The new policy at UC Berkeley, while optional and limited this year, has triggered much debate at other UC campuses and high schools around the state about the value of such letters and whether they hurt or help the chances of public school students.

Adding even optional recommendations to all UC applications "would be a sea change," said Stephen Handel, UC's associate vice president for undergraduate admissions. Upcoming deliberation will have to measure the usefulness in admissions decisions against concerns that a change might "inadvertently disenfranchise certain students from even applying," he said.

Unlike most private universities and some public schools, UC generally has not asked for recommendations in its main undergraduate applications. It relies instead on high school grades, standardized test scores, personal essays and a review of students' accomplishments and personal challenges.

UC Berkeley had planned to ask, but not require, all undergraduate applicants this fall to submit two letters of recommendation, including one from a teacher. But that idea sparked opposition statewide and was reduced in scope, probably to about what a faculty leader estimated will be 20% of the application pool. Berkeley says it wants to adopt the practice next year for all applicants.

Supporters say a recommendation letter can boost the chances of a deserving student whose test scores don't fully reflect his or her achievements and who did not have help from parents or private consultants in writing personal statements.

Critics question the letters' worth in predicting college success and say they can reinforce advantages of well-connected students and those who attend private high schools with small classes and ample counseling staff.

The proposal arose from UC Berkeley's faculty Senate to help admissions officers make increasingly difficult choices — only 17% of the 78,923 applicants were offered admission this year.

With so many students submitting stellar grades, it is important to tell whether they have the personal and academic skills "to survive in a very competitive and very large university environment," said Panos Papadopoulos, who chaired the Berkeley Senate during the plan's approval.

Others in UC worried that Berkeley's idea broke systemwide policies and would confuse applicants since students often use the online application to apply to several UC campuses at the same time.