Is it a hard major? I was think B.S or B.A in it but I’m not sure yet. B.S because it focuses more on neuroscience which I like but I think that’s harder to get into because they see STEM grades. But how hard is overall though?
Psychology is a very popular major so it can be impacted at many colleges meaning more qualified applicants than spots available along with a higher # of applicants, meaning more competition.
It will all depend upon what schools you are targeting. Some colleges admit directly into the major, while the majority will admit you into the college/university first and then you declare your major later.
BS vs. BA doesn’t really matter so much. Some colleges only offer one or the other. At colleges where each is offered, it’s not necessarily true that the BS focuses more on neuroscience - the difference varies depending on the college. At UW, for example, the BS is designed for students who want to focus on research in any area of psychology, with the goal of preparing students for graduate study. The difference is more math and statistics classes and at least a semester of undergraduate research. Lehigh’s difference is similar, with a similar explanation - the BS is intended as rigorous preparation for scientific graduate study.
At some colleges, the difference is more natural science classes but not necessarily more neuroscience classes. At other colleges, the difference is simply in number of credits in the major - the BS requires more concentrated study in the field, whereas the BA allows more flexibility for double majoring or exploring other areas through electives.
The good news is that many schools that have both a BS and a BA in psychology explain the difference and include a guide to choosing between the two on their website. And you can always chat with an advisor about it.
I was a psychology major in college. My opinion is that it is not a very hard major at all, but it does depend on the university you go to and the way the major is taught in the department.
In general at UVa, it is not hard to be accepted into a major within the College of Arts and Sciences. There are some small programs (including some interdisciplinary ones) that are more selective.
In most cases, you are not allowed to declare a major until your second year, after you take a couple courses in that major and a couple prereqs. The requirements to enter and complete each major are listed online, such as the following:
http://psychology.as.virginia.edu/undergraduate-handbook
I know a woman who recently received both a BA and a BS at the same college in psychology at the same time, but I think that is rare.