So if I wanted to get into Urbana-Champaign's engineering program...

<p>Would it be possible to enter as an undecided, and then switch to a branch of engineering later? If possible, how hard would it be to do that?</p>

<p>Begining with those applying now for 2013 admission, there is a new choice of major on the application called “First year engineering undeclared.” It is under F alphabetically on the list of majors on the application. In prior years you needed to pick a specific engineering major. If admitted you are undeclared for first year. How hard it will be to enter any specific engineering major thereafter is currently an unknown including because this is the first time there has been an undeclared category. In the past where you entered with one engineering major and wanted to switch to another, the ability to do so has varied from quite easy for an engineering major to difficult with difficulty depending significantly on openings available in the particular major at the time; for example in last few years, mechanical, aeronautical, civil, and computer science have been more difficult than others.</p>

<p>i was admitted in 2008 in general engineering. I wasn’t sure which engineering i wanted to do so I just picked general, i didnt realize this was an actual discipline. after my first semester i applied into aerospace - they asked for 3.8 first semester gpa, i only had 3.5, but they took me anyways.</p>

<p>You’re idea of doing undecided is good as long as you take a first semesters engineers curriculum (all programs in engineering have pretty much the same curriculum for first two years). after first semester, apply wherever, and dont let artificial rules like minimum gpa stop you.</p>

<p>^the above poster also has good suggestion, i havent heard of this but it sounds like what i have suggested…being undecided but taking your regular calc and physics</p>

<p>The thing you’re giving up when applying Undecided, however, is that if you pick a program, even if you only have a minimal possible interest in it at this point, you’re in a program that you can graduate from with no other application from which you might be rejected. If you go undecided, you must apply and be accepted to an Engineering program from which you can graduate. And that’s after two years of some grueling courses that have gotten the better of some very good people.</p>

<p>So my advice is to apply directly into a program from which you can graduate. If accepted and you decide you like it, you’re golden as long as you maintain a decent GPA. If you don’t like it, apply to another engineering program. If you don’t get in, YOU’RE STILL IN A PROGRAM FROM WHICH YOU CAN GRADUATE, as opposed to being in Undecided Engineering where you aren’t.</p>