What does it mean to put down a major on your application? Are you held to that decision once you start? I’m honestly not sure if I want to be a Humanities or CS major. If I put down Philosophy is there anything stopping me from changing my mind and becoming a CS major or another major before school even starts? Why would anybody put down an impacted major on their application in LS if it’s harder to get in with?
All applicants to L&S will be considered in one big pool regardless of intended major, and all of those who are admitted and matriculate will start undeclared. Regulating the numbers who can enter capacity-limited majors is typically done by setting a college GPA threshold in prerequisite courses (e.g. L&S CS requires that you earn a 3.3 GPA in CS 61A, 61B, and 70).
If your essays are relevant to your intended major, indicate an intended major that is consistent to your essays.
Note that if you apply to CoE, the major you select is the major you will enter as if you are admitted and matriculate. In CoE, admission selectivity does vary by major. This is obviously different from how L&S does it.
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Thank you
One other question: If you apply as an engineering major but are not accepted to that major will they still consider you for Letters and Science even though there is no avenue to put down an alternative major on the application?
So if you are apply for an Engineering major in the College of Engineering and you are not accepted into that major no alternate major will be considered.
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