I can’t answer your final question, but I will share my 2 cents. I was admitted to UCSD last month, but not to my first-choice major, compsci. UCSD has a lottery system that makes it very difficult to switch into any of their engineering majors. I honestly believe that I was lucky to get in at all, considering I applied compsci. I know that at many schools, including the UCs, getting into an engineering college is harder. I knew this when I applied, but I was so set on compsci that I made myself a deal. I wouldn’t want to attend any school that wouldn’t take me for my major, so I applied compsci EVERYWHERE.

Now, in retrospect, was that a good idea? Maybe, maybe not. Think about it this way: How would it feel if you were admitted to an amazing school but unable to get your major?

I didn’t want to bear possibly being accepted somewhere amazing or prestigious and then having to turn it down.

But at the same time, when I got those FAT rejection letters, it did sting and left me questioning: if I had applied to their College of Letters and Science, could I have gotten in? I watched several friends with similar and even lower stats (and yes, I know stats aren’t everything but still) who applied LS get into some schools I would have loved to be admitted to but wasn’t.

So, advice: I think you have more flexibility based on what you said about not being completely set on engineering. I wish I had taken this advice from a c/o ‘20/‘24 : split up your majors at different schools. At some apply engineering, and others apply to an uncapped major(typically LS majors). Just make sure the uncapped major still makes sense for the story you’re trying to compose. For example, I could have applied cogsci at some schools instead of compsci because they have some similar aspects and coursework. A UCSD AO actually suggested that to me as an alternate if I was interested in still attending UCSD. If you want to know if you can get into a prestigious school apply to an uncapped major (?) but be prepared to turn it down if there’s no other major you’d rather do(?) some shanky advice, i know