Does the major I apply to matter? What if I don’t know what I want to study?
Will my major choice change my chances?
Students and parents have many questions about the role of major choice in the college admissions process. While we believe there’s plenty of room for changing your mind and pursuing a range of interests in college, there’s something to be said for thinking about majors of interest early and often.
Read on for what we want every high school student and parent to know about high school majors & why this is something to think about sooner than later –
Colleges evaluate applications in context:
Context is everything in college admissions. One key piece of information admissions officers look to to gain context are the major and career interests a student articulates on their application. Admissions readers will use a student’s intended major or stated future career interest as a lens through which to evaluate the application. This means that a student’s declaration of interest directs the evaluator’s attention: it gives the reader a sense of which courses, rigor, grades and test scores to focus on as most important to understanding a student’s preparation for their field. If a student says they are interested in a STEM field, strong scores in math on the SAT or ACT, and advanced coursework such as AP Calculus will suddenly become far more important. If a student says their main interest is art history, then these factors will be less important, but social science, humanities and arts courses will come into focus.
Evidence is crucial:
Beyond academic choices and performance, a student’s declaration of interest also guides what an admissions reader is looking for in a student’s activities. A student should have evidence of engaging their areas of intellectual interest outside of their high school course work. This means seeking out volunteer, internship, research, and self-directed opportunities to be involved with the subject matter. While joining clubs at school that relate to the field is a good start, the strongest applicants have evidence of engaging their interests in further depth by taking initiative to engage opportunities in the community or in professional or academic settings outside of school.
Great applicants always have a point of view & perspective:
So does this mean every student needs a clearly defined career path and declared major to apply to college? No. There is room for students’ interests and plans to evolve. Being open-minded to the opportunities and exploration of interests that college life will offer is fantastic. However, by the summer before senior year when students begin applying and writing essays,it is essential that a student can articulate their areas of intellectual interest and curiosity. This means identifying the questions a student wishes to wrestle with, the connections they want to explore in college, the issues they want to impact, and the topics they are passionate about. Students do this in their applications by making connections to their past experiences inside and outside of the classroom, and by painting a detailed picture of the specific opportunities and experiences they will engage as members of the college community.> A student without experiences that meaningfully connect to their interests will struggle to put together cohesive applications.
So do majors impact admissions decisions?
In short, it depends. At some colleges, those areas of interest will simply provide the type of important context we discussed here. While this is not necessarily evaluative, it is important to an admissions officer understanding a student and envisioning them within life on campus. At other colleges, especially larger universities with multiple schools, major selection can be a critical piece of the evaluation process, where students are evaluated for the indicated schools, majors, or programs by specific criteria. The competitiveness of admissions can vary significantly by major or program at these institutions.
In either case, building experiences throughout high school that align to a student’s curiosity, interests, and passions is an essential part of building a strong application and, more importantly, a powerful opportunity to learn more about themselves and how they want to move forward in the world.
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