undecided or majored?

<p>For applications, is it better to be undecided or to pick a major?</p>

<p>I'm wondering about universities in general, but also specifically about the UC's.</p>

<p>From your experience, do more people get in undecided or with a major?
Which choice is more popular for high school seniors?</p>

<p>Most of the time majors have no bearing on acceptance rate (I can't speak for the UCs specifically though) b/c a) students often don't officially declare majors until sophomore year and b) students often change their major as they discover new courses.</p>

<p>Indeed, majors for the most part do not affect your admissions; however, this varies school to school. A lot of schools as CDN said, don't let you declare until sophomore year, while other schools let you either declare or be undecided. Some schools may not require you to declare a specific major, but may require you to declare which field you are aiming for, and the departments within schools will factor in as some departments are harder to get in than others. One of the prime examples of this is UPenn, which has the ridiculously difficult Wharton in contrast with their less difficult nursing school. As for UCs I doubt it, but I am not sure, I would think not. Research how each specific school does it is my best advice.</p>

<p>at the UCs, they do not consider your major (or undeclared) when you apply to the college of Letters and Science. It says so right on the admissions pages, which you should spend a few minutes perusing if you're interested in UC colleges.</p>

<p>but for example if you go to penn and when you apply to penn you say you want to go to wharton; wouldn't you have a lower chance if you said undecided?</p>

<p>What can affect admissions is which school within a university you wish to enter (i.e. the School of Business versus the College of Arts and Science) The major you choose within that school however rarely affects admission; the exception may be if the major is unique to that university, and you have extensive ECs/other pursuits and accomplishments in that area.</p>

<p>With Penn, you have to pick a school within Penn to apply to. You don't have to pick a major within the school though.</p>

<p>And you would have to pick your school i.e. Wharton at PENN when you apply right? not afterwards? So you can't have a decision change after you are accepted?</p>

<p>Yes, on your application you would need to indicate which school you wish to apply to (Wharton, CAS, SEAS, Nursing). During/after your freshman year you can apply for an internal transfer (i.e. Wharton to CAS) Be forewarned that a transfer into Wharton is very difficult.</p>