Hey guys,
I am actually planned to apply my UC transfer application in upcoming November. UCLA has been my dream school. I am currently majoring in electrical engineering, but as I do more physics I feel like this is not something for me. I ended up with a B in mechanical physics ( I could have got an A, but I messed up my final…) But the thing is that all my classes taken so far are only for engineering or mathematics majors. I know it is kind of late to change my major at this point in order to transfer in the upcoming fall, but now I’d like to change my major to statistics or accounting, and I could finish the major preps of those two major by the spring semester prior to transfer. But the thing is that I still do not know what I really want to do between those two, and I’ve heard a transfer expert saying that it is almost required to finish all my major prep prior by the end of the FALL semester prior to transfer to the competitive UC schools like UC Berkeley and UCLA to get admission priorities. I am 21 years old, and I feel rushed because some of my high school friends are ready for graduating, and also I don’t want to spend much time here… My gpa so far is decent, which is 3.89 ( still need 1 more math, 2 more physics, and 1 more chemistry course by the end of spring).
What do you guys think of it? Should I spend one more year to figure out what I’d really like by taking several different majors’ courses? If I spend one more year, I will be spending 3.5 years at community college, which sounds unpleasant…
In my opinion, I think you should spend the extra year. if the only reason you don’t want to is because your friends are ready to graduate, I personally don’t think that it would be a good idea. If you want a better chance at getting into those schools, you should stay. Also, I think it would be better because then you could find something you truly like, instead of finishing electrical engineering and hating your job. If paying the community college tuition is not a problem, I would suggest staying the extra year and doing what you would enjoy.
I understand that both Berkeley and UCLA won’t consider applicants if they have more than 80 transferrable credits. Please read this and make sure that you understand if they do have a max, and if they do, that you won’t go above the max:
https://admissions.berkeley.edu/transfer-requirements
You may not need to wait or to change your major to transfer to either one, if your goal is to be a math major. Please read this info here as one example:
https://admissions.berkeley.edu/transfer-admissions-information-by-college
For accounting, you would have some coursework to complete. But an idea is to apply as you are now. See if you get in as is. If you do not, then take the accounting coursework needed, then transfer.
But you do need to decide what you want to major in. For that, use the resources available via the career center at your cc. In addition, figure out what you might want to do out of your potential majors. For example, if the throughline in all this is that you really like math, then one option is to be an actuary. If that sounds interesting, check it out. You can major in engineering, or math, or stats, or accounting, and become an actuary. Which means you could either stay an engineering major and transfer now, or become a math major (which doesn’t seem to have any pre reqs you haven’t already likely taken) - thus speeding your time to transfer.
Does your cc offer winter break classes? If it does, an idea is to take one of the math classes you need for stats, and one accounting class, to see which you like, and to make progress toward transferring.