Does UC Berkeley look at alternate majors during admissions?
I've been looking into applying to UC Berkeley and I know you can list an alternate major on the application, but I'm kind of confused about how it works in the admissions process. If you're not admitted to your first choice major, do they look at your second choice? Or is it just for specific colleges or programs?
I'm particularly interested in engineering and I know it's super competitive. If I put a less competitive major as my alternate, does that improve my chances at all? Or do they mostly only consider the first choice major?
I want to make sure I'm making smart choices here, so any insight would be really helpful.
I'm particularly interested in engineering and I know it's super competitive. If I put a less competitive major as my alternate, does that improve my chances at all? Or do they mostly only consider the first choice major?
I want to make sure I'm making smart choices here, so any insight would be really helpful.
4 months ago
•
600 views
Kathy Jayanth
• 4 months ago
Advisor
UC Berkeley’s approach to alternate majors is pretty specific, and the details definitely depend on the college within Berkeley to which you’re applying. Here’s how it generally works:
For the College of Letters & Science (L&S), if you’re not admitted to your first choice major, your application may still receive consideration for your alternate major, depending on the available space and the competitiveness of both majors you select. This means listing a less competitive major as your alternate could potentially increase your chances very slightly, but there’s never a guarantee. For example, if you apply to Computer Science as your first choice (which is highly competitive) and Psychology as your alternate, you might be considered for Psychology if not admitted for CS. However, L&S doesn’t admit directly by major (except for a few), so this only applies to select scenarios.
For the College of Engineering (COE), which is where most of the majors are especially competitive, UC Berkeley is quite clear: they do not consider alternate majors. If you apply to the College of Engineering and are not admitted to your first-choice engineering major, your alternate major will not be considered at all. It’s essentially all or nothing for those programs. The same goes for other highly impacted colleges like the College of Chemistry or Haas (Business). So, for engineering specifically, putting down a less competitive major as an alternate unfortunately won’t help your odds. You will only be considered for your primary, first-choice engineering major.
If you’re open to programs in L&S or other colleges, you could list a less competitive alternative major, and it might—depending on space and application strength—give you another potential pathway to Berkeley. But for College of Engineering, only pick your true first choice and focus your application materials accordingly.
Here’s a hypothetical: If you’re applying for Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) in COE and list Applied Math as your alternate major, you’ll only be considered for EECS. If you apply for Data Science (L&S) with Applied Math as your alternate, there’s a chance for consideration for the alternate, but again, not a guarantee.
Admissions policies can change year to year, so always check the latest guidance from Berkeley’s admissions website, but this should give you a solid overview of how alternate majors factor into their process.
For the College of Letters & Science (L&S), if you’re not admitted to your first choice major, your application may still receive consideration for your alternate major, depending on the available space and the competitiveness of both majors you select. This means listing a less competitive major as your alternate could potentially increase your chances very slightly, but there’s never a guarantee. For example, if you apply to Computer Science as your first choice (which is highly competitive) and Psychology as your alternate, you might be considered for Psychology if not admitted for CS. However, L&S doesn’t admit directly by major (except for a few), so this only applies to select scenarios.
For the College of Engineering (COE), which is where most of the majors are especially competitive, UC Berkeley is quite clear: they do not consider alternate majors. If you apply to the College of Engineering and are not admitted to your first-choice engineering major, your alternate major will not be considered at all. It’s essentially all or nothing for those programs. The same goes for other highly impacted colleges like the College of Chemistry or Haas (Business). So, for engineering specifically, putting down a less competitive major as an alternate unfortunately won’t help your odds. You will only be considered for your primary, first-choice engineering major.
If you’re open to programs in L&S or other colleges, you could list a less competitive alternative major, and it might—depending on space and application strength—give you another potential pathway to Berkeley. But for College of Engineering, only pick your true first choice and focus your application materials accordingly.
Here’s a hypothetical: If you’re applying for Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) in COE and list Applied Math as your alternate major, you’ll only be considered for EECS. If you apply for Data Science (L&S) with Applied Math as your alternate, there’s a chance for consideration for the alternate, but again, not a guarantee.
Admissions policies can change year to year, so always check the latest guidance from Berkeley’s admissions website, but this should give you a solid overview of how alternate majors factor into their process.
Kathy Jayanth
Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley | Economics & Slavic Studies
Experience
5 years
Rating