UC Merced Class of 2027 Official Thread

Per the webinar on 4/12, you SIR as undeclared but will be able to pick your major after that. It was said that there are no impacted majors and as long as you choose before 5/15 you will be placed into that major.

There were 4-5 questions specifically asking if a impacted major such as Computer Science could be chosen and their response was “yes.”

For anyone concerned about this, I would reach out to them to get their response in writing or ask for a copy of the webinar.

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I agree with @Azr to get it in writing since the website specifically states that no one can change into CSE until Fall grades are posted. This maybe only for continuing students not in-coming Freshman but better to confirm.

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From my experience I changed my major to CogSci the humanities concentration option, from sociology. For first years it only shows majors from the original college. Eg since sociology is in the hass college. My only options it gave me were majors in that college But you must SIR first

We visited with our son (CSE major) this past Saturday during their Bobcat Day event. What everyone says about positives and negatives is spot on.

  • Make no mistake: it is University of California.
  • The campus itself is very modern, new, neat, clean, spacious and yet not spread out. Everything is within walking distance.
  • Dorms are new, clean and plentiful. Every freshman and sophomore is guaranteed housing. They are probably the best of all UC system schools.
  • Students all seem happy, chill and friendly. Everyone is welcoming and smiling.
  • Excellent amenities (2 cafeterias, 2 gyms, big library for a relatively small school)
  • New Dean of Engineering school who’s been there only 6 months (25 years of teaching experience at Cal Poly SLO) gave a very positive and inspirational talk about Engineering school majors, outcomes, research and internship opportunities.
  • Class size is small / medium. Largest lecture hall is at most 200 students.
  • You don’t really get an idea just how remote and isolated campus is until you visit. Which, if you come there to study and get an education with minimal distractions is fairly ideal.
  • Even to go get a haircut or get some groceries, for example, you have to take a bus or Uber to town (~4-5 miles). If you live in dorms you don’t need groceries. Everything is available on campus.
  • There are 20-30 laundry machines per dorm building which houses 600-800 students. Could be tough to find time to wash clothes, but everyone manages.
  • Drive from San Diego without any traffic (which is possible, believe it or not, if timed right) is 6.5 hours with 2 short bathroom / gas stops. But then again, it’s in the middle of nowhere.
  • Fresno is 45 min south
  • Food for guests at the cafeteria is only $10 for all-you-can-eat options. We ate there for lunch and it was very decent. Main cafeteria itself is big, bright and clean with both indoor and outdoor (shaded) seating overlooking small pond / lake.
  • After visiting several small private schools, we felt that’s exactly what you get at UCM: small, clean, state-of-the art campus and education (private school experience), but at the public / UC pricing.
  • Our son felt great vibes about the school, education and experience and half-way through the visit said he would like to commit there. He slept on it, and say he still felt strongly about it. We drove home last night, and he filled out SIR.
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Congratulations!

Will those of you with students attending UCM make sure to come back and provide updates?

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What a great review! We couldn’t make it to the event, but we did visit in the summer. And I didn’t know about the $10 all you can eat.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-california-merced-4127

#60 in National Universities

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And #28 of public schools in the country! Just read the news and texted my son. We are excited! Today is exactly 1 month since we dropped him off at UCM. He loves it so far!

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Please stick around and continue to keep us updated about your son’s experience at UCM.