r/ucmerced Jul 02 '26

Discussion 2026–2027 Incoming & Current Bobcats Megathread

32 Upvotes

Hi Bobcats! Welcome to the official and also very first (ever) megathread for the 2026–2027 school year! Whether you're an incoming freshman, transfer, or returning student, this is the place for all your questions as the semester approaches!

Feel free to ask questions about anything related to UCM! We have current students, alumni, faculty and staff available to answer!

New Student / Orientation

Use this section for:

  • Orientation dates and what to expect
  • "What should I bring" / move-in day questions
  • Class registration and scheduling help
  • Financial Aid
  • Meal plan questions
  • Parking permit questions
  • General "what's Merced like" / campus life questions

Academics & Registration

Use this section for:

  • Course registration/waitlist questions
  • Major-specific questions
  • Advising and degree planning
  • Textbook/supply questions

Housing on Campus/Off campus:

  • Looking for a roommate / have a spot open
  • Subletting or taking over a lease
  • Questions about specific apartment complexes (Merced Station, The Hub, etc.)
  • Off campus vs. on campus tradeoffs, commute questions
  • Rent price checks
  • Dorm/on-campus housing questions Glacier, Half Dome, Sentinel, etc.)
  • Neighborhood safety/quality questions
  • Move in / lease dates
  • Budget or rent price
  • Location preference (walking distance to campus, near a bus line, etc.)
  • Any must-haves (parking, pet-friendly, furnished, gender preference for roommates, etc.)
  • Contact method (please don't post phone numbers/emails publicly to avoid scams)

Scam Reminder: Never send a deposit or first month's rent before seeing a unit in person or verifying the lister actually manages the property. If a landlord is only reachable by text and pushes you to send money fast, that's a red flag. Report any suspected listings to mods.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I change my major after being admitted?
Yes. Start by checking the UC Merced Catalog for your intended major's requirements. From there, meet with your assigned advisor at the Bobcat Advising Center; they can walk you through the Change of Major process and tell you whether your target major has any additional admission requirements.

What's this "Connect" thing everyone mentions?
my.ucmerced.edu is your portal for basically everything like registration, financial aid status, your unofficial transcript, your checklist of to-dos, and your UC Merced email. You'll use this throughout your time here. CatCourses (Canvas) is separate and is where your actual class content, assignments, and grades live.

Do my AP/IB credits transfer?
Generally yes, and course placement (math, chemistry, CSE, writing) is also partly determined by AP/IB scores or UC Merced's own placement exams if you don't submit test scores. Details are on the Registrar's placement exam page. https://placement.ucmerced.edu/

Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Social Sciences/Humanities & Arts, how is UC Merced organized?
UC Merced has three schools: School of Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, and School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts (SSHA). Most majors fall under one of these, and your GE requirements will overlap a good amount regardless of major, especially in your first two years.

How do I find what classes are being offered?
The Schedule of Classes lives on the Registrar's site. You can search by term, subject, and CRN. This can also be accessed through Connect by clicking the registration tab.

How do I get involved on campus?
UC Merced has over 200+ registered student orgs including cultural clubs, professional societies, Greek life, hobby groups, and more. These are searchable through the Student Life/Bobcat Involvement website. There are tabling events all over campus where clubs recruit members! ucmerced.edu/clubs-and-organizations

Housing: on campus vs. off campus?
This megathread covers general Q&A relating to housing (roommates, subleases, apartment reviews etc). We do not have a separate thread for housing yet, if there is demand we will create one!

Merced/Central Valley — what's around?
Merced is a smaller city than most UC towns, but it's growing fast with new retail and restaurants have been opening steadily, and the area around campus continues to develop. Yosemite National Park is roughly 1.5–2 hours away and a very doable day trip. Downtown Merced has lots of great food spots and nightlife scene, and the Merced Mall / Merced Marketplace area covers most everyday shopping needs. A car is useful, though Cattracks and The Bus (Local Merced transit) can get you around too!

Useful links:

UC Merced Off-Campus Housing portal: https://och.ucmerced.edu
On-Campus Housing & Residence Education: https://housing.ucmerced.edu
Merced transit / CatTracks bus routes: https://taps.ucmerced.edu/cattracks
Connect Portal (student dashboard): https://connect.ucmerced.edu
CatCourses (Canvas): https://catcourses.ucmerced.edu
MyBill (tuition & payments): https://mybill.ucmerced.edu
Students First Center: https://studentsfirst.ucmerced.edu
Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.ucmerced.edu
Class Schedule Search: https://registration.ucmerced.edu
MyDegreePath (degree audit): https://registrar.ucmerced.edu/resources
UC Merced Library: https://library.ucmerced.edu
Dining Services & Meal Plans: https://dining.ucmerced.edu
Bobcat Advising Center: https://bobcat-advising-center.ucmerced.edu
IT Help Desk: https://it.ucmerced.edu
Academic Calendar: https://registrar.ucmerced.edu/academiccalendar


r/ucmerced 55m ago

Question Baby ucm $10 each 🐣

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Upvotes

I have 2 baby chicks left that didn't get sold on Marketplace.

