Educated Nation commented on the New York Times article claiming that some students were taking a backdoor approach to getting into college. That is, applying to a less competitive program within a university and then transferring into a more competitive one.

To see what the scoop was on this at UC Berkeley, I caught up with a few undergrads and asked some questions. Here’s what I found out:

Getting into college can be tricky business. UC Berkeley freshman Daren Blevins is a math major, but he’s known since high school that he wanted to study engineering at Cal. That’s what he intends to do, but it never would have happened if he had not employed some subterfuge.

Feeling that his chances for admission were poor in bioengineering, he applied as a math major. It worked — just as it has for an increasing number of students trying to gain admission into selective universities, according to a recent New York Times article.

“I figured I’d apply to something everyone else wasn’t applying to so I’d have a better chance of getting in,” said Blevins, who is already taking engineering classes.

Freshman Kristina Fayer said Blevins’ strategy made sense. “When you’re applying they tell you engineering and chemistry are really selective and hard to get into,” she said.

At UC Berkeley, the average SAT score for this fall’s freshman class fell between 1790 and 2160 out of 2400, according to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.

And SAT scores within individual colleges at Cal indicate that selectivity varies. In Fall 2006, SAT score for the College of Letters and Science was 1953. That compares to 1892 for the College of Environmental Design; and 1842 in the College of Natural Resources.

In Fall 2005, 75 percent of freshman in the College of Engineering had an SAT Math Score above 700. In stark contrast, only 25 percent of students in the College of Environmental Design had a Math Score above 720.

But Cal students who have been around longer said that most undergraduates change majors simply because they are trying to find one they like, and sometimes that requires a little moving around.

Sophomore Mary Mayeda switched from the more selective College of Letters & Sciences to the less selective College of Natural Resources because it offers the attention she needs.

“CNR is really small and we have advisors who can focus on students. People don’t get lost in the numbers,” she said, referring to the department by its acronym.

Sophomore Kristen Johannessen has a friend who recently transferred into a competitive engineering major, though it was not a premeditated move, she said.

“She just realized that it was what she wanted to do,” said Johannessen.

The flow goes both ways, said Robert Giomi, Associate Dean of Student Services in the College of Engineering. About 10 percent of freshman engineering students switch majors every year when they realize that their passions lie elsewhere. About 75 students apply for transfer into engineering every year, and about 65 make the cut, he said.

“A small fraction of students who know competition in engineering is stiff are taking the backdoor approach,” said Cindy Manly-Fields, an undergraduate advisor in the bioengineering department, with regard to the major-changing students she sees.

Students must determine whether they want to study engineering during their freshman year said Manly-Fields. “The problem is with engineering is you already have to have taken the courses. You can’t decide on engineering your sophomore year, it could set you back,” she said.

Yet, she sees many students coming into bioengineering during their sophomore year. These students must have settled on engineering at least a year prior, Manly-Fields wagered.

“But I get all kinds of reasons,” she said. “Some of these students are undeclared engineering majors.”

Gimio also warned that student attempts to play the strategy game could backfire.

“It would be easier [for students] if they had applied directly to the College [of Engineering] as freshman. Once they are here they are graded on performance in college at Berkeley, which is often not as good as their high school performance,” he said.

Incoming freshmen intent on coming to Cal still feel otherwise, said Brad Speer, a freshman this year.

“I’ve seen this pattern of behavior a few times,” said Speer. “It’s kind of like a last resort to get in if UCB is a first choice school for someone.”

Speer’s friend, a current senior in high school, is applying to Berkeley as an electrical engineering major but plans to switch to a more selective major later on.

The backdoor game might be less common at Cal as it is at other schools because the admission’s variations between departments are less sharp.

In 2005, education and music programs at Vanderbilt had a 44 percent admit rate versus a 31 percent admit rate in liberal arts programs. Some applicants capitalized on this difference. “The cute phrase they use down there is Chopin-ing your way in,” Howard Greene, a consultant told The New York Times.

Blevins, the freshman math major, who plans to move into bioengineering is still betting that his strategy will work for him.

Nevertheless, he said, he’ll wait until next year to apply to engineering. “I heard a lot of freshman try this and get denied. It’s better to apply in your second year,” he said.

Posted by Sindya Bhanoo
Backdoor Admissions|Admissions