051]

Can you use regular money like a credit card at the cafes as well or just flex dollars?

[@rachel_lin]

Yeah! The on-campus cafes accept credit cards as well 🤗

[@Leo-rb9sp]

Random question but usually what dorm is usually the highest in demand by Berkeley freshmen? Is it first come first serve or as long as u submit ur application by the deadline? When is the deadline to find a roommate?

[@rachel_lin]

Leo Luong as long as you submit the application by the deadline, you’ll be entered into a random lottery and then assigned housing based on that. I think you have to request a roommate when you submit the housing application. Otherwise, the questions you answered on the application will match you with someone. Hmm, I feel like Blackwell and Clark Kerr are usually chosen a lot. But also Unit 1 is probably a lot of people’s first choices too. Hope this helps!

[@StephanieBP]

Hi! you mentioned a dorm that's triple not having bunk beds so how are they organize??

[@rachel_lin]

Stephanie Barillas the triples that I’ve seen at Clark Kerr that don’t have bunk beds, had 3 beds and 3 desks on the ground.

[@Amariellah]

Can you take your food to go? Or do you have to eat at the hall

[@rachel_lin]

Pre-covid, you would have to eat all of your food in the dining hall. There were to-go boxes, but those were reserved for Resident Assistants only. However, students would "take" food out of the dining hall by bringing their own Tupperware in. With in-person classes resuming, they may allow all students to grab to-go boxes if students don't feel comfortable eating in the dining halls right now.

[@fashionxs3218]

I am going to berkeley this summer for the LLM (Law) and i was wondeering if the food is good. I gain weight pretty easily so i eat quite healthy. Is the food any good? Or should i just get an apartment style dorm

[@rachel_lin]

Congrats on the LLM program!! I ate at the dorm dining halls all 4 years and liked it because of the ease. I have a video on my channel showing what I eat in a week at the dining halls so you can see some of the food: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foaTkqeXrdmaers. The dining halls also post their menus online every day, so you could check this out and see if you like the food that they serve: caldining.berkeley.edu/menus/. You could apply for the apartment style dorms so you could cook for yourself but then also buy a smaller meal plan option so that you can also eat at the dining halls on days you're busy! Hope this helps!

[@joannet5278]

hi! you mentioned that it’s harder to get a double than a triple in the units, if i’m applying for a double w a roommate in mind will i be able to stay w that roommate even if we’re put into a triple?

[@rachel_lin]

You should be able to! Make sure to request your friend on the housing application so your applications get connected together. I would recommend putting the exact same housing choices on your and your roommate's housing application to help increase the chances. So if all the doubles you chose are full by the time you or your friend's housing application comes up, then it would be able to hopefully keep you together during placement.

[@joeyp1927]

Nice jacket. Is this only for Clark Kerr? I have never seen pullovers like this at the Cal bookstore, online or on campus. Btw I never lived at Clark Kerr but had a meal plan and since I lived on Piedmont, it was closest.

[@rachel_lin]

Yes, it was our CKC hoodie for being a Resident Assistant, so specially made for RAs and can’t be purchased 🥲 the CKC meals were good, especially brunch! 😋

[@joeyp1927]

@@rachel_lin Awww, too bad. I've noticed that departments and clubs make some of the best gear. Though the Berkelium T-shirt from Nuc finally made it to the online store. Best conversation starter when you're far from Bear territory: we're the only school with an element named after us, and we have TWO! Anyway I always liked the vibe at CKC, it was like a different campus (well, it literally has it in the name!)

[@royaltyivy684]

I have a question when your a Freshman can you move into the apartments on campus or that’s only when your a sophomore

[@rachel_lin]

The apartments are prioritized/reserved for older students, so highly unlikely you would get an on-campus apartment freshman year!

[@gengen4799]

is there a way to dorm in the apartments and be able to add the blue meal plan?

[@rachel_lin]

Yes! If you live off-campus or in the university affiliated apartments, you can still purchase a meal plan to eat at the dining halls! Some friends did this so they didn't have to meal prep and cook all of the time - definitely saves time and stress!

[@bobbylim6035]

Hi as incoming freshmen can I book with Blackwell does it have room for only one person thanks for your video very informative

[@rachel_lin]

Hi Bobby! Yes, as a first-year, you can put Blackwell down in your Housing Application as a choice for where you want to live. However, since Blackwell is open to first-years and continuing students, getting a room at Blackwell can be very competitive. There are single rooms in Blackwell, but those are mostly prioritized for the hall staff and students with accommodations/health reasons. For more information on Blackwell, check out the housing website here: housing.berkeley.edu/blackwell-hall. For more information on other Berkeley housing options, check out this video of mine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpe9daZomJKGocU. Finally, for a Blackwell dorm tour, check out this other video of mine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npqQqnard8Shq9E. Hope this helps!

[@bobbylim6035]

Hi Rachel thank you very much

[@danielhodde]

I was accepted for class of 2025 and likely committing. I’m also interested in Cog Sci and was wondering how it has been for you to have another major with Cog Sci. I’m thinking doing Cog Sci and Comp Sci

[@rachel_lin]

Congratulations on Berkeley and committing!! Cog Sci and Computer Science is a fairly common double major because a lot of the classes required to graduate overlap. So I definitely recommend doing a double here! For me, I double majored in Cognitive Science and Legal Studies, so the required classes did not overlap. That was probably the hardest part because I would need 4-5 classes a semester to graduate on-time. If you wanted more information about the Cog Sci major, I just filmed this video about my experiences - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5LReIh5mruXoKs. Hope this helps!

[@danielhodde]

@@rachel_lin that’s really helpful thanks so much!

[@moarmystayengene3058]

LOVED IT LOVE YOUR CONTENT CAN I PLEASE HAVE A SHOUTOUT🥺

[@rachel_lin]

thanks alea!! shoutout to you for always being one of the first people to comment :) I appreciate it!

[@moarmystayengene3058]

Rachel Lin AWW THANK YOU YOU ARE THE BEST:)

[@saeedzidanms5377]

are the costs for the meal ( dollar 5300 ) and the housing costs per month or per year ?

[@rachel_lin]

Hi Saeed! I believe the meal plan cost listed on the Cal Housing website is for the entire year (fall and spring semester). Here is the website - housing.berkeley.edu/rates-contracts-policies/rates/. Hope this helps!

[@TC-tv3sw]

can the meal swipes and flex dollars roll over to the next semester?

[@rachel_lin]

Good question! The meal swipes will not roll-over week to week or between semesters. However, for the flex dollars, those will roll over between your fall and spring semester (you must spend all the flex dollars by May 15, 2022 for the upcoming school year). For flex dollars, it used to be only 100 would roll over between fall and spring, but it looks like they changed this to any flex dollar amount can roll over between fall and spring - from this website: caldining.berkeley.edu/meal-plans/21-22/important-dates/. Hope this helps!

[@samihashukonna586]

So if I want a double mini suite with the blue plan, that would be a total of $18,165 yearly right?

[@rachel_lin]

I currently can’t find the old rates of Berkeley dorms, since they may change from year to year. Right now with COVID, Cal Housing is only offering single rooms, you can see these prices here: housing.berkeley.edu/rates

[@LisbethYArias]

Hi! Is housing price per year?

[@rachel_lin]

Lisbeth Arias hello! Yes, they are for the full school year!

[@user-mk6zk4ce3v]

I really hope you can shoutout my name Rania on your next video I can't wait 😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️

[@rachel_lin]

😻😻نَـــجْـــمَـــة،. ْ !!!thank you Rania

[@user-mk6zk4ce3v]

@@rachel_lin 😭😭😭😭you deserve more

[@jiamingzhang147]

This year on housing.berkeley.edu/rates converted triples and doubles are apparently the same price?

[@rachel_lin]

Yeah! With the pandemic, it looks like they have converted some triples into doubles. So in regular times, the rooms used to be for 3 students (triple), but now will have only 2 students (double). On the website, the double and converted triple are the same price because it is a double - so you would live with yourself and one roommate. They are essentially the same thing. Hope this helps!

[@jiamingzhang147]

@@rachel_lin oh now it makes sense, thanks!