Choosing a college is the easy part. Eventually you have to pick a major, plan a degree path, sort through the requirements and decide which courses to take. With expert academic advising and a staff eager to help, UConn's Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES) will help you determine the best route to your selected field of study.

ACES is UConn's academic advising program in which more than 1/3 of all entering students are enrolled. Some students are exploring their academic choices, while others plan to apply to specific Schools later in their academic careers.

ACES is also the academic home of UConn’s pre-professional majors. Students planning to apply to the Neag School of Education or School of Pharmacy are listed as “pre” majors within ACES. Pre-professional majors apply to their School of interest during the spring semester of their sophomore year.

One of the most important decisions you'll make as a student is your choice of major – and ACES will help.

Each student enrolled in ACES is assigned a professional academic advisor. You can rely on your ACES advisor to work closely with you to create an individual academic plan based on your interests and goals. Like all new UConn students, you will spend your first semesters focusing on a variety of general education courses. With the help of your advisor, you will remain on track to graduate with your entering class.

As an ACES student, you can schedule meetings with your assigned advisor throughout the semester or visit with any advisor in the ACES office without an appointment. First-year ACES students meet with their advisor at least once each semester.

We encourage you to declare a major no later than your fourth semester; however, many students select a major within their first year at UConn.

What are people saying about UConn’s Academic Center for Exploratory Students?

“My advisor put so much effort into helping me decide what I wanted to do. I worked a lot with my advisor in considering what my interests were and the direction I wanted to take.” – Elena Bourgoing, a UConn student who transitioned to a major in human development & family studies

“ACES was invaluable in helping me transition into the School of Pharmacy.” – Gurbhej S. Cheema, pharmacy major

“My advisor in ACES helped me a lot with picking classes and not getting overwhelmed. I am now in the School of Business with a major in marketing and a minor in economics.” – Leah Paikin

“ACES is a program that specializes in helping students reach their goals. We help students look at how they can apply what they know about themselves and their interests and translate that into a major option at UConn.” – Donna Hryn, ACES Director of Advising