i have been applying to colleges and i am curious if it is better to site myself as "undeclared". i hear it might help with the admission process, but i also hear it might be bad as well. help please.
2006-11-10 14:23:53 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
I want to major in biology, yet as we know, it is probably the most popular major there is. I spoke to a UC berkeley admissions advisor and he said sometimes 'citing' undeclared might help with the admission process.
Although I do here it is bad because it is hard to get the major you may want once you decide it. And it is hard to get out of a major once you've picked it.
All colleges have majors in biology so i'm not afraid about that, i just don't want to be refused admission because i picked such a popular major.
I do know you dont have to major in biology to become a physician, but i think it'll be an advantage to have in medical school, but then again. in order to get to medical school, you gotta get into college first, major and all.
i've dug myself in a hole, pretty much.
2006-11-10 16:05:17 · update #1
i meant "hear" instead of "here" i dont know what i was thinking.
2006-11-10 16:09:23 · update #2
If you are applying to Berkeley, the competition is the same within a single college. So choosing undeclared for the College of Letters and Science is as competitive as choosing Molecular and Cell Biology or Philosophy. You may want to call the Berkeley admissions office and speak to an admissions officers there to verify the facts. Berkeley sends a lot of volunteers to college fairs and not everyone has the right information.
2006-11-13 05:14:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
No, you are being lied to. Undeclared just makes you seem like a teenager that doesn't even have the remote idea of what or why he wants to get into college. Sure they accept a few that way, but it really isn't good. Try finding out what is the least impacted major in that school and apply to it. Once you're in, change majors. However, keep in mind that changing majors may have requirements you don't meet because the classes are open to majors first and usually get full, so you might end up having to stay in school longer.
2006-11-10 14:57:22 · answer #2 · answered by Alucard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you select a major the university has a better idea of where to place you among their colleges. Usually universities will put undeclared students in their college of humanities or liberal arts, unless you chose to be put elsewhere. The bad thing about selecting undeclared is that many many other applicants are doing the same thing. Believe it or not undeclared may be the most impacted major for newly admitted freshman. Which means that they have many more students applying than they have spots for. This means that the competition to get accepted as undeclared is more difficult. Which in turn is bad for the applicant.
2006-11-10 14:43:29 · answer #3 · answered by vintagejbass 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have an interest you think you might like to pursue, go ahead and put it down. At least at some colleges, it will mean that you will be assigned an adviser who teaches in a field of your interest and may be eligible for scholarships designated for freshmen in that field.
Since most freshmen are either undeclared or will change their majors several times before they graduate, your indecisiveness will not count against your acceptance.
Just a note - You "cite" not "site" a major :)
2006-11-10 14:37:33 · answer #4 · answered by Serendipity 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. It is perfectly okay to check UNDECLARED if you are applying to a UC school, including Berkeley. However, checking MCB (as well as CS and psych) can harm your chances of getting in. I went in as Integrative Bio, and eventually declared MCB.
2. The person ahead of me suggested calling College of L&S. But have you considered Cal's College of Natural Resources? They offer SEVERAL biology majors (including microbiology, environmental sci. and plant molecular biology). College of L&S confers a BA (I have a BA in MCB. how silly!), but College of NR confers a BS.
3. DON'T BE AN MCB PRE-MED!!! Christ, I cannot stress this enough!!! I was an MCB pre-med, and it ruined my chances of getting into med school. If I could change just one thing in my life, I would have not declared MCB!!! Please, give the 10 points to whomever, but listen to me on this one. MCB will not help you into med school!!! You and 300 other people in MCB 102 are all vying for the A. If you manage to get one, you're still not gonna stand out. Oh, and btw, Prof. Steinhardt who teaches MCB 130 is a jerk.
4. The smaller biology majors are good because you can get closer to the profs. This means better research opportunities. Also, my colleague who did environmental sci got to take cool classes like grad-level biostatistics.
Anyway, if you want my take on it, I have a MCAT score of 32, tons of extracurriculars (tutored kids in Oakland, joined some political clubs on campus, helped operate the computer lab in Heller Lounge, etc), and my personal statement rocks. I can squarely blame MCB for keeping me out of med school.
2006-11-13 08:48:50 · answer #5 · answered by Gumdrop Girl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-11-23 15:03:09 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i was told to site a major so that you may be able to get certain scholarships and other forms of financial aid.
2006-11-10 14:35:15 · answer #7 · answered by *MaE* 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