<p>I applied to UCLA with a declared major of Electrical Engineering and was admitted.</p>
<p>I applied to Berkeley with an undeclared major in the Letters and Science department and was admitted.</p>
<p>These are my top two choices for schools, and I'm having trouble deciding. I believe that I do wish to study Electrical Engineering, and I am well aware that it is much better at Berkeley. However, I did not apply to Berkeley under that major, and therefore have decreased my chances drastically in getting into their engineering department (or so I hear).</p>
<p>Would it be wisest for me to pick UCLA solely for this? Or should I take the chance and attempt to switch into Electrical Engineering at Berkeley? Another possible option is for me to instead study Computer Science at Berkeley, which IS offered in the Letters and Science department except that I would receive a Bachelor of Arts rather than Bachelor of Science degree. I read in a handbook that they admit about half of the students that apply into the Computer Science major in the Letters and Science department.</p>
<p>I am not quite sure if I will be able to maintain good grades once I'm in college, therefore making it difficult for me to choose. Berkeley's engineering is way better than UCLA's, but perhaps it'd be wiser to take the safer route and go to UCLA for Electrical Engineering and work hard so that I may possibly get into a better graduate school.</p>
<p>I've considered other factors beside just the major/education, but it seems like this is the most dominant factor in my choice now. I don't mind either of the campuses, although most of my friends in high school are going to Berkeley.</p>
<p>Thanks for offering advice if you do. I appreciate it because I want to make the right choice now so I don't get screwed later.</p>
<p>Well also don't look at where it is easier but grad school requires a good education too. If you think you could handle Berkeley, try it. I don't know GPA or year requirements for transfers but I bet they have to be in the 3.0 range. Check out the websites too.</p>
<p>Switching from L&S to EECS is pretty hard. You have to take a few tech courses before you apply (CS61 series, maybe start Physics 7 series, start/finish the whole math series), and they usually want a 3.5 or above. I don't know too much about it, but I've heard rumors that sometimes, they'll only accept around 10 transfers. But those are rumors.</p>
<p>CS in L&S isn't nearly as hard to get into, and if you're going more for the CS part of the EECS, you might even be better off there.</p>
<p>It is very hard to switch into EECS at Cal as it has a large number and does not need any more. They said at an info session that about 10% of those who apply to switch get in, so they had to turn down some ppl with 3.8(extremely difficult to get). Also in Cal, unlike UCLA, ppl must fill out applications to switch majors.</p>
<p>However, in undecided engineering, they said that those ppl can just declare their major after sophomore year and get in - provided they have the required classes and such. </p>
<p>So Cal undecided should be fine to go to and get into EECS. However if you are not sure about EECS and try to transfer out it could be hard.</p>
<p>Actually, that's my issue. I'm an undeclared in the Letters and Science, not Engineering.</p>
<p>Therefore, it does seem difficult to get into. Now, it's up to me to decide if I really want to do Electrical Engineering, then I'd probably choose UCLA.</p>
<p>If not, then there's Computer Science at Cal that doesn't seem as difficult to get in as EECS (because CS is offered in Letters and Science as well) and every other major in the Letters and Science department which could lead me to different paths in life. </p>
<p>Getting into CS at Cal is extremely competitive. Not only do you have the CS 61 series, but also EE42/43, a weeder course. At UCLA you will have a sure slot in the department unless you flunk out; at Cal you'll have to get mostly As to make it into the major. Transferring into engineering isn't impossible, but it's an awful lot harder to do than just stay in engineering.</p>
<p>How about Computer Science in the Letters and Science department? And does a Bachelor of Science look much better than a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science?</p>
<p>ME's the second most impacted major in the CoE. Still not nearly as hard as EECS, though. I think engineering undeclared is open only to incoming freshmen, not positive though.</p>
<p>I meant from the perspective of a fresh applicant, not a transfer applicant. Is it easier to get in by applying as engineering undeclared, or ME?</p>
<p>ME is easier. Engineering undeclared is technically as hard to get into as EECS because they don't want people to use it as a backdoor into the more competitive majors.</p>