“If you have another academic interest, select it here.” In the golden gopher application it says this. Does this mean I can put 2 choices for a major?
Yes, although I believe the primary reason for asking you to select your first and second choice of major is to allow the admissions committee to understand what college(s) you are applying to. You don’t need to declare a major till you’ve completed so many semester credits (I think 60 or so) so no one is admitted to a specific course of study as a first-time freshman. Thankfully so because it’s quite possible - and not uncommon - to change your mind once you actually start taking classes.
So if I choose an engineering major as my main choice but say something like math or physics as the 2nd choice I’d be considered for both colleges?
Correct, I put Biomedical Engineering for mine & applying to CSE; Microbiology as a secondary choice, CBS. The first one that you put in (closest to the top) is the main degree you are seeking & if applicable, for something like physics you can pick either CLA or CSE. If you want Engineering you pick CSE, and for a backup you can pick another college like CLA or CBS
You will be admitted only to one college but in the event that the first choice was a reach and you were not accepted, the 2nd choice would serve as a backup, especially if it were a slightly easier college to be admitted to. As @Lucker is indicating, CSE is the most selective of the colleges so many will specify that as first choice, then choose CLA (via chemistry or physics or computer science or math, etc.) as their 2nd option. There are actually several CSE-type majors which have a BA option.
If I pick a major in CLA can I later on switch to the CSE version later on?
Transfers are possible. Here is some information about it:
https://cse.umn.edu/r/transfer-from-within-the-university/
You’d probably want to take those pre-reqs as soon as possible.
Much easier to transfer OUT of CSE than to transfer in, of course 
I’d advise picking a major in CSE as your Plan A unless, of course, you don’t think your stats are competitive. Here is the mid 50% range as a benchmark:
http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/academics/profile.html
And here is even more detail:
http://www.oir.umn.edu/student/characteristics
Good luck!
My school doesn’t rank and those websites don’t have any GPA averages. My sat score is within the range. Also, I have some pretty good extracurriculars that relate to engineering such as doing research at both UC Berkeley and UCSF and an engineering related patent with Berkeley. My gpa isn’t good. Do you think I have a chance in CSE admission?
@arkm110 I’m just not sure because I don’t know enough info. You would need to post a “Chance Me” thread and include all your stats: GPA (uw and weighted, explaining that your school doesn’t rank), your test scores including sub scores, your course load and all your EC’s. Plus your resident status (in state vs. OOS) and any other info. that you think is helpful. Several parents who follow the UMN forum have had children who either graduated from or are currently students in CSE so they would be able to give you really good advice.
UMN views the entire application but is a stats-driven decision for the most part. Having said that, it is the case that they will consider other “intangible” factors as well as extenuating circumstances. The following link provides a comprehensive list of these factors:
http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/admissioninfo/fresh_overview.html
Good luck to you!
Okay thanks. Also, is there a difference in the difficulty of admission between the different engineering majors? Such as mechanical vs biomedical. Or is the admissions for all engineering the same?
Admission to any of the engineering majors is not guaranteed even for CSE students. There are pre-reqs, of course, and also there are GPA requirements. The following link provides more detail. I believe that there is a minimum “technical” GPA of 3.2 to be admitted to a major but some of the engineering majors have higher minimums due to limited space.
@Mamelot is correct. You are admitted into CSE and then apply to the major of choice during spring semester of Sophomore year. THe cut-off is 3.2 but was told last summer during a visit that it really depends on major.
Chem E usually has a cut-off of 3.2 due to popularity and reputation. Others can go as low as 2.7.
Is that how it works for every college? Like for CLA, do students not get to pick a major till later on?
I think for CLA you can pick immediately. That was the experience with my oldest daughter.
For CLA I think you are supposed to declare a major by the time you have 60 credits. You may be able to declare earlier - not sure. In any case, CLA doesn’t have the limited space issues that some CSE majors do so you would have lots more flexibility concerning when and what to declare (there is a much larger choice of majors as well). You can enter knowing exactly what you will be majoring in, or you can take your time and explore.
Another major difference is that in CLA there is a 2nd language requirement unless you test out of it (through a placement test, or maybe if your native language is other than English though I’m not sure about that one). CSE, on the other hand, does NOT require a second language in the list of college ed requirements - but does require a greater number of lab science and math courses.
There you have it in a nutshell. Good luck with your application!
Alright thanks a lot guys!