Applied to UCLA under incorrect (and very competitive) 1st choice major- Please help!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
1

<p>So I applied to UCLA, which is my dream school, under 1st choice major Human Biology & Society (BA) and 2nd choice Anthropology. The first program is pretty much a combo of Bio + Anthro but I just found out today that it is EXTREMELY competitive... someone on another CC thread posted that their counselor told them only FIVE-TEN freshmen get accepted into this major. I honestly feel like crying because I think I totally wrecked my chances of getting in. I would have also completely been fine with the Anthropology major, especially since it's easier to get into and is just lacking the biology aspect, which would've been nice, but I don't mind too much.</p>

<p>I also found out UCLA doesn't look at your alt major unless you're a TAP student--which I'm not-- and my stats are good but not outstanding so there's no way I could be one of 5 accepted into the HB&S major. Is there anyway I can call/contact the campus and have them switch the 1st/alt majors on my application? </p>

<p>UCLA is honestly my dream school and with my stats I think I have a pretty good chance of getting in, but I feel like applying to this major just completely took away any chance I had. </p>

<p>Please help! Advice/suggestions are extremely appreciated, i'm desperate right now.</p>

2

<p>According to UCLA’s 2012 transfer statistics, 5 out of 52 were admitted for the B.S. For B.A., 12 out of 34 were admitted if that helps. From those statistics, I would assume you have a SLIGHTLY better chance since you applied as B.A., not B.S.</p>

3

<p>Are you a high school applicant? I wouldn’t worry too much about it. The HB&S major is under the College of Letters and Science, and UCLA doesn’t admit by major, they admit by school (e.g. applying in the School of Nursing vs School of Engineering is much harder to get accepted than College of Letters and Sciences). So you would have had the same chance if you had put yourself as a Anthro major. When you enter UCLA as a freshman, you are not a major, you’re a pre-major. You won’t be able to declare until the end of your sophomore year, which is when you just able meet the requirements for the major.</p>

<p>If you’re a transfer, then you can disregard my previous message. I am not sure what the policies are like for transfers.</p>

4

<p>Yes, I am a high school applicant. And that’s what I keep hearing, but isn’t it much more difficult to get accepted into impacted majors? (Which I’m assuming the HB&S major is) I know that UCLA’s “official policy” is that they don’t admit by major, but surely impacted majors have a smaller chance?)</p>

<p>I didn’t know that information about being a pre-major and declaring at the end of your sophomore year, though. That does make me feel a little better, thanks for the info.</p>

5

<p>Like I said, if you are a high school applicant, UCLA does not admit by major. You are admitted by school/college. HB&S is part of the College of Letters and Sciences. Therefore, your chance of admission would be the same as any other major within the College of Letters and Science (e.g. Economics, Chemistry, English, History, Political Science, etc.)</p>

<p>It doesn’t matter if the major is “impacted.” What you are not understanding is that even if you are admitted as a HB&S major, you are technically not in the major yet. No student within the College of Letters and Sciences enters a major directly. You have to be a pre-major because you haven’t taken any classes yet. I suggest you look up a random major at UCLA and look at the pre-requisite courses you need to take before you can even consider applying for a major. You need to take all major pre-reqs with a passing grade before you can declare. Only certain majors are considered competitive for admission (e.g. Business Economics, Communications). You only apply for majors once you’re an actual student. Your choice of major has nothing to do with your admission to the university, UNLESS you are applying for a different school/college. Again, this refers to colleges within the university (e.g. College of Letters and Science, School of Engineering, School of Nursing, School of Theatre Film and Television).</p>

<p>This is from the HB&S page:</p>

<p>"All students intending to major in Human Biology and Society must complete Society and Genetics 5 with a grade of B or better. They may then enroll as premajors. After completing the premajor requirements with a minimum grade-point average of 2.9 or better, students must submit an application for admission to the major at the undergraduate counselor’s office in 1308 Rolfe Hall.</p>

<p>Admission to the major is granted only after successful completion of all lower division requirements. Enrollment in the program is limited. Admission to the major is by competitive application, using student courses, grades, grade-point averages, and personal statements of interest as minimum standards for consideration. Students should consult the undergraduate counselor in 1308 Rolfe Hall about the application process."</p>

<p>Do you see that? Admission is based once you are already a student. They will look at your UCLA GPA (not your high school GPA), the UCLA courses you took, and personal statement to enter the major (not your high school personal statement to enter the university).</p>

<p>Source: <a href=“http://registrar.ucla.edu/catalog/catalog12-13-423.htm[/url]”>http://registrar.ucla.edu/catalog/catalog12-13-423.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>

Post #3 laid it all out for you. But if you believe the “official policy” isn’t the actual policy, that UCLA is lying when it says that it doesn’t pay any attention to intended major, then there really isn’t much anyone can do to reassure you. This is the kind of thinking you find in conspiracy theorists, always convinced the conventional understanding is wrong (and that they know the hidden factors) no matter what anyone says to them. Giving links to official pages like the UCLA catalog twists into evidence for the counter view, just another example of how they are trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes.</p>

7

<p>I’m pretty sure that I was directly admitted as a Chemistry major, and not a pre-major…</p>

8

<p>Only for some majors does UCLA admit you to pre-major status. They are the ones with the superscript 1 in this list. <a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Majors/Majors.pdf[/url]”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Majors/Majors.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;