UCSD Undeclared or College with major of choice?

Hello everybody, I was accepted into UC San Diego, but as undeclared. However, I was accepted into the mechanical engineering program at Cal State Fullerton. Would I be better off going to UCSD, in hopes of transferring into the mechanical engineering program, or CSUF with a guaranteed admission into it? Are there viable alternate majors to the mechanical engineering degree at UCSD? I can’t justify paying $50k+ for a degree that I may not particularly enjoy, so from prospective, current, or alumni college students, any advice on how to approach the imminent decision deadline?

You are OOS?

I am in the same boat as you! I got in UCSB as aerospace. However, UCSD admitted me as undeclared. Any advice?

i am in-state.

bump

Accepted into Revelle College if that makes a difference.

I was accepted as undeclared as well, sixth college. I sent admissions a few questions, and they couldn’t bother responding to all of my concerns regarding this matter, very little insight was given to me. All they said it was ultimately the engineering school’s decision.

I wanted to be admitted as a CS major, so from what I understand: I’d have to start from the very bottom, as if I was a freshman, then apply to see if maybe i can be admitted as a CS major.

I already started from the very bottom at my CC with mathematics (attended a horrible high school growing up - and had taken a break to begin with after high school). Now I’m expected to do so for CS? No thanks. I don’t like it at all. I can’t appreciate a school who can’t appreciate me for my current capabilities and potential. I’m a lot more valuable than skewed subjective measured rankings.

Considering all engineering is impacted at UCSD, the chances of being admitted don’t seem too very high, especially as a transfer.

Heck, I’d be open to it if other engineering related majors were realistically attainable, but all of them are impacted. All of them.

In all honesty, I think they only simply admitted us so we can “fill in” the rest of their non-engineering majors, and/or to meet demographic quotas (therefore seeming “diverse”, even though UCSD is 50%+ asian - yet only 10% of the population of California).

So unless you’re into something non-engineering related, it doesn’t look good for us. This would have been an amazing opportunity to me if I was 18 or something, but not so much now. Especially now that I’m more aware and less ignorant of how the school system works. You can get burned very easily, at any level.

So be careful on your decision. Personally I’d stick with CSUF (it is actually a down the street from me, lol). It is a good school, and you’ll be working on subject you are actually interested and I assume have a passion for. Why settle for less? What, for prestige? No one is gonna care where you graduated from after your first job out of college.

However, I didn’t apply to CSUF, I myself am going to Davis, where I actually was admitted as a CS major. Plus, most of my CS courses transfer without issue, whereas with UCSD there were issues they found.

So here I am talking about getting in so we can fill the rest of the majors and so they can keep up a “diverse” image, and in the mail today I get a booklet, with the first page featuring the Vice Chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion etc. And they put on display pictures with mostly black people etc. Pretty hilarious and sad. Ironically , in reality they make up a very small percentage of UCSD and UCs in general, I am not sure what kind of image they are trying to portray, but I don’t buy the hype.

@Annabanana123, I would accept UCSB’s offer for aerospace if I were you – just plan to study hard, and you should receive an excellent education.

To the OP: Revelle college is very good, but clearly not your intended major. You may want to take CSUF’s offer and plan to do well there, especially if you will save money doing so. UCSD is excellent, but the impacted majors may leave little room for students to transfer in later. You must factor in the students who have already been accepted to the major – many of whom are of a high caliber, and will not transfer out of the program.