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Should I apply for an obscure major at an UC and then transfer to stem?
The low acceptance rates at UCs for stem majors is daunting and I would like to know if applying for an obscure major would be a good idea.
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Brian’s Answer
Hi Anthony,
Great question and will elicit many different opinions. As a UCB alumnus (non-STEM, but did change colleges from L&S to Haas), my 2-cents
1). Highly competitive STEM programs like UCB EECS are oversubscribed so very hard to transfer into. Doesn't mean it is impossible, it just means you have to plan it (e.g. talk to an adviser on process) and fulfill the requirements (i.e. have high grades in pre-reqs). It can be done because people do drop out of the program after the 1st year
2). UCB as an example, College of Engineering and Bio-engineering are very hard to get into, but some majors are not as popular (like Civil Engineering, IEOR) so if you are in L&S, you may be able to get into the College of Engineering via that route. Talk to an adviser on process
3). STEM majors really depends. At UCB (like most UC's), STEM majors like Biology, Chemistry, Physics are in the Letters and Sciences, so you don't need to change colleges and can actually, very easily, change majors. For example, if you apply as English but then really want to do Biology (Integrated or general), you can declare a major change easily so long as you fulfill the major requirements.
a). CAVEAT - if the major is impacted (capped enrollment), then it is much harder to transfer into (best example is Molecular Cell Biology, a very popular pre-med major) but not impossible. Talk to the department adviser for tips on how to successfully transfer.
b). Some schools have TWO exact same majors but in different colleges. At UCB, Computer Science is in L&S and Engineering, with College of Engineering combining EE and CS. Also, the College of Chemistry has Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, whereas L&S is just Chemistry (the difference is in L&S Chemistry, you get a BA, in College of Chemistry, you get a BS).
For most UC's (and CSU's), you apply for a college (L&S, Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, etc.) and declare a major once in the college. So best thing to do is find out which universities you want to apply to and then which college within the university best fits your academic and career goals.
Great question and will elicit many different opinions. As a UCB alumnus (non-STEM, but did change colleges from L&S to Haas), my 2-cents
1). Highly competitive STEM programs like UCB EECS are oversubscribed so very hard to transfer into. Doesn't mean it is impossible, it just means you have to plan it (e.g. talk to an adviser on process) and fulfill the requirements (i.e. have high grades in pre-reqs). It can be done because people do drop out of the program after the 1st year
2). UCB as an example, College of Engineering and Bio-engineering are very hard to get into, but some majors are not as popular (like Civil Engineering, IEOR) so if you are in L&S, you may be able to get into the College of Engineering via that route. Talk to an adviser on process
3). STEM majors really depends. At UCB (like most UC's), STEM majors like Biology, Chemistry, Physics are in the Letters and Sciences, so you don't need to change colleges and can actually, very easily, change majors. For example, if you apply as English but then really want to do Biology (Integrated or general), you can declare a major change easily so long as you fulfill the major requirements.
a). CAVEAT - if the major is impacted (capped enrollment), then it is much harder to transfer into (best example is Molecular Cell Biology, a very popular pre-med major) but not impossible. Talk to the department adviser for tips on how to successfully transfer.
b). Some schools have TWO exact same majors but in different colleges. At UCB, Computer Science is in L&S and Engineering, with College of Engineering combining EE and CS. Also, the College of Chemistry has Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, whereas L&S is just Chemistry (the difference is in L&S Chemistry, you get a BA, in College of Chemistry, you get a BS).
For most UC's (and CSU's), you apply for a college (L&S, Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, etc.) and declare a major once in the college. So best thing to do is find out which universities you want to apply to and then which college within the university best fits your academic and career goals.
Updated
Ann’s Answer
I agree with the answers above - certain STEM majors may be competitive to get into / transfer into. I would encourage you to talk to a college counselor at each of the UCs as well as a coordinator/counselor of the major you are getting into to understand how you would be able to transfer into STEM if you decide to switch majors. Usually, there are departmental counselors that can provide you advice on how to get into the major or transfer over. Certain majors at the UCs have GPA requirements to stay within the major (e.g., business economics, etc.) so pleases look into GPA requirements as well to stay within majors. Hope this helps and best of luck in your applications!
Updated
Priya’s Answer
Hi Anthony,
Good question! It really depends on the college you are considering. For many colleges, certain STEM majors such as engineering are very competitive due to high application rate so it's extremely hard to transfer into them. In that case, it would be better to stick to a college you already have been accepted into for STEM even if it may not be as prestigious. However, each college is different so I would suggest looking at all your options and doing research on competitiveness for each one. Also, if you have a decent GPA then I think applying for STEM at your target colleges would be a good idea.
Good question! It really depends on the college you are considering. For many colleges, certain STEM majors such as engineering are very competitive due to high application rate so it's extremely hard to transfer into them. In that case, it would be better to stick to a college you already have been accepted into for STEM even if it may not be as prestigious. However, each college is different so I would suggest looking at all your options and doing research on competitiveness for each one. Also, if you have a decent GPA then I think applying for STEM at your target colleges would be a good idea.