The University of California college application is officially online! Now that you're scrolling through the app, you may be wondering about how to handle that little check-box for selecting a major. With so many options available, the choice can seem overwhelming. As a follow-up to our previous discussion series about the UC system, we've also compiled a list of resources for those of you wondering what you need to know when picking a major.

Get the inside scoop on how to get into the UCs from our UC Admissions Expert, Sheelah. She’s seen UC admissions from all sides – she graduated from Cal in 2016 with a B.S. in Genetics and Plant Biology, and has over four years of experience working in UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

This will be a three-part series, broadly covering the following categories:  1) evaluation of your academic record;  2) evaluation of your extracurriculars; and  3) fine-print admissions questions. Hope this helps clear up some confusion during this stressful process!

Get the inside scoop on how to get into the UCs from our UC Admissions Expert, Sheelah. She’s seen UC admissions from all sides – she graduated from Cal in 2016 with a B.S. in Genetics and Plant Biology, and has over four years of experience working in UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

This will be a three-part series, broadly covering the following categories:  1) evaluation of your academic record;  2) evaluation of your extracurriculars; and  3) fine-print admissions questions. Hope this helps clear up some confusion during this stressful process!

Get the inside scoop on how to get into the UCs from our UC Admissions Expert, Sheelah. She’s seen UC admissions from all sides – she graduated from Cal in 2016 with a B.S. in Genetics and Plant Biology, and has over four years of experience working in UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Drawn from a Q&A session about the UC system, this will be a three-part series, broadly covering the following categories:  1) evaluation of your academic record;  2) evaluation of your extracurriculars; and  3) fine-print admissions questions. Hope this helps clear up some confusion during this stressful process!

University of California, Los Angeles is a public university located in the southern part of California. Founded in 1919, the university has about 31,000 undergraduate students and is one of the most applied-to universities in the country. Students can apply to UCLA through the UC application which is due on November 30^th for all students. Now let’s take a closer look at applying to UCLA!

The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university that many Empowerly and nationwide students have on their college list. Founded in 1833, the university is known for its strong undergraduate business and engineering schools, as well as having many prestigious graduate programs. Applications are due November 1^st for the priority deadline and on December 1^st for the regular deadline so let’s dive into the application process!

UC Berkeley is a large public research university in California's Bay Area, and last year, its Haas School of Business debuted its Global Management Program (GMP). I've always been passionate about using my skills and resources to make an international social impact, so GMP seemed tailor-made for me.

Wake Forest University is a small liberal arts college in North Carolina. It is currently ranked number 27 on USA Today’s college rankings for 2018.

Our team asked a former Stanford University admissions officer for some helpful college advice for high school students during their college application process. Read below for insider knowledge from a college expert!

 Harvard University has always had an extremely competitive acceptance rate and it is only getting more competitive. Some controversy has recently been uncovered regarding Harvard admissions and a potential bias against Asian Americans due to low personality scores.

In recent years, it seems that many qualified students are being waitlisted by UC schools. A particularly strange aspect of this phenomenon is that the schools that are waitlisting students aren’t the expected ones, such as UC Berkeley and UCLA, but rather schools like UC Davis and UC San Diego. 

I mustered my courage and took one last look at my family as they waved their goodbyes before turning around and walking towards the departure gate. With every step that I took, thoughts came gushing through. Am I ready to leave behind the people I adore, the places I frequented and had become so fond of, and the delicious, exotic cuisine to travel halfway across the globe just to attend college?

My name is Emma and I’m currently a first-year student at UC Berkeley studying Business Administration and Economics. Before I was a Cal Bear, I was a high school student from a suburban town named Sammamish in Washington state.

Upon one’s first visit to Stanford University, it can feel a bit like paradise. Not only does Stanford’s reputation for outstanding academics precede itself, but the university’s sunshine and palm trees give it an appeal unique from its equally elite Ivy League counterparts.