UCI Change of Major (transfer): Psychology -> Nursing !!Need opinions!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Irvine
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Hi everyone,
I got into UCI as a Psychology major (i’m a transfer from a local community college). I am really passionate about nursing, but I was scared to apply for the program because I did not want to get rejected (I really regret this).

So, I was hoping to look for opinions on whether it is better to commit to UCI as a Psychology major and then do a change of major to Nursing or if it is better to stay at my community college another year and take “fluff” classes to up my GPA to get into the Nursing program.

Which route do you think would be easier for me to get into the program?
Thank you so much! Stoked to hear your opinions. :slight_smile:

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Hi!

Congrats on getting into UCI! I’m a CC transfer myself and I actually took the change of major route and got admitted for fall 2017. I got into UCI as a public health major and spent my first year as a transfer taking classes to finish all the nursing pre-reqs while simultaneously going to a CC to speed up the process. Honestly, this route is risky and will most likely make you stay an additional year or two depending on where you stand with the prerequisites, but admission might be a bit easier because the average GPA of change of major applicants who were accepted is 3.57 (range of admissions is 3.14 – 3.84) vs. 3.84 average for transfers with range of 3.67 – 4.00, so they definitely expect a lot more from transfers as far as grades go, but there are so many other factors that they consider for the admission process like work/volunteering experience, honors/awards, and the essay.

I would say that if you do go through with the change of major route, make sure you work really hard and have a good balance of everything that they expect. The nursing program is incredibly competitive so I suggest you take the core science classes very seriously. Many people will tell you that it’s nearly impossible to get in as a change of major, but it’s definitely doable if you’re really dedicated! Good luck with whichever route you choose though and if you have any other questions, I’d be more than happy to help! :slight_smile: