HI. I was recently admitted into Cal Poly Slo for Bio-resource/agricultural engineering, which isn’t exactly in the college of engineering, it’s in the college of agriculture. Nothing against them, it’s just the field of my major is a little constricting and I’d like to do something like general/industrial engineering WHICH is in the college of engineering! THIS is a dilemma as you can see. Can someone please mentor me on whether or not its feasible, if even possible, to switch into the college of engineering? I read up on cal poly’s change of major policy regarding engineering, and one of the requirments are that you must have been eligible for the targeted major (the one you’re trying to switch into) at the time of admission. I’m worried that if I go, and i get denied my change of major then i’m just going to be stuck!
I got into UCSC, UCR, CSULB, all for engineering and I was waitlisted at UCB, and UCI. Opting in on the waitlist and will take either one if i make it, but I need to commit ASAP. I know Cal Poly is a great school, and I don’t want to step away from it so easily if I have an opportunity to become a SLO engineer. I also don’t want to jump the gun and get screwed over. Can someone please help.
If anyone is on the same boat, please feel free to rant with me.
Maybe just give them a call tomorrow morning.
Yep, call. It is harder to get into the CENG than it is to switch within the CENG. A switch is not guaranteed and can be related to how qualified you were to get into the CENG in the first place. Call the CENG.
I’m in the same position I applied for architecture and instead got into my alternate major landscape architecture when I called and asked why I was told it probably was because my major was full. Landscape architecture interests me but I’ve always dreamed of being an architect. I’ve talked to people who have made the switch and I’m heavily considering cal poly slo. It really sucks that cal poly its more difficult to switch majors while UC students change their majors so easily
Did you get agriculture as a second choice and get denied engineering or are u changing mind?
At the recent open house the president responded to a question related to this topic. For obvious reasons switching into engineering is tougher than others. Essentially if you are trying to switch early (during first year) your HS grades and scores show u could have gotten in engineering, then u are in luck. Otherwise tough luck
@HSscience I got into BRAE as my first choice, but I would like to switch. I don’t know if I was qualified based on HS- I have a 4.3 and 1800 SAT. What pains me is that I wouldn’t know if I would be qualified unless I actually go:/
You won’t know until you go, but if you do, IE would be the most likely switch. BTW, they make it hard to switch for the exact reason you are conflicted about. They don’t want people trying to get into harder majors by gaining admission into the university through easier majors. If that’s the intentional risk you took, then it’s really on you to decide if you want to ride it out or not.
What was your math subscore and did you take subject tests(I cant remember if Cal Poly Looked at subject tests or not but whatever)?
Poly only looks at CR an M sub scores (English and Math for ACT) and not subject tests at all.
BRAE requires all the same (and difficult) support classes as all the majors in CENG. It is actually the only major outside of CENG that will have you taking all the right classes (other than your actual major classes) for change of major into CENG. Many students transfer out of CENG as it is the biggest “exporter” of students a Cal Poly, and so there will likely be openings within CENG after a couple of quarters of freshman year. If you can make good grades in the support classes that others are failing, you should have a good chance to change your major into CENG.
@eyemgh @ralph4 I have committed to Poly already, I love the school, and I couldn’t pass the opportunities i have their. It’s a gamble I know, but if there’s even a 1% chance I’m going to be a better engineer because of it, why not. I think at this point, I would just like to be assured on whether its possible. I’ve researched the process extensively, and read upon pages on Google, and studied my flowchart. BRAE does have the same support classes which is great for me, because I assume signing the ICMA (if approved) would be a little more easier. What’s bugging me is that BRAE is an actual engineering major, but CENG doesn’t exactly recognize that, which I get, but still, BRAE students will be challenged similarly to some majors in CENG.
I really want to switch into EE and do Officer Candidate Training for the air force after college (i think it’s my calling), and trust me, I will attempt to do so at all costs, especially since I will most likely be in debt (haha). I read upon the policies, I have to maintain a 2.5 average in MATH 141, 142 (or 143 if i already had ap credit in 141), and PHYS 141 and CHEM 124. It seems doable, but I won’t underestimate it. My biggest worry however, is the first step of the process! “Students must have been eligible for a given target major upon entry”. By the end of my senior year, I should be on the way to leaving with a 4.4 GPA, and God knows I’ve worked hard for it. My worry is they’re going to turn my request down simply because of my SAT score, which I personally think is a ridiculous indicator of whether I could survive course loads or not. I’m willing to appeal it at all costs as I’ve reiterated. I’ve been seeing a lot of your replies @eyemgh ) on College Confidential, and what I can take from it is that I should start day 1 during WOW to meet with advisers.
It would be super comforting to know if anyone has done it, or if it happens on a regular basis. I’m pretty strong, and very, very passionate about calculus, physics, and sciences and their applications to humanity in general (much like every prospective engineer, I realize that) but I’m in a little bit of a panic. Part of me is praying I make the wait list at UCB for college of L&S because they actually have a CS major in that college, though it is obviously no easy trek.
I’m sounding desperate at this point, because I am essentially lol.
@leaguelegendplay, have you tried calling CENG and talking to someone there about it? We can all make guesses and suggestions, but we won’t be the folks who decide.
@berkeleymom4 Yeah, I was talking to someone who appeared to be a student aid working, and he was reassuring. He told me Change of Major was common, and students do it all the time, but he was being a little ambiguous as well. I’ve been in contact with an adviser from CENG and she was explaining the process, but again, with a little ambiguity -which I expected to an extent. They can’t really give a solid answer until the student ACTUALLY is enrolled, which is kind of annoying, but understandable.
They’re ambiguous because every case is holistically reviewed, so there is no easy, binding answer. As for CP GPA required for transfer, those are minimums. The better you do at Poly, the less relevant your SAT will be.
BTW, I don’t know if the CSUs communicate with the UCs, but within the UCs you will get denied or possibly rescinded if you bail on your prior commitment to chose another later.
@leaguelegendplay I currently have a child in his 3rd year a CP who started in BRAE and changed his major to Aerospace Engineering. His SAT (CR+M) was 1420, IIRC, but I don’t know if CP ever looked at that when he was on his ICMA. It definitely can be done. The most important thing will be to make good grades in the ICMA courses.
@eyemgh Being on the wait list, I’m told I can cancel an SIR, IF i make the wait list that is -which im not anticipating of course.
@ralph4 This is very reassuring. I’m self studying physics at the moment in order to have at least an understanding better than one my physics teacher taught me in HS so that I can at least try to compete in the support classes. I’m very excited, yet nervous to start building my future, but, as I anticipate, there are obstacles of which I must overcome and stay optimistically realistic about.
Hi man, I am in the same situation right now. I applied as a food Science major in Cal Poly and I am eager to know whether I will be able to switch from College of agriculture to the college of engineering. My SAT is 1120/1600 and I have a 4.15 GPA.