Undecided Majors — What to Know
Many college applications ask students to specify a major, and some require that they choose. But many high school seniors have no idea what they want to major in. Of course, this gives parents something else to worry about. This post is about undeclared majors.
Some reports say that up to 50% of freshmen are undeclared, and other statistics show that up to 75% of college students change their major at some point. Yet many of our 17 year old high school seniors feel a lot of pressure to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. If your student doesn’t know what they want to study, read on for some facts and tips that may help them (and you!) navigate this.
First, some basic facts:
Many students apply to college without declaring a major.
Many colleges allow (and even encourage – see below) students to apply without a major declared, BUT . . .
Some colleges do require that a student declare a major when applying, AND . . .
Some colleges require direct application to certain, specified majors.
It is VERY normal for students to apply without knowing what they want to major in.
Second, some basic considerations:
Every school is a bit different, and your student should spend time exploring the options and requirements at the schools they are applying to.
Some schools have programs that allow students to explore different areas of interest while they work on General Studies requirements, and advisors in those programs help ensure that students select classes that will apply to a wider array of majors while they are in the exploratory phase.
Third, some notes about special circumstances:
At many schools, students who want to pursue certain majors have to apply directly to that major. This tends to be the case in very popular majors, or majors with demanding academic tracks. Business programs, computer science and some engineering programs, nursing, and pre-physical therapy majors tend to fall into this category. College applicants should understand the policies of the schools they are applying to. For example, if a student is leaning toward studying Marketing but is also thinking about English Literature, and that student is applying to a college where students are admitted to the Business College as freshmen, they should talk to an admissions officer at the college to determine the best way to proceed. At schools with direct admission, it can be very hard to switch to these majors later in their college career. Keeping all options open is not always possible.
Students applying to audition-based programs, such as art or theater, often must apply directly to that program. Most colleges have comprehensive information about this process on their websites.
TL:DR: It is very normal for an incoming freshman to be unsure about what they want to study or do in their future, and in most cases declaring a major as an incoming freshman is not necessary. Colleges offer programs to give students the chance to explore and figure this out while staying on track to graduate in four years. But make sure that your student understands the lay of the land at the schools they are considering and doesn’t face an unwanted surprise down the road.