Hi, would applying as an undeclared to competitive engineering programs (Michigan, Cornell, GaTech, USC) put me in a less competitive applicant pool. I know that at UC Berkeley, applying as an undeclared is extremely difficult to gain acceptance because then you can declare whatever major you want. Is the same at the schools above in parentheses? Would it be to my advantage to apply to college of engineering as an undeclared if I have not established myself as extraordinary in a certain field? Or should I apply to a less selective engineering at that school, then transfer into the one I want?
Thanks
^This. Some colleges, if you get rejected from the program you first apply to (say, engineering), then you can have a backup program as a safety net. It totally differs per college, though. UCB is pretty strict about it, if I recall.
I wouldn’t be so quick to try to get into the school with an “easy” major, and then transfer. These transfers are by no means guaranteed, and require a very attractive freshman year GPA.
For UCB, “undeclared” can mean different things.
If you apply to and are admitted to College of Engineering undeclared, you can freely choose a major in that division later. However, if you apply to *College of Letters and Science/i undeclared, it is very difficult to change into a College of Engineering major later.
It is very hard to switch majors at highly competitive schools. If you decide to go in undeclared to raise your chances and then want to go into an engineering major or other competitive majors, there is no guarantee you’ll be happy with the outcome.
I think the question I needed clarification on (I should’ve been more thorough in my explanation) is whether or not applying undeclared lowers your chances. I know at Cal engineering, undeclared are admitted at a lower rate. Is this true for most engineering schools? @ucbalumnus @jennacwa @mohammadmohd18