Academic Center for Exploratory Students

ACES academic advising is facilitated by a team of professional advisors whose role is to support students through their academic journeys; this includes major exploration, course selection, and University/campus navigation. We view advising as a collaborative partnership between students and advisors. Our advisors are here to teach and empower students to be independent decision makers and self-advocates as they pursue their unique educational, professional, and personal goals. ACES advisors are generalists and are knowledgeable about all of the UConn majors. We are well-connected to our campus partners and assist students in forming relationships with additional UConn resources and support services.

Each student in ACES is assigned an ACES advisor with whom they will work until they transition into a major. All new UConn students starting in the ACES program will first meet with an ACES advisor during their New Student Orientation session to discuss their interests and course registration. Some ACES students, depending on academic and credit standing, are then required to meet with their assigned advisor prior to course registration for the following semester; this includes first-year students, first-semester transfer students, and students on academic notice. However, students are encouraged to meet with their ACES advisor (or any advisor on the ACES team) as often as they find necessary to help them be successful at UConn.

At UConn, there is technically no deadline to declare a major. However, our goal is to try and keep you on track to enter a major by your third year to ensure you graduate on time. While a majority of majors at UConn are open-access and can be declared at any time, there are the exceptions that are application-based. Your time in ACES will really depend on which major you choose to pursue, and where you are at in terms of the courses you have taken thus far. We have some students in ACES for one semester, and others for two years. It’s different for everyone.

If you noted on your UConn application that you were interested in a professional or application-based restricted major, you were most likely put into ACES because you did not meet the admissions criteria for direct entry into that major. You will now work with your ACES advisor to remain on track to be eligible to apply to that major as an internal UConn applicant, if you still choose to pursue that interest. If you have questions about why you were not directly admitted into your major of choice, please contact UConn's Office of Undergraduate Admissions, as the ACES program does not take part in that evaluation process.

Find more information about the Internal Admissions Procedures for Application-Based Majors. Please note that admission to application-based majors is not guaranteed.

ACES advisors will work with you from day one to discuss all of your options, including parallel plans for majors that have an application and are thus not guaranteed. A parallel plan is another option for a major that will still lead you to your ultimate long-term goals. In many cases, your choice for an undergraduate major will not have as much of an impact on your employability as other factors, such as the experiences you have during college, the connections that you make, and the transferable skills that you develop. A majority of jobs and graduate programs do not give preference to what your undergraduate major is, so you have options! You will work with your ACES advisor to create a plan that works best for you.

UConn has an interactive resource for major and career exploration called The Major Experience (TME). On there, you will find information about all of the majors UConn offers, student TME Mentors you can connect with to learn more about their majors, and a variety of tools and resources designed to support your exploration. If you need a place to start, we recommend completing the virtual Major Elimination Activity!

English Guided Placement Survey (GPS): While taking the English GPS is advised for all students to help determine readiness for UConn writing courses, it is only required for international students and/or non-native speakers of English who have not yet earned UConn credits for First-Year Writing courses.

Math Placement Exam (MPE): This depends on the major(s) you may be interested in. STEM majors at UConn (e.g., Engineering, Mathematics, Health Sciences, Physical Sciences, Math Education) require a qualifying score on the MPE to be able to register for MATH 1060Q (Pre-Calculus), MATH 1131Q (Calculus I), and MATH 1132Q (Calculus II). If you are even slightly considering a STEM major, it is advised to take the MPE to determine readiness for the UConn MATH courses required for these programs.

• Note: If you are transferring in credit for MATH 1060Q (Pre-Calculus) and/or MATH 1131Q (Calculus I) and you plan to pursue a major that requires MATH 1132Q (Calculus II), you will still need to take the MPE and earn a qualifying score to be able to register for MATH 1132Q (Calculus II).
• Note: If you are considering a major related to Economics or Business, it is recommended to take the Math Placement Exam to gauge preparedness for quantitative coursework in these majors.

Chemistry Placement Exam (CPE): This depends on the major(s) you may be interested in. If you are even slightly considering a STEM major (e.g., Engineering, Mathematics, Health Sciences, Physical Sciences, Science Education), it is advised to take the CPE to determine readiness for the UConn CHEM courses required for these programs.

When in doubt, it is safest to take the placement exams, just to keep your options open! New students are advised to take the placement exams before they attend a New Student Orientation session to best prepare for the course registration process. More information about UConn's placement exams can be found on the UConn Placement Website.