@staycalm123 every school handles admission to certain majors differently. I believe at UW, if your student is accepted to L&S they can declare CS at some point. HOWEVER, you raise a good point…are there certain prereqs they will need to take and get certain grades in to be able to declare the CS major? There might be. I would call admissions and hash this all out because if your student has his/her heart set on being a CS major, then I would make sure they will have this flexibility.
And while your student has the direct admit to Purdue’s program, they may also have to meet certain criteria to remain in the program. That criteria might be the same as UW’s criteria to get in the program (or similar).
I would also look into the strength of the programs, which might be harder to determine. Maybe spend some time on the CS departments’ websites, do some digging on what types of internships students get, where they end up after graduation, etc.
I bet both schools are strong, but one might offer more than the other for the major.
With that said, students often switch majors so the overall fit for the school is also important.
They are both great choices!
Also, as it relates to applying using the example of Psychology vs. CS…if two otherwise equal candidates would be scrutinized the same way. I think generally speaking yes at UW as they claim (not all schools do), but I also think there are times that the intended major is looked at…especially if they are looking at a borderline candidate. They want their students to be able to succeed, so it may be something to take into consideration. Also, if a student puts down a major that might be “easier” to get into (in their mind) if it doesn’t make sense with their background, the admissions committee might sense that and not fall for it.
There is so much minutia to this whole process, and every school/student is unique.