<p>Is Economics an impacted major for UCSB incoming freshman? And are there any other majors that are "difficult" to get into?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>In the sense that for the first few courses (Econ 1, 2, 10A) there is a required average GPA and each class has a predetermined fraction of all grades above that average, yes. This is true for most majors, but besides econ and possibly biology, none are terribly difficult to meet the grade requirement (and even for those two, all you have to do is be better than your peers). If you are not applying for an engineering or ccs major, then it does not matter what major you apply for in the UC application for purpose of admission. Supposedly it is much more difficult to switch into MechE than other engineering majors, but I do not know.</p>
<p>It’s not clear to me what you’re asking since there is nothing about Econ that matters when applying; it’s only later when one tries to go from the Econ pre-major to major that differences come out compared to something like History. </p>
<p>Are you thinking it is harder to get accepted to UCSB if you list Econ? That is not the case.
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<p>Thank you so much for your answers! I didn’t know that majors in College of Letters and Science won’t impact your admission nor that Economics was a pre-major admit. </p>
<p>People worry too much about picking the right major when they are applying. There are a few where it really matters, such as something in the college of engineering. But in letters and science you can honestly put down anything. They know that most students are going to switch once or twice their first two years. Switching into a pre-major is as simple as filling out a form. And the classes the pre-majors take are open to anyone. So, for example, someone that enrolled as a sociology major and is starting to think about Econ can just sign up for the Econ pre-major classes and see what they think of them. If they like it then they can go fill out the pre-major form. Your first year or two you are expected to take a sampling of classes to find out what really interests you. Some majors do not have a pre-major, but the same principle applies. The lower division classes are open to anyone.</p>
<p>Would you happen to know the difference with Creative Studies College as opposed to Letters & Science?There are some majors that appear in both schools, which is confusing</p>
<p>CCS describes itself as a grad school for undergrads, probably not too far off the mark. There are relatively few requirements, and they let you enroll in any class (undergrad or grad) that you feel like you ought to take. It is quite different from the ordinary L&S major. They have more info on their website, and from what I’ve heard are very welcoming to inquiries from prospective students. It is, however, not for everyone; you should consider yourself a highly-motivated and high-achieving student before you think of this as a good option. </p>
<p>Economics at UCSB is extremely impacted. The only other majors I can think of that are impacted at the school are the engineering ones including computer science.</p>