<p>Thanks for helping us out, RheeL3.</p>
<p>How “provisional” is the ePal? I was quite surprised to see that the total grant aid on my page is less than what is promised by the Blue and Gold Plan. How much did it change for you, if at all?</p>
<p>^
No problem! I’m glad people are getting their questions answered! The B&G plan is a bit confusing to say the least. When I first got accepted, I was under the impression that it covered all my fees, but this is hardly the case. To be honest, I actually don’t know what it covers. As Financial Aid states, it covers the “fees” or in other words, the “tuition”. So to answer your original question, it is actually pretty accurate. To be honest, my actual award letter was the same thing…lol. Luckily because of my Regents Scholarship I was able to get a full-ride, but still not quite sure about the B&G. :/</p>
<p>@RheeL3- For your orientation, is the counselor that guides you in picking classes, planning etc, someone from your department? Or is the counselor just a UCLA representative, who doesn’t have any ties to your major? Hope my question makes sense!</p>
<p>^
Your Orientation Counselor is ususally a current or graduating UCLA student. Sometimes you get them from your major, but it’s highly doubtful. For example, when I went to Orientation, I think my OC was a Biology major. They do know their stuff though, and if they don’t, they will ask for you, so go ahead and ask all you want. If you’re wondering about your department in particular, during Orientation, they will lead you to a “table session” with someone/Professor in the department and have all of the transfer students together to explain the major, then is the time to ask questions!</p>
<p>@Rhee</p>
<p>I know you have been getting a ton of these questions but, I might be admitted for my second choice major, but want to ultimately switch to my first choice (Chemistry) once there. I have emailed and called the chem dpt, but have not gotten any responses. Do you know if they have any requirements before you can switch? (i find it odd that they would allow you to switch right when you get there)</p>
<p>Thanks for your help! :)</p>
<p>I have a similar question. I got in as an anthropology major but want to switch to cognitive science. Can I notify them & make the change online or do I need to consult the department head on campus to change my major to cognitive science?</p>
<p>Thank you very much in advance</p>
<p>To Uclahopee: When you contact any department, it will take a while. I remember emailing the Psychology department for general questions and they took a whole week to respond, and it was during summer, lol. They will get in contact back with you, but the whole “switching” of the major occurs during orientation with your OC. Before you meet one-on-one with them, let them know that you are intrested in switching to Chemistry and hopefully you’ll be able to switch! If the Chemistry department emails you back and tells you that you can switch, let the OC know what they have said. I’m not sure if they have specific requirements or not. Hope that helps a bit!</p>
<p>To mrD390: Like I said above, switching major happens during Orientation. Speak to your OC counselor and let them know that you want to switch majors. I’m assuming CS isn’t impacted, which would make it okay for you to switch.</p>
<p>Can you explain the process of getting Work study? Also, if you work on campus does that help with getting a parking permit, because I heard that was the case.</p>
<p>^
Work-Study is a great program, but I have to warn you, it is difficult to get a job on campus. I don’t remember how many times I sent out my cover letter and CV/resume and never get a response back, and I started emailing them since summer. Fortunately, I met someone and they told me that the Psychology department was hiring, and now I work for it…but it does take a little bit of time. The Financial Aid website has a direct link specifically for Work-Study and students looking for jobs. Employers on campus (sometimes off) will post these job openings and provide an email for you to send your cover letter and resume. </p>
<p>If you work on campus but are a student, that does not help with getting a parking permit because you don’t have the benefits which a full-time/career staff member has. The exception with me is that I work for the Graduate Division of the Psychology department and I have to go back and forth between places or in assisting my fellow PIs, so they gave me that opportunity, but it is not the case with most work-study students. Basically, when you are hired into a department (assuming you don’t work for the library or something) you are hired with a “Limited Career” which doesn’t give you any benefits.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the response. I emailed the Psychology department & the undergraduate advisors in the Psychology department to inform them that I want to change my major to Cognitive Science. I’ll definitely ensure that I consult the counselor on orientation day & that I seamlessly transition to the new major</p>
<p>On my provisional award under “Your ePal reflects” it says living off campus.</p>
<p>Is that normal for transfer students?</p>
<p>^
That’s probably because on your FAFSA you chose the option “Off-Campus” when you picked UCLA. If this is not the case, go back and revise your FAFSA ASAP because from what I have heard, it does make a difference in aid.</p>
<p>To mrD390: Hope everything works out!</p>
<p>Oh and I forgot this about Work-Study…: I heard from some students that once their work-study award/funding is depleted, they get the boot, if you know what I mean. Of course, it’s impossible to know which departments don’t have enough funding to have a work-study student but try to find one (I’m guessing most are clerical jobs) that will have you there for a while. </p>
<p>For example, I get paid around $15/hour and my work study award is only $2,500, my award was depleted already but the Psychology department is continuing to fund my job. </p>
<p>Hope it helps!</p>
<p>RheeL3 thanks for creating this thread</p>
<p>I was admitted to UCLA as a philosophy major (alternate). My first major is Psychology? do you know if it’s possible to switch to Psychology once admitted? or am i stuck with this major until I graduate. What are some other options? thanks</p>
<p>i’m in the same situation as kobeftw, so i changed my fafsa forms to living “on-campus”. will ucla see this revision in the future? or should i contact the financial aid office directly?</p>
<p>i was also wondering if we were able to choose which specific dorm to live in, such as rieber terrace?</p>
<p>Tell me about premed classes and advising here? How hard is it to do good? How hard is it to switch to a major like Biochemistry or neuroscience? Biochem is impacted but on ASSIST, unlike Psychology, they don’t mention that admission to this major is highly selective.</p>
<p>To KidKrasher: As a student majoring in Psychobiology and someone working for the Psychology department I can assure you that they WILL NOT consider a major change. A transfer student, even if he/she has all the pre-reqs done, etc. cannot change “into” Psychology. Unfortunately this means that you have stick with Philosophy. Are you planning to attend Graduate School for Psychology? If this is the case, let me know and I can suggest future planning. </p>
<p>To hirooo: The FAFSA site will automatically send a revised one to UCLA. How fast the Financial Aid office is able to complete your Award Letter with the updated information I cannot say because of this email I received today:</p>
<p>Students,</p>
<p>For 2011-2012, the UCLA Financial Aid Office received more financial aid applications for summer and academic year than ever in the past.</p>
<p>In order to make sure that students have access to their financial aid in time to pay their fees and cover their educational costs, the Financial Aid Office has implemented the following modified Service Counter Schedule to take effect Monday, May 2nd 2011
and end on Monday, September 26th, 2011.</p>
<ul>
<li> Service Counter Hours will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00AM - 4:00PM.</li>
<li> Our Service Counter will be closed on Thursdays for processing, but phone lines will remain open.</li>
<li> Phone hours are Monday - Friday 10:00AM - Noon and 2:00PM - 4:00PM.</li>
</ul>
<p>Thank you,</p>
<p>Financial Aid Office</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>To walleats: There is no direct “Pre-Med” major here at UCLA. Most Pre-Med students are majoring in the sciences, like myself. I cannot tell you specifically about advising because I am in AAP which is a completely different program instead of the College, it makes sense later…For example, because I am in AAP, I get advising through them. I like their full-time counselors and they actually have student peer counselors who are Pre-Med/Pre-Law who can help you out a lot. Again, it depends if you are in AAP or in the College advising.
If the major is impacted, regardless if it noted on ASSIST or not, you are probably not going to be able to switch in. However, I have heard of cases where one can switch. Check with the department and follow-up with it in Orientiation.</p>
<p>thanks for replying</p>
<p>I guess I have to stick with philosophy then :(. Yeah that is my plan, to attend graduate school for psychology @ UCLA. So yes! could you please help with the future plan so I can go to graduate school for psychology.
Are there any other majors i can switch to? cause i feel that I wont get anything out of philosophy, especially since my folks will be paying out of their pocket. so like they dont want to spend a lot of money for something that wont get me anywhere.</p>
<p>could i perhaps change to something like computer graphic design?</p>
<p>@ KID</p>
<p>The job opportunities for a philosophy major will be roughly equivalent to a degree in psychology. If anything, Philosophy being a more rigorous major as well as less common will provide you with that leg up. Regardless, Philosophy of Mind is extremely relevant to current research in psychology and cognitive science. </p>
<p>My advice: Try a Minor?</p>
<p>@zenskeptical</p>
<p>yeah, thats why I picked philosophy as my alternate, cause it’s similar to psychology. I’m still debating about what to do, but i;m definitely going to UCLA regardless</p>
<p>Hi Tiffany,</p>
<p>I’ve just submitted my SIR and I’m a MIMG major.
I wanted to know what you thought of life sci majors at UCLA. Are they do-able? Is it possible to get straight A’s at in the life sci majors? As transfer students, we’ve taken easy science prerequisites, how to the classes at UCLA compare? Can you elaborate on this please?</p>
<p>Thanks so much, I truly appreciate it!</p>