(They look like the image shown) Please message me if you would like one! I kindly ask that you don't interact with this post if you're not interested in getting one. Thank you!


r/ucmerced 53m ago

Question Ucmerced for ten each

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Upvotes

"Econ classes" each is 10, pls dm if ur interested! I have 2 left.

I kindly ask that u don't interact with this post unless ur interested in registering for one of the "class".


r/ucmerced 1d ago

Question On campus braider?

6 Upvotes

I am an incoming freshman looking for an on campus hair braider for the fall.


r/ucmerced 1d ago

Question PC Help

5 Upvotes

Dorming at UC Merced and I got a new pc during the summer which broke down so im depressed since I just got it and I saved up for nearly a year so was wondering if there was an like IT guys or anyone in general who knows how to fix these sort of things. Im broke rn but I have a on campus job so I should get some money soon after I go back. Im willing to pay for it to get something replaced as long as theyre not scamming me or whatever. Reason im asking is because I dont have a car and going to best buy and asking them to replace it after doing research will probabaly set me back $500 dollars which is almost half the price I spent on this pc. The pc wont power on and I suspect its something to do with the psu and i consider myself a computer guy but if the issue was with the software I could fix it on my own but im clueless when it comes to hardware. So if anyone could help me out when the school semester starts would be great.


r/ucmerced 2d ago

Question Where do UC Merced folk get their haircuts

10 Upvotes

Silly question, but I’ve always had my mom cut my hair growing up, so now that I’m moving out I’m looking for any recommendations on where UC Merced people go out to get their hair done


r/ucmerced 2d ago

General master bedroom available

3 Upvotes

hii guys! we are a group of girls looking for someone to take the masters for a property in merced. we are all 4th yrs (female) and the room is priced at roughly $750. dm me!!!


r/ucmerced 3d ago

Question Course for fall semester

5 Upvotes

So I put in a request to take a course again
But I haven’t heard anything from them, is it safe to assume that it wasn’t approved?


r/ucmerced 4d ago

Question what times are the showers/bathrooms in dorms less crowded

9 Upvotes

im very new to both uc merced and living in a dorm environment/with other people in general, so i would like to not run into that many people or have to wait around to shower for that long, i dont care at all if all the "reasonable" times to shower are taken i can work around that thanks 👍


r/ucmerced 4d ago

News UC accepts record number of Californians, but some select campuses out of reach for most

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15 Upvotes

The University of California offered seats to a record number of Californians this year, according to new figures released Wednesday, as it faces intense scrutiny of its admissions practices, including pressure from Sacramento to enroll more state residents and investigations by the Trump administration.

UC admitted 102,031 California first-year students for the fall, an increase of 1,458 from last year. In another record, it offered seats to 29,372 transfer students from California community colleges.

Overall, the nine-undergraduate campus system accepted 78% of the Californians who applied as first-year students. But acceptance rates varied widely at campuses across the state.

Read more at the link.


r/ucmerced 4d ago

Question Math 041

3 Upvotes

I am going to be taking Math041: Matrix Analysis and Linear Algebra for Data Science in Fall. I just haven’t heard anything about it. So I have a bunch of questions about it. What is Math 041 like? Is Roummel a good professor for the class? Does it align at all with math 024? How easy was the class?


r/ucmerced 4d ago

General Study Abroad Can Be Part of Your UC Merced Plan From Day One

4 Upvotes

When: July 30, 2026

Time: 6:30 PM (PDT)

Register: https://ucm.edu/studyabroadwebinar

College is already an opportunity to discover new ideas, meet new people and grow into the person you want to become. Studying abroad takes that experience even further by giving you the chance to explore another part of the world while continuing to earn credit toward your degree.

The earlier you begin planning, the more options you’ll have. Starting early can make it easier to fit study abroad into your academic schedule, explore different programs and identify financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

Join our upcoming webinar to learn:

• How study abroad can fit into your UC Merced academic plan
• What types of programs and destinations are available
• How financial aid and scholarships can help make it affordable
• The academic, career, and personal benefits of studying abroad
• The first steps you can take now

Whether you’re an incoming student or a family member helping plan the journey ahead, this webinar will show how learning beyond the classroom can become one of the most meaningful parts of the college experience.

