r/CollegeAdmissionsPH

There are a few days left before UPCAT 2026.

I am asking to soothe my nervousness po huhu. I haven't been studying seriously and only studied (half-assed) for 1 month (2 hours daily).

Please feel free to share tips and resources that may help me. Thank you!!

Hello po!

So, nakapasa po ako sa UPD as a DPWAS applicant. Ang program na nakuha ko ay BA Linguistics, but my preferred program talaga is either BSBA or BSBAA. Buti na lang sa UP, you can shift after an academic year (with requirements). Pero knowing na highly sought after and competitive ang program na lilipatan ko, I am quite scared na baka hindi ko ma-meet ang requirement and fail to shift. Honestly, wala naman akong problema sa BA Linguistics kaya lang nasasayangan din ako sa time I spent as an ABM student kasi minahal ko na rin mga accounting concepts and I'm honestly looking forward kahit na alam kong mahirap at nakakabaliw.

On the other hand, I also passed PUP Main pero I am an FCFS passer. Ang enrollment date ko ay second day ng FCFS and PM pa. My target program naman sa PUPM ay either BSMA or BSA.

Now, mas maaga ang enrollment ko UPD. Ang final submission ng requirements is July 6 pero ang sabi raw basta hindi pa nagsisimula ang AFR ng program mo, pwede naman daw. But that doesn't help much since my AFR is July 8 (ngek, eh next week ang PUPM ko). Sayang lang kasi yung ibang program sa CSSP sa July 14 pa.

Ang problema ko, should I enroll in UPD then shift or risk PUPM. Ano po ang suggestion or advice n'yo?

Thank you po in advance!

🌻❤️ | ⭐❤️✊🏻

Hi everyone. I'm asking for advice as a worried mom.

My son was accepted to UPLB. He attended the Bridging Program, moved into his dorm, and was excited at first. However, after a day he experienced severe homesickness and anxiety. He cried constantly, couldn't think clearly, and kept saying he wanted to go home. We eventually decided to bring him home because we were worried about his well-being.

Now that he's back, he says he feels okay again. He wants to study at a state university near our home instead.

The problem is that he's afraid he'll regret letting go of UPLB, while we're afraid that if he returns to UP before he's emotionally ready, his mental health might suffer again.

We're not forcing him either way. We just want to make the best decision for him.

For those who experienced extreme homesickness in UPLB:

• Did it get better after a few weeks or months?
• Was staying in UP worth it despite the difficult adjustment?
• If you were in our situation, would you encourage him to try UPLB again or let him study closer to home?

Any advice from students, alumni, or parents would mean a lot to us.

Thank you very much.

i've always thought i'd take a pre-med course (e.g. nursing) but i have never been passionate enough about it to even envision myself working as a health professional. i'm second-guessing my program choices and i feel like i want to scrap my idea of being in med. i feel like all my family and friends glorified it so much to the point na it's "pre-med or never be well-off" for me na.

can someone recommend other practical courses that will earn as much as pre-med jobs in the future will?

Helloo the school year just started in my school and I enrolled myself to STEM Engr. I've slowly regretted that decision so now I'm planning on shifting to a different strand. The two options I have right now are Communication arts and ICT strand. The one I'm leaning more towards is CA since hilig ko talaga siya and previous SPA student na din ako. Yung ICT strand naman is what my mom wants me to pursue para kapag nag college ayon na daw kunin kong course. Ang problem ko ngayon is I have no idea on what course ang kukunin ko sa college TT so idk if ICT will actually benefit me.

Should I follow my mom's advice or go for CA?

Hello, I'm an upcoming 1st year in state university sa province, and my course is BA Psychology. Planning to transfer in either of them, and shift to BA Philosophy.

And also I have a particular question. From what I know 33 units ang needed na ma-complete to be eligible sa UP. However I only see 23 units here in my Certificate of Registration. Naka-indicate naman yung "first semester" in my COR, but I'm still having doubts whether to trust my guts. Anyways, in case that I really just only have 23 units sa buong 1st year ko, what can I do?

Anyways any advice lang naman, ty!

Hello!! I need help talaga 😭 the flair describes me so well right now lol, im in a dilemma!

