<p>I'm torn over which major to apply to. I really like programming, won an international web building competition, and took a data structures course at Cornell over the previous summer and got an A-. And I'm pretty much 98% sure that I want to be a software engineer.</p>
<p>I'm OOS for Cal (coming from Virginia) and my SAT's are kinda low (2080) but I've calculated my UC GPA to be 4.40. Cal really is my dream school though but I don't know which major I should apply to.</p>
<p>I like math (but not so much physics) so CoE and EECS are appealing to me, but I'm afraid my chances aren't high enough. I'm also thinking about a math minor. </p>
<p>Is there a purely CS major in CoE that I can apply to, or is CS only offered at L&S? How much arts/language do you have to take at L&S as opposed to their science/math courses, as compared to the program at CoE? </p>
<p>If you're not into physics, then you're better off taking CS in L&S. Standalone CS is not offered in the CoE, but there's no difference between CS in EECS and CS in L&S. The only difference is the name on the degree, which is B.S. for EECS and B.A. for L&S.</p>
<p>You'll take the same CS classes in L&S as people from EECS, and you'll be taking more humanities courses because of the L&S breadth requirements in contrast with CoE's emphasis on engineering classes. I recommend you go the L&S route.</p>
<p>What are some of the L&S breadth requirements - humanities, foreign language, things like that? Could I perhaps just focus on math/science for my courses?</p>
<p>Everyone in L&S is admitted as undeclared. L&S students usually declare their major at the end of sophomore year. L&S CS is no longer impacted -- that little piece of information is outdated.</p>
<p>As for EECS vs. CS, I'm in L&S CS right now, and I personally am very science oriented (at least. I'm far from humanities-oriented). However, I'm really enjoying the variety L&S offers. CoE pretty much pigeonholes you into taking Physics and EE courses (ie. Signals and Systems). I know that these classes are interesting and highly valuable, but I really enjoy being able to take geology classes and branch out to integrated biology. I'm not really sure what I'm getting at, but I just enjoy the freedom of taking whatever I feel like taking. I'm sure there's an equally, if not more, compelling argument against this, but these are my two cents. </p>
<p>On a sidenote, I hate some of the breadth requirements, but I'm planning on finishing the ones I don't like two at a time at a CC over summer. Quick and easy.</p>
<p>You should check computer science if you're applying to L&S. It really does help adcoms since high school applications span so many interests that adcoms have a hard time understanding an applicant's focus. </p>
<p>Once you get accepted (knock on wood), you need to declare a major after you complete 60 units if you're in L&S. It's basically signing a piece of paper and turning it in once you finished the prereqs.</p>
<p>Haha yeah, I guess, but this info is useful when I'm deciding if I should apply to Engineering or L&S, which I think I'm going to do the latter because the "humanities" stuff in L&S doesn't look too constricting.</p>