Does the major you choose on your application matter in terms of admission? Like 99% of the answers in college admissions—it depends! Some colleges admit by major, accepting a certain number of students based on their resources and capacity.
Sometimes colleges put students in “pre-majors,” where they have to pass a year or two of lower-level classes to qualify for entrance to the actual major. If they don’t make the cut, they have to choose a different major or transfer elsewhere! When your child gets accepted to a college, double-check that they were accepted into their major and not a pre-major. Think carefully before accepting a pre-major offer and know that the student will essentially have to apply again to the major in a year or two, with no guarantees.
Other colleges admit students without consideration of major and let the chips fall where they may. I have no answer to what happens if every student picks biology one year, except to guess that nothing like that has ever happened to change their policy.
But certainly some majors are more popular than others. Niche.com has their list of most popular majors (https://www.niche.com/blog/the-most-popular-college-majors/) and here are their top 10:
Business and Management
Nursing
Psychology
Biology
Engineering
Education
Communications
Finance and Accounting
Criminal Justice
Anthropology and Sociology
The University of California, Irvine reports their top 10 as:
Biological Sciences
Business Administration
Computer Science
Nursing
Psychology
Undeclared
Mechanical Engineering
Criminology, Law and Society
Computer Science Engineering
Political Science
For a college like UC Irvine or the University of Texas, Austin that admits a limited number of students per major, choosing anything on the most popular list could mean a denial for even a top student. So, should a student try to game it and pick a less competitive major? It can be dangerous, and for popular majors like computer science or nursing, nearly impossible to try to switch later into the major you really want.
If a student is equally interested in two or three different fields
It makes sense for colleges that admit directly to a major that the student chooses the less popular major if they truly don’t have a preference. Many universities, like UCLA, consider students for their College of Liberal Arts and Sciences without regard to major. So, if you aren’t sure if you want history or poly sci, it won’t matter at all to those colleges. Usually switching between majors housed in the same undergrad college is pretty easy, so if they do admit by major and your choices are equally acceptable to you, pick the one with the higher acceptance rate.
If a student is mostly interested in their career goal
If you want to be a doctor, for example, you don’t have to major in biology. You can major in chemistry, biochemistry, psychology, public health, even math. As long as you take all of the prerequisite science courses, you can apply to med school with any major. In this case, you may be better off taking the road less traveled. If you are choosing a competitive major to get to a certain career, look into other possible majors that can get you to the same career. Can you do data science instead of computer science? Would a public health major and a psychology minor get you to your eventual goal of being a therapist? Do some research and talk to people in the field to see what majors people took to get to the career you want, so you can be flexible about your choice of major.
If a student is passionate about their major
Choose the major you want and you’ll be guaranteed to go somewhere that accepts you for your first choice major. Even if it means being denied at some colleges, if major is your top priority, check the box for the major you want and leave it up to fate, knowing you will get the program you want somewhere.
If a student wants nursing, computer science, or competitive engineering or business programs
Apply broadly to the major you want. Apply to plenty of colleges where you are more likely to get in, and realize the overall admit rate for the college may not apply to your competitive major. Don’t play the game of trying to switch majors later. The college might not have available spots for transfers and if they do, you may have to essentially start over to get the necessary prerequisite coursework. If you have your heart set on the University of Washington for computer science, with their 3% out of state admit rate, know that there are lots of other accredited college programs that teach the same computer science standards. Do your research. Compare the coursework and see if you can find other colleges that offer the same type of classes with a higher admission rate.
What’s your priority?
Ultimately, the student has to decide what’s more important to them: going to a particular college, getting a certain major, or working toward a desired career. If being a Texas Longhorn is your lifelong dream, you may want to take competitiveness into account when choosing a major.
How do I know which colleges admit by major and which don’t?
That’s a great question to ask each of your colleges when you’re on a visit, or by emailing your admission representative. Once you know their policy, you will be more confident in your strategy to choose a major.
Major tips:
Look for new majors. Colleges are often extra-motivated to fill their new programs.
Apply early. Popular majors fill quickly at places like Texas A&M, who accept applications on a rolling basis.
Be flexible with major if you have a strong career focus. You don’t have to major in political science to be a lawyer, or biology to be a doctor, or business to be a manager. There are multiple pathways to many careers.
Do your research! Knowing how each college considers major in its admission policies could make the difference between acceptance and denial of your application.
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