So the prompt says to discuss your major and your experience, my question is this if I am applying as a business major for one school but then as an economics major for another school, how should I go about tackling the prompt? Would saying both econ and business deter my chances for either of the schools? And would going with business affect my chances for the econ school and visa versa??
Don’t worry about that. Don’t mention haas specifically, just biz and you can mention Econ in it as well as they’re so closely related. But this is the Haas essay, right? What other essay are you writing at this point?
Right, mentioning a specific program or school would damper my chances anywhere else, this is the first prompt for the UC application. Its not due until next Nov when I apply so im just getting a head start.
@MikeSauce check your pms
Oh, well, you have to wait because they might change the prompts. I think the new ones come out around June. They’ve had the same for a coup,e of years, so may switch them up. But yeah, just don’t mention haas, but mentioning your love of business and Econ would be fine for both.
Bro, I had the SAME problem. I applied to UCLA as psyc and Cal as philosophy, and I basically discussed my interest for both and sort of connected the two in my essay. It should be a lot easier for you to draw connections between business and economics, because they are so similar. When you state your intended major just say “My intended major is business economics”. And again, make sure you discuss your interest for both.
thanks Ill try to word things carefully 
I would not state your intended major specifically. Just your interest in the business world and how it intersects with Econ, blah blah…
but the first part to the prompt is “state your intended major” lol
Yes but you don’t have to say, My major is…
You could say, “I think I’ve always been attracted to business and economics since whenever.” That way haas is happy and Econ is happy. But you never directly said the actual major. My daughter applied to communications at some UCs and at some others it was psych, as they had no comm dept. She never said the words communications or media studies (UCB). Instead it was about public relations, marketing, and psychological motivation and how these could be used to affect social change. There’re ways to bring them in without pigeonholing yourself.
Remember, they know your major already. All you need to do is slide into it more obliquely.
Although seriously, your two are so inter-connected, you could mention them both and no one would really notice. As far as they know, you plan to do a double major when you get there, or minor.
hmmm that sounds doable, ill try and be sneaky with how I word things but at the end of the day I think im gonna go berkeley or bust lol and just apply for the tag to another uc as a backup. 
Here’s another thing. The other UCs (not UCLA/UCB) very likely won’t even read the essay. I cannot tell you how many students I know who wrote about majors that they ended up not even applying to, and still got in. Even if you flat-out mention Haas and apply somewhere they probably wouldn’t care (maybe UCLA might, but probably not). Most won’t even see it.
I was in same situation as you when I applied this Fall. My counselor said if you apply for many majors, don’t start with the list like :"I’m applying business, economics, math…at …’ because it’s boring and they kinda know it. Though the question asks specifically what’s your intended major, there is always a way to get around with it.
lindyk8 is right , I totally agree with how she answers the prompt. You can put common things or connection between economics and business.Then explain how you grow interest with both majors
For example, in my situation, I apply for math/econ, statistics, management sciences; my experiences are mostly related to business. Af first I listed all majors but then whoever read my p.s doesn’t like it. The point is how I put the pieces together and what I want to do with them in the future. So I ended up changing to " I am intrigued by the interrelationship between mathematics and economics."
Excellent @bizmlover
I disagree with what Lindyk8 said; I got a lot of advice on writing a personal statement, specifically from one of my professors who was once on an admissions committee during his years in grad school, and he said to restate every question the exact way it’s worded. I was pretty vague about the major part but he told me wording it as “My intended major is ____.” is very important.
I guess that puts me somewhere in the middle. I applied psych and never directly stated “my intended major is psych”
However, I did refer to it, for example, as “my interest in psychology”. To each their own
Well my daughter didn’t and got into all the UC’s she applied to – some were psych majors, some comm majors, one social administration. I say this only to show there was a disparate group, she nade no mention of major and she got into every major. I also know of students who wrote essays on majors they ended up changing when they applied - and they still got in.
I think your counselor is being a bit too literal. Your major is listed in the application and the readers aren’t idiots. They don’t need hand-holding. They can parse your words into a meaningful context.
I think what they are most interested in is that you show a passion and understanding of your intended subject and you have an understanding of what opportunities might arise from it. They realize you might have related but different majors if you are applying to multiple UCs.
And Fred, restate every word? How old is that advisor, and what admissions board was he on? Was it a grouping of nine schools? I think not. Probably one school, one major.
Yes, you need to carefully answer the question, and if there are points to it, you need to make sure they quickly connect the two. But I’m not sure I would go as far as he suggested.
Anyway, this isn’t that big of an issue. Say it however you want.