<p>First off, is this even possible? If it is, does it help improve one's chances at all? Is there any advantage to doing it?</p>
<p>It depends on the campus. For UCLA, if you apply to Letters and Science and are undeclared, it makes no difference at all. However, each campus is different, and your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>only uc davis claims that applying undeclared has an effect on your admissions (doesn't specifically state whether for the better or worse).</p>
<p>why would the UCs be so vague about this?</p>
<p>Applying undeclared can shut you out of impacted majors forever. You can't show up at Cal and decide to be an engineering major.</p>
<p>
[quote]
DK writes: only uc davis claims that applying undeclared has an effect on your admissions
[/quote]
that's funny, it says the following right on the ucla website:
[quote]
Freshman applicants to the College of Letters and Science are reviewed without regard for major. Therefore, no College of Letters and Science major (including Undeclared) is more or less selective than any other.
<a href="http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/fradms.htm%5B/url%5D%5B/quote%5DAnd">http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/fradms.htm
[/quote]
And</a> the Berkeley website says
[quote]
For applications to the College of Letters and Science, Natural Resources and Environmental Design, no consideration is given to the indicated major in the review process.
<a href="http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/freshmen.asp?id=56&navid=N%5B/url%5D%5B/quote%5DI">http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/freshmen.asp?id=56&navid=N
[/quote]
I</a> bet you can find something similar at every other UC</p>
<p>thanks guys, so what should I do? I dont have the best stats but i have a high sat (2280) and i'm not sure what i want to do in college...will applying undeclared BOOST my chances? i wont end up doing engineering for sure...there a way i can indicate this to the colleges while enjoying that "boost" in my chance (since i'm applying undeclared)??</p>
<p>I think only UCB engineering department you will be shut out. I have a friend whose D applied to ucla as a transfer student in Women studies, she got in and changed to CS major. It took her 3 years and she graduated last year.</p>
<p>As an added note, it is possible to get into the College of Engineering at Berkeley, if you applied undeclared. But it won't be as easy.</p>
<p>What I would do is pick a major that isn't career-specific. For instance, you can major in Math, Physics, or Economics. That way, you will be employable, but if you decide later what you want to do, your credits will transfer a little easier than if you took random classes.</p>
<p>TruthfuLie,</p>
<p>No, it won't boost your chances. Please read the posts and what some of the schools have said:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Freshman applicants to the College of Letters and Science are reviewed without regard for major.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>major interest only counts for specialized programs, like engineering, theater, music, etc. L&S does not care (unless you mark math major and only have a 450 on SAT math).</p>
<p>bluebayou,</p>
<p>
[quote]
Freshman applicants to the College of Letters and Science are reviewed without regard for major.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>sorry, I didn't catch that last phrase to be related to undeclared, but now I get it. thanks </p>
<p>but on the application if there's an essay with the prompt: Explain why you think you are a good candidate for your indicated major. </p>
<p>what would I say if I'm applying undeclared?</p>
<p>I dunno. My gut told me to declare a major and my parents (what do they know?!?) thought that if I picked some really obscure, under-represented major, I'd have a better chance. Well, I don't think I picked anything really obscure or under-represented, but I went with my gut and did pretty well in my acceptances, and picked majors I thought would be really interesting.</p>
<p>The only reason that the question's even on there is because a few of the schools within the universities care.</p>
<p>In the grand scheme, you just talk about who you are using the essay. The point isn't for you to map out your entire life's plans. It's to show the adcoms that you are an interesting and dynamic person.</p>
<p>Beatchick,</p>
<p>You just did well because you did well. Congrats!</p>
<p>truth, you could say eventhough you have not decided on a major but these areas are your interest and list the reason why. That should be sufficient. Colleges know students change major. They are merely looking for another way to get to know who you are, not so much as what your major is.</p>
<p>UCLA - yes, but I also know some UC readers well, and they are clear in their personal assessments -- it's only human nature -- to think otherwise is folly.</p>
<p>It's, at best, a marginal issue. I suspect that most readers (and I know some) expect students to change goals. They're really trying to gauge how involved in the process the student is.</p>
<p>no, i'm serious, uc davis stated explicity (though i forget where) that applying undeclared is considered in the admission's process.</p>