UC Freshman Admission – Choosing a Major

Introduction

Since the UCs stopped looking at standardized test scores, I noticed a much stronger preference for students who can clearly articulate demonstrated interest toward their chosen major (not just doing things, like taking classes or participating in activities, that imply demonstrated interest, BUT clearly explaining that interest in the Personal Insight Questions). In the past, UCs had expected certain types of applicants to articulate demonstrated interest toward their chosen major, such as engineering, nursing, business administration, and some art programs that require auditions or submission of portfolios. Now, that expectation appears to have extended to all applicants.

Choice of major is more than a freestanding option on the UC Application. It must be an integral part of how you package yourself in the UC Application. I will illustrate this by going through a few fictional case studies. For each case study, I will provide an analysis and some recommendations to exemplify the role major will potentially play in your UC Application and how you should answer the Personal Insight Questions.

If you need more detailed information on how major choice may affect your chance of admission, purchase a back issue of my July 2024 freshman newsletter for a complete, campus-by-campus explanation ($25; remain on the payment page after you pay and you will be redirected to the PDF – please note, purchase of a digital product is NONREFUNDABLE), that also includes a guideline for how to rank the UCSD colleges.

Case A

Andy wants to major in Biology and he is interested in becoming a doctor. Andy is in a humanities magnet program and is an active member in several clubs: Dead Poet Society – 2 years; Freedom of Expression Through Dance – 3 years; Creative Collages – 4 years. He was also on the school soccer team for 1 year and taught himself how to play the guitar 2 years ago. Andy will have completed AP Gov, AP Human Geography, APUSH, AP World History, AP English Lang, AP English Lit, Honors English 2, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Stats, AP French, AP Music Theory, AP Studio Art, Honors Choir, AP Psychology, and AP Econ by the time he graduates high school.

Analysis

Andy’s coursework and activities do not support his interest in becoming a doctor. There is literally NOTHING in his life (that he disclosed) that would remotely indicate an interest in medicine. So that begs the question of whether Andy is really committed to becoming a doctor or if he will succeed in a biological science major (he has not completed any AP science courses and whether he can succeed in college-level science courses is difficult to gauge).

Recommendation

If I am working with Andy, I would encourage him to select majors more closely aligned with his interests or choose undeclared (usually in the College of Letters & Science), and have him focus on his arts and humanities achievements in his Personal Insight Questions, bypassing his interest in medicine altogether.

Strategies

For UCs that have biological sciences majors in the College of Letters & Science, Andy will have the option to change his major later even if he started out as a different major or undeclared (most students would have to meet specified requirements before declaring a major as a junior, so Andy is not disadvantaged in any way). For UCs that have biological sciences majors in a separate college (such as Davis or Irvine), Andy needs to weigh his interest in the campus against his interest in declaring biological sciences; switching is possible after admission but it is not guaranteed.

Case B

Bethany is not sure what she wants to major in college and she has a hodgepodge of extracurricular activities:

• She will have served in the student government for three years by the time she graduated high school, having served as treasurer in junior year and peer advisor in senior year.
• Bethany joined cheerleading in freshman year and switched to dance squad sophomore year, and did the tryout for track and field her junior year but didn’t make the team.
• She applied for six different internships during the summer after her junior year, landing one with the city councilmember where she spearheaded a literacy project through the city library.
• Bethany founded Environmental Club at her high school her freshman year … it failed miserably (who cares about the environment, right?) but she has since organized a school-wide recycling program through student government.
• She volunteers at the animal shelter regularly since her sophomore year, spending extra time during the summer shadowing the veterinarian and assisting in surgeries.

Bethany will have completed AP Gov, APUSH, AP English Lang, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, AP Art History, AP Econ, and AP Psychology by the time she graduates high school. She also took two semesters of French, an introductory sociology course, and an introductory geography course at her local community college.

Analysis

Bethany may not have made up her mind about her future career, but she has explored and taken advantage of numerous opportunities. I applaud her enthusiasm and commitment to try different things.

