Colleges often ask in their applications, “What are your future goals, and how will the resources at our school help you reach those goals?” They also might ask, “Please tell us about your interest in the major you selected.”
Although 1/3 of students switch majors in college and 1 in 10 switches twice, it is valuable to explore and select areas of interest before entering college. Additionally, choosing a major is required for some schools, even if colleges know students will likely change their minds once they start exploring subject areas.
Even if you are unsure, applying to a school with one or two target majors, AND having the classes and activities that support your interests, will make for a stronger application.
If, after research and exploration, you are still very undecided, choosing the major with the hardest entry requirements out of the majors you are considering (i.e., engineering, nursing, business, physical therapy, computer science, the arts, or architecture) is a good strategy as they require specific courses or portfolios at the time of your application or are often difficult programs to transfer into once you are in college (you can more easily transfer out if you change your mind).
Another strategy is choosing a major in the liberal arts, where programs are designed for students to investigate different majors in the first two years.
It can be daunting to commit yourself to a course of study between now and the beginning of your senior year. As big of a deal as it may seem, choosing a major is not the same as a career. A history major might enter many fields, from teaching to law. Even future doctors can enter medical school with many majors, as long as they meet the pre-med required courses. Your major is not what you will do for the rest of your life. Besides veterinary sciences, pharmacology, engineering, computer science, or architecture, it is more important what first job you have after college than what major you have in college. In most cases, you will have plenty of time to sort out your career choices as your interests and goals evolve during your college years.
Think About What You Like to Learn and Do
As a first step, identify what you enjoy learning—and what you enjoy doing outside of class. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:
- What subjects and activities fascinate me at school? Outside school?
- What do I tend to work hard on because I enjoy it?
- What am I naturally good at?
- What careers interest me, if any?
How do you think about and understand the world?
- Do you like to study the human expression of ideas through the arts, language, literature, and philosophy? Check out Arts and Humanities.
- Are you curious about societies, nations, policies, commerce, media, and individuals who form them? Check into the Social Sciences.
- Do you have an interest in the structures and patterns of living creatures, environments, and the physical world? Check into the Natural Sciences.
- Do you think quantitatively and want to learn how to measure, design, and numerically describe ideas and objects? Check out Engineering, Computer, Quantitative, and Technical Sciences.
Here are two additional tools to use in your major and career exploration:
- Big Future (to explore different college majors and the courses you will likely be required to take)
- The Occupational Outlook Handbook explores different careers, entry requirements, and job outlooks.
Ask your parents and school counselors for people to contact for informational interviews, job shadows, and career-related learning experiences. And, have fun while you explore! You can change your mind, but it’s a good idea to have a plan to change in the first place.
collegeboundandready 