Fyi, I'm a grade 10 student in one of the schools that has that "Special Science section" program (I don't know what its called, but it's main focus is STEM) and I'm genuinely struggling to find a suitable senior high school for me.

My top pick was UMak, but I am not a makati resident or a voter. From what I've read, UMak does not accept non-makati residents so I'm also really bummed out 🥲.

I want to go somewhere a little far (i live in manila) for senior high because I want a fresh start, and I want to pursue STEM pa especially biology,

so what are some good schools around QC and Makati? Or if you guys have any other suggestions, can you guys tell me? 🥲

Hello, I'm a second year BS Mechanical Engineering student with plans to shift to BSBA Financial Management, or courses similar to it (just not accountancy). Engineering was never my dream, and I struggled a lot with the major classes (moreso the abstract problems, mass amounts of formulas to memorize, and calculus) and kept things to myself in my first year. So after telling my parents that I wanted to shift now, they were heartbroken. Which I really do understand, it's my fault for only telling them now.

I'm currently enrolled at a "prestigious university" that both my parents and all my other relatives graduated from. My father apparently told my mother that he didn't plan on paying for my tuition anymore, so if I really planned on shifting then I should transfer to a state university.

A lot happened, but basically it felt like a downgrade to them and embarrassing on their parts. My mom was worried about my employment after graduation. Especially with the rise of AI. And coming from a prestigious college daw earns you respect in the workplace, which employers consider before an interview daw.

TL;DR: My question is, are state universities "bad" compared to private universities? Do they actually guarantee interviews and employment after graduation, or do employers look for people who come from prestigious universities?

EDIT (7/4/2026): Hello, I am not located in Luzon, so I'm not a student from the Big 4 universities. I am actually from Visayas. LET'S GO MGA BISAYA! I say "prestigious university" because back then during my parents' era, the university I'm currently enrolled in used to have quality education with professors from Harvard and Yale. However, that was only really around the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's. Now, the education is subpar, as the good instructors actually opt to teach at the state university I'm thinking of transferring to because of the better benefits and wage it offers. Haha, so many professors would protest every year to demand better benefits and better pay for the service they do for the institution. I joined them one of their protests back in senior high.

hi! i’m an incoming g11 from a regional pisay campus and i’m hoping to apply for intarmed. i wanted to ask for honest opinions from current intarmed students/qualifiers.

here’s my academic background:

g7: 1.50
g8: 1.44
g9: 1.47
g10: 1.36
aiming to improve even more in g11 (hopefully)

i’ve also joined various competitions throughout high school, although i wouldn’t say i have outstanding leadership. my leadership positions were:

g7: sgt. at arms
g8: pio
g9: none
g10: none
not planning to join the student council bcs i feel like the workload is tremendously gonna take a toll on my grades & mental health 🥲

my teachers have described me as diligent, and my friends would probably say the same. i genuinely enjoy studying and have always taken academics seriously.
i have a few questions:

- based on my profile, do i have a realistic shot at intarmed? i’m not from pisay main campus, so i’m wondering if that significantly affects my chances.
for those who got in, what did your profile look like (gwa, extracurriculars, leadership, awards, etc.)?
- i’m also considering applying to universities abroad that offer full-ride scholarships. my grades are fairly strong, but i know my leadership isn’t as impressive as many applicants’. should i still give it a shot, or would i realistically be at too much of a disadvantage?
- for context, i’m from mindanao and come from a middle-income family, so i can’t really commit to private universities in the philippines unless i receive substantial scholarships.

i’d really appreciate honest feedback. i don’t mind hearing that i need to improve, i just want a realistic idea of where i stand. thanks!

incoming g11 here, torn between studying abroad or here in the philippines (planning one of the big 4)..

i’m willing to apply to as many colleges abroad. should i start preparing for SATs and CETs as well to guarantee top notch rankings or should i enjoy the rest of my school years and prepare in the summer of g11?

I'm currently in 10th grade but im already wondering which is better to pursue considering the current economic stateof our country. I'm wondering which one will support me better head on since ive heard that both pays well but they have their own cons. Which one should i take the risk for?

