<p>I was recently admitted to berkeley for civil engineering. After much thought, I've come to the conclusion that I am better suited following a pre-business or econ track. After researching, I've discovered that I have to remain in CE during my first semester and follow the prescribed rigorous coursework. While I realize that the courses taken here can count to any major in L and S, I am worried that the detrimental effect this semester will have on my gap will put me at a disadvantage for haas admission. Can anyone who has been in this situation shed some light. Will haas recognize the harder classes I took during my first semester or will they look at my gpa which will most likely be lower as a result of my semester in CE</p>
<p>The suggested first semester courses for a civil engineering major would be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Civil Engineering 92 – 1 unit seminar that might get you interested in staying in civil engineering.</li>
</ul>
<p>And four of the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Math course (see <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/1305840-freshman-math-faq.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/1305840-freshman-math-faq.html</a> ) – whatever you take can be applied to the economics or business major.</li>
<li>Chemistry 1A/1AL or 4A and/or Physics 7A – either one counts as a physical science in the L&S or business 7-course breadth requirement.</li>
<li>Reading and composition course – can be applied to the R&C requirement for the economics or business major.</li>
<li>Humanities and/or social studies courses – Economics 1 and UGBA 10 count for the CoE breadth requirement and for prerequisites for economics and/or business. Other courses can be counted to the L&S or business 7-course breadth requirement.</li>
<li>Engineering 7 (if you are in Math 1B or higher) – not helpful to the economics or business major.</li>
</ul>
<p>So it is not like you will be “wasting” a semester’s worth of courses if you change out of civil engineering into intending economics or business.</p>
<p>While I realize that I won’t be wasting my first semester at all. Won’t that be a very challenging first semester compared to mos other pre-business students? I don’t mean to give the impression that I have an aversion to hard work, but won’t my gpa take a beating?</p>
<p>Most of the courses would be the same ones that pre-business students have to take anyway. The exception would be Chemistry 1A/1AL or 4A or Physics 7A, as pre-business students would likely take something easier like Physics 10 to fulfill their physical science breadth requirement. But if you are good at math and science, that should not be that big a deal for you.</p>
<p>Note that the economics major just looks at GPA in prerequisite courses to the economics major, so grades in breadth courses like Physics 7A or Physics 10 would be irrelevant for admission to the economics major. The business web site does not make it obvious whether they care about grades in prerequisite courses more than in other courses.</p>