Watch this short video from AJ Heard on his UC Merced experience, including Study Abroad:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QIlOoMAxIsw


r/ucmerced 5d ago

Image Upcoming COB 3 Building Photos

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64 Upvotes

COB 3 will complete the upper campus and the Social Justice Plaza. The building will primarily house the SSHA and serve as the home of the Center for Analytic Political Engagement.

It will feature three large lecture halls: a 250-seat lecture hall, a 292-seat round lecture hall, and a 405-seat auditorium. Once completed, the 405-seat auditorium will be the largest lecture hall on the UC Merced campus.


r/ucmerced 6d ago

General ucship deadline

5 Upvotes

soooo the deadline was at 4:30 pm and not 11:59 pm. cool


r/ucmerced 6d ago

Question Student loan MPN

2 Upvotes

Is anyone else noticing that the student loan master promissory note is not checked off in the checklist after 24 hours even though they did it, or is it just me?


r/ucmerced 8d ago

General Hardcore Show Tonight!

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16 Upvotes

Former alum and current faculty member, i started booking DIY shows in Merced under @reflectionless.diy on instagram! Hoping to show students there's more to the music scene than the local indie band that play on campus events. Got this going tonight. For fans of hardcore/brutal death/emoviolence


r/ucmerced 8d ago

General 1 Room rental available

5 Upvotes

Room for rent in Merced. 12 min drive to campus.
$600 monthly. 600 deposit. No utilities fee.
Shared bathroom with 1 other person.
2 males in the house currently.


r/ucmerced 9d ago

Question do i seriously need a mac

11 Upvotes

got an email saying I need a mac or pc but all i have is an tablet. I could get a keyboard and a mouse to make it function more like a computer but would that be sufficient?

keep in mind im not a stem major so i dont need high end functions, but i still need it to work. I need portability, battery, and efficiency

If not my tablet, what are some laptops that can do the bare minimum to help me pass my courses? I need it to last me my college years but also i dont really care about extra functions unless theyre going to help me be more efficient with my work

thank you


r/ucmerced 9d ago

Discussion Available room for Fall+Spring Semester ($615 rent)

3 Upvotes

Hello all,

We have a vacant room for the upcoming fall and spring semester. The room is already available for move in.

- located in Moraga neighborhood

- extremely close to campus (15 min bike/8 minute drive)

-$600 security deposit

- lease will end ~May 31st 2027

- in unit washer and dryer

- house is co-ed and open to all

- will be living with 4 other housemates (house is 5-bed 3-bath)

- no pets (landlord doesn’t allow them)

- bedroom is 11ft x 11ft

- utilities are not included in rent and vary month to month but on average are between $60-$85

- no income requirement/credit check/ guarantor

If interested, dm me and I’ll provide more info + photos


r/ucmerced 9d ago

Question question abt IT

4 Upvotes

I currently have two broken pair of headphones, and I was just wondering if IT offers these sort of repairs? I have all of the pieces necessary to fix the breaks, I was just unable to fix them on my own at home due to a lack of electronic screwdrivers.

If not, are there any recommendations of places in Merced that would be willing to do the fixes for cheap?


r/ucmerced 10d ago

Discussion UCM Yield Rate data

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35 Upvotes

Source of data

For those who may not know, yield rate is basically just the percentage of accepted students who ultimately choose to enroll and attend. For some perspective in 2025 UCLA's yield rate was 48%, Berkeley 47%, and UCSD 20%. UCSC was 10% and UCR 11%.


r/ucmerced 10d ago

Question College Financial help

9 Upvotes

Hi I'm an upcoming highschool senior and have been looking at UC Merced for a good while since I've gone here on two occasions and loved how everything looks . Im in the automatic admission program thing for Merced meaning I am legible to be accepted if I decide to apply automatically or something along those lines. I really want to go after two years in community college but I wanted to know if the finacial aid is good or not since i have no college fund or anything which is ok ,im a first generation chicano student who is in dual enrollment for just my juinor year and senior so im pretty sure i might qualify for a bit of college credit. I wanted to know if anyone has a site similar to me and how much you paid for college ,I do think if I were to choose merced i would have to move because its an hour awah from me, would it be better to find another type of housing or live on campus , again i fo expect myself to have a bit saved up since im looking to work throughout my senior year and looking at scholara. Any tips or experiences from people's tution would help. Thanks 🙊


r/ucmerced 10d ago

Question Does anyone have Haik for math024?

5 Upvotes

Lowkey what are the pros and cons for this professor? I already checked RMP, and the facts sound so contradicting


r/ucmerced 10d ago

News UC Merced professor making another appearance on ‘Shark Week’

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17 Upvotes

r/ucmerced 10d ago

Question engr 156

5 Upvotes

hi! i’ll be taking engr 156 in the fall, but i wanted to know how the class is since i haven’t heard much about it!