I heard na toxic daw environment when working as a lawyer cuz of nepotism and stuff, meanwhile kapag geology naman daw, it's hard to find like a job daw since the spot for the good ones rarely open. I know I still have senior high to finish and that i shouldn't be stressing out about this stuff muna pero i just want a clear path for me before I go to college which is like in what 2 yrs probably hehe

Hello po! Ask ko lang po sana if same ba talaga yung structure ng mga questions sa day 1&2, or may mga questions talaga na lumalabas na halos pareho, like word-for-word? 😅 Nabasa ko rin po kasi sa ibang posts na may ilan na nagsasabi na may certain questions daw na pareho sa both days(and i think thats rlly unfair huhu). Curious lang po ako kung totoo ba 'yon or baka same concepts lang pero may differences pa rin naman between the two days. Huhu.

Additional questions na rin po sana 😭:

1. Ikaw po ba yung makakapili ng test day mo, or sila talaga ang mag-a-assign?

2. Totoo po ba talaga na umaabot ng 4–5 pages yung isang passage sa Reading Comprehension? Huhuhu.

Thank you po sa sasagot, and sorry po sa daming tanong! ✌🏻🥹

Hello! I’m a Filipino who graduates high school abroad, pero planning to go college sa Philippines.

Quick context: Kinuha lang kami ng parents ko na nasa abroad(not permanent permanent residence),
So mas mahal tuition for international students. Because of that, I will be studying college in the Philippines

Because of my situation, I might get automatic admission sa UPLB/UPM. Pero afaik, I can only get into non-quota courses.

Ang advice sakin is: pumasa sa non-quota course first, then mag-shift later sa preferred pre-med course like BS Biology or maybe BS Pharmacy sa UPM.

Kaso yung concern ko is I don’t think I can maintain the high grades needed para makapag-shift successfully. Like realistic ako sa sarili ko na average lang ako. Plus, hindi pa naman sure na makakapasa ako sa UP.

Other option is PUP, where I can directly take BS Biology.

My concern is taking a BS Biology degree alone. What jobs can you actually get with just a BS Biology degree in the Philippines? Kasi honestly, mixed yung nakikita ko online and here on Reddit. Most people say limited daw job prospects unless mag-med school or further studies.

I’m not fully sure if I want to go to medical school…….😭 two of my aunts are pushing me to become a doctor and sila na raw bahala sa expenses non.

Background:
My parents had me when they were teens, and lumaki talaga ako with the help of my mom’s siblings. Parang second parents ko na sila. Most of them are in their 30s, single, no kids. My father works as a construction worker, and my mother as a pharmacy staff/assistant abroad. (Okay nga sahod pero yung cost of living kasi dito 😭😭)

Just like every other typical pinoy family, I was kind of influenced (or pressured tbh) into wanting to become a doctor growing up. I don’t hate the idea of becoming a doctor, kasi wala rin naman akong ibang strong passion, pero super hesitant ako about med school 😭

If I go to med school, titas lahat magbabayad—tuition, expenses, everything. So basically dependent pa rin ako sakanila after college.
(Unless I can get a stable job with a stand alone BS Biology degree???? Meron ba 😭)

Ang priority ko talaga is to work on a stable career and maging financially independent, as soon as I graduate. (Para din makabawi sa pamilya ko.)
So I’m thinking baka BS Pharmacy is better?

If BS Pharmacy, parents ko ang magbabayad ng tuitions ko at iniisip ko rin ang dalawa kong kapatid. Last time they told me maganda ang Saint Louis University as a back up. This was before we found out I can only take non-quota courses sa UP. (akala ko I can go for BS Pharmacy in UPM).

(Feeling ko talaga ang entitled ko hehdhshfnefjxjrj)

So yun I’m basically torn between free tuitions in
UP/PUP vs course with a high cost tuition fee that I actually wanna take. Mas bet ko talaga BS Pharmacy kasi nga yun, mas direct.

I overheard my aunts saying na better mag UP or PUP kasi masyado raw expensive ang private universities.

Siguro if ever mag PUP/UP ako, maybe mas maganda if hindi BS Biology? If ganon, what courses in the medical field can I take that has a clear career pathway like BS Pharmacy?