Recommendation

If I am working with Bethany, I would suggest having her apply undeclared (usually in the College of Letters & Science) and discuss how she spent her high school years exploring different opportunities available to her and highlight all of her achievements. Not having a clear goal has not deterred Bethany from being a star in multiple subjects/fields/areas and that is something she should emphasize in her Personal Insight Questions.

Strategies

As an undeclared student (usually in the College of Letters & Science), Bethany will generally have access to academic advising geared toward helping her decide on a major. Depending on the campus, she may have flexibility to declare any major or she may encounter restrictions for certain majors (such as engineering); this is something Bethany should consider when selecting the campus she plans to attend.

Case C

Charlene wants to major in biochemistry and eventually become a pharmacist. She got a job at a neighborhood pharmacy around the corner from her house the moment her work permit came through (middle of sophomore year) and has worked there ever since. In junior year she applied to a summer research internships with a chemistry professor at a 4-year college in her town and she spent twelve weeks modeling changes in the molecular structure of a new chemical compound. She is a peer-tutor at her high school for AP Biology and AP Chemistry. She co-founded the Science Club in her junior year and is serving as president in her senior year. Charlene will have completed AP Gov, APUSH, AP English Lang, AP English Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, Honors Chemistry, Honors Chinese 4, AP Econ, and AP Psychology by the time she graduated high school. She also took the one-year science-track chemistry sequence at the 4-year college in her town.

Analysis

Charlene is my favorite kind of overachiever: motivated, driven, and with laser-sharp focus. She knows what she wants and she’s fully committed to get there.

Recommendation

If I am working with Charlene, I would suggest that she emphasizes her goal of becoming a pharmacist and everything that she has done to get there (job at the pharmacy, research internship, college-level chemistry courses), as well as her broader interest in science (Science Club and peer-tutoring), in her Personal Insight Questions.

Strategies

Apply to Biochemistry, usually in the College of Letters & Science, or the specialized pre-pharmacy majors some UCs offer.

Case D

Daniel thinks engineering sounds pretty cool and wants to major in mechanical engineering. He was the football captain of his high school team in sophomore and junior year and brought his team to the state championship both years (but he is not interested in playing in college, besides, the coach doesn’t think he plays well enough to be recruited). He also plays lacrosse and baseball, but not at the varsity level. Sports take up all of his time so he hasn’t participated in many other extracurricular activities. But Daniel remembers going with his teammates to beach clean-ups a few times in the summer, in between long, grueling pre-season football practice sessions. By the time Daniel graduates high school, he will have AP Gov, AP Human Geography, Honors US History, Honors British Literature, Honors American Literature, AP Computer Science A, AP Stats, Honors Math Analysis, AP Environmental Science, Honors Chemistry, Honors PLTW Principles of Engineering, Honors Spanish 3, AP Spanish, AP Econ, and AP Psychology completed.

Analysis

UC engineering admission evaluation emphasizes math and science preparation, favoring students who have completed advanced (AP, IB, or college-level) coursework in calculus or beyond, calculus-based physics, and other relevant sciences (related to the engineering major). Since Daniel’s coursework has not adequately prepared him for the rigor of the UC engineering programs, applying to engineering will unnecessarily put him at a significant disadvantage when he may be competitive for admission to other majors.

Recommendation

If I am working with Daniel, I would suggest that he considers applying to a different major or select undeclared (usually in the College of Letters & Science). My guess is that Daniel probably doesn’t know much about engineering and is not actually all that incredibly interested (especially given the fact that he is not adequately prepared for it). Given his football record, I would also ask him to reconsider athletic recruitment as an option. For his Personal Insight Questions, his athletic achievements would be front and center.

Strategies

Daniel will have the option to change his major later even if he started out as a different major or undeclared (most students would have to meet specified requirements before declaring a major as a junior, so Daniel is not disadvantaged in any way). Depending on the campus, he may have flexibility to declare any major or he may encounter restrictions for certain majors (such as engineering); this is something Daniel should consider when selecting the campus he plans to attend.

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