Sorry ang gulo, hindi ko lang talaga alam plano ko sa buhay at sobrang nerbyosa ko nowadays 😭 especially since graduate na ako in October and I go back to the Philippines around February. (Parang minsan im getting the vibe na ayaw ako pakawalan ni mama or maging independent for college jk)

Hello! This is my exact dilemma rn. I'm currently a freshie here in this small school and I'd love to hear your guys' opinion on this? Kasi honestly, I'm getting a bit discouraged and considering shifting to a different course😓🙏🏽

Hello, I am F 24, and is a college drop out, who is planning to transfer but haven’t been back at university for 6 years.

Context:

I dropped out of college because of my depression, and over the years my depression got worse that’s why I was unable to get back at university. There’s few times that I tried going back to university as a transferee, but unfortunately I was rejected again and again. I give up at that university, but I do not know if I should be back to study this year. I am generally confuse and I do not know if I should study again.

I feel like I am too old to be back at university, and sometimes I feel ashamed. For now I am looking for new university to apply to, around Manila and Pampangga. But I don’t know if I can still keep up at the applications before the semester starts. If I get rejected again by other universities this year, should I try again to apply, or should I just give up for now, and just work?

Hello po, sabi nila maganda ang ie and it has a lot of opportunities, pero ang nakikita ko kasi is galing sila sa UP, UST, pup, and mapua. Kamusta naman po yung hindi galing sa schools na yan?

I’m currently interested on bsie pero I can’t afford those schools(also I can’t go to UP cuz I didn’t apply for upcat) and may mga nababasa akong dapat maganda rin yung school na pupuntahan po if bsie ka. I’m afraid that the opportunities that they’re mentioning is only applicable for those schools kaya nagdadalawang isip po ako 🥹

Besides those schools, what schools can you recommend pa po?

Ps. Plan ko sana SLU kaso idk ba if okay siya

Supposed to be an incoming 3rd year na sana but im planning to shift to Marketing Management program this upcoming school year.

At first medyo naganahan ako when i found out what the type of subjects are like studying consumer behavior, analyzing and strategizing products, branding, campaigning, advertising, etc since medyo naka allign yun sa niche and interests ko unlike sa last course ko. Plus confident din ako sa video editing, filming, video conceptualizing, and of course graphic designing, all of which ay self taught and continously improving pa yung skills at craft ko dun, lalo na sa video editing. Extremely big asset daw ang mga ito sa digital marketing, commercials, and advertising which i have already made contents before and has been heavily acknowledged by my previous department and my close friends as high quality and professional level naman daw.

Kaso lately these days i can't help but sometimes be anxious if worth it ba tong i-pursue. From what i've heard kasi, other programs like psych and lalo na abcomm or honestly any other programs daw ay makakapasok din naman pala sa marketing jobs. And whats worse is that usually ang tinitingnan ng mga hiring managers sa resume daw sa marketing ay kung maganda ba yung school (like big 4), otherwise mahirap daw makapasok.

To be fair, i know im very confident sa skills na namentioned ko, and im hoping dun magfocus hiring managers since ayun pride ko. Since throughout my 2 previous years in college, tanging ayung skills lang ang nakikita kong career path for me, naisip ko na since self taught ang mga iyon, might as well continue to improve it and create more content for my portfolio (which actually may mga laman na) AND at the same time i-study yung fundamentals and principles of business as well as the theories and strategies of marketing branding para mas tumpak yung gagawin kong commercials.

Ang wino-worry ko lang ay yung job market and if gaano kalawak yung opportunities or careers sa course na ito kunsakaling di ako makapasok sa marketing team ng company.

For graduates of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Marketing, kumusta na kayo ngayon? Gaano kahirap itong course and ano yung luck niyo sa mga careers niyo today?

EDIT : forgot to mention that the reason for shifting ay dissatisfaction with the previous course program and disallignment ng mga subjects sa envisioned career path and interests ko.

for other attempted course options :

● Psychology.

• honestly my real passion when it comes sa topic but dead end sa career path ko.

● Multimedia Arts

• if freshman palang ako then this would be a suitable choice and ang tunay na nag align sa interest ko, but the nearest one sa akin ay 2 rides away plus sayang yung time spent kung yung matutunan ko lang naman uli ay yung naself taught ko at nagawan ko na ng contents before.

● Communications

• subjects like journalism, theater, broadcasting and the other subjects na nakita ko sa curriculum do not align with my interests.