<p>Hello!</p>
<p>I'm looking for some advice from parents on how to help a high school senior choose a major before going to college. Any thoughts? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Here is our approach:
- Get the College Board Book of Majors book and a couple of packs of post-its. We had our kid use green (excited about a major) and yellow (maybe interested in a major). Had her spend time in the course of a week reading through the book and marking what interested her. At the end she had marked 14 majors with a definite cluster of several in one science area. She did this summer before senior year. She narrowed her list to three majors (just decided some of the ones she marked weren’t REALLY things she wanted to do – like architecture).
- She plans to do something similar to what a friend did – take two classes in each of her areas of interest in the first 18 months of college. One class might be an outlier (really good or really bad) in the major, but two would give her a better flavor for the major.<br>
- The friend found an internship summer after freshman year related to one of his possible majors, so that helped him as well.
- The friend also spent quite a bit of time early in sophomore year in the college counseling office at college discussing his major options and what it would mean from a career perspective.
- After that he made his choice (and in fact picked one area as a major, and minored in a different area).</p>
<p>So… your kid does NOT have to select a major before going to college. But it makes it a whole lot easier to select a college if they have some ideas of possible majors (so you can look for strength in those areas). There are a few majors, like engineering, where the kids need to be right on top of requirements from the very first semester to graduate on time. But in many majors a kid can try things out for the first 3 semester while fulfilling general graduation requirements, then make a choice.</p>
<p>Whether the student needs to select a major beforehand depends on:</p>
<p>a. Whether the application list includes schools which have varying admission standards by major or division, or where changing major or division once enrolled requires another competitive admissions process.</p>
<p>b. Whether the possible majors under consideration include those with long prerequisite sequences or large numbers of requirements (e.g. physics, engineering, architecture, music) that require the student to start on the major prerequisites early to keep the door open for on-time graduation in such majors.</p>
<p>Many schools don’t require students to declare a major until the end of sophomore year. I think it is nice to support a child who is undecided and encourage exploration. Tell him or her that it is absolutely fine to be undeclared, and even a good thing.</p>
<p>Many who think they know what they want to do, end up changing their minds anyway :)</p>
<p>Is this a student headed for senior year of high school, or already headed to college?</p>
<p>If the former, then he or she should look at things like general education/distribution requirements (some schools have a lot, some have none, and everything in between). Many schools want at least 10 classes in the major, for any major, and, as others have said, there are a few majors with sequential classes that need to be started early. But overall, most students can relax and explore for a bit.</p>
<p>It can be fun to read catalogs or websites and look at courses, but if he or she isn’t into that yet, that’s fine. Senior year has plenty of stress and stressing about majors or courses in college is not really necessary yet.</p>
<p>I’m not a parent; I’m a recent college graduate (2008). My parents didn’t really help me choose a major, but I’m offer my two cents.</p>
<p>I think students these days need to strike a balance between practicality and passion. Obviously you want a student to major in something that will translate to a job, but the majors that you think may translate best to jobs may not actually do so. (For example, not all STEM majors are categorically better for employment than social science or humanities majors.) Furthermore, students who major in something they dislike are unlikely to do very well. They’ll get frustrated. Not everyone was cut out to be an engineer or a chemist (or a writer or sociologist).</p>
<p>Selecting before you go is difficult because you only have a nebulous idea of what the major is like, too.</p>
<p>1) Pick a college handbook from a college your student is interested in. Most are available online. Flip/scroll through it together, and look at majors that interest your kid. Take a look at the coursework involved. Do the course titles and descriptions seem interesting? Does kid get excited about learning about those kinds of things?</p>
<p>2) Either have your kid go online and do some career research, or go with them. Instead of thinking about titles, though, have kid think about the kinds of tasks that they want to do. Do they want to work primarily independently or on a team? Do they want to work in an office or outside all day? Do they like to work with their hands, or with their minds? Taking a RIASEC may be useful. ([Holland</a> Code Assessment](<a href=“http://www.roguecc.edu/counseling/hollandcodes/about.asp]Holland”>http://www.roguecc.edu/counseling/hollandcodes/about.asp)). Another option is Myers Briggs - the real MBTI is expensive and requires a trained administrator, but you can take an approximation online or just use the guides on the website to pick your type ([Myers</a> Briggs Test | MBTI Personality Types](<a href=“http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html]Myers”>Free MBTI Personality Type Test | Myers MBTI Personality Types) or [My</a> MBTI Personality Type - MBTI Basics](<a href=“http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/]My”>The Myers & Briggs Foundation - MBTI® Basics)).</p>
<p>Then work backwards. What kinds of careers fit your skills, strengths, personality? What kinds of majors will help you get into that kind of work, or are related? You can think very broadly, too. Many careers are not major-specific, but some majors will suit them better than others (e.g., people who work in publishing don’t have to major in English or writing, but that would be best. However, history, philosophy, political science and sociology majors - and other majors that involve a lot of writing and reading - may be able to lateral themselves into those careers with an internship). What kinds of majors involve the kind of work that plays on those strengths?</p>
<p>Really, the best way to select a major is to select a range and then take the introductory classes in those majors during the first year.</p>
<p>Let him choose later. Tell him you’ll only help pay for 4 years of school. After that he’s on his own.</p>
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<p>This really only works in the liberal arts, and even there, there are exceptions (notably chemistry, which involves a four-year sequence of courses that must be taken in order).</p>
<p>For professional majors, you usually need to know what you want to do going in, and you may even need to apply with that major in mind. </p>
<p>This does not mean, though, that you don’t have options. What it means is that you have to PLAN for those options. </p>
<p>One idea that seems to work for some students who are unsure about their majors is to look at the requirements for the different majors and start out as a major in the subject that has the most structured requirements. For example, if you’re uncertain whether you want computer science or economics, you enter as a computer science major because that major has more structured requirements. But you cover your backside by taking the prerequisites for the economics major as well (usually, they will also satisfy a general education requirement). That way, if you want to change majors, you can do it without having to pay for an extra semester or year in college.</p>
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<p>Telling the student that you can only help pay for 4 years of school is a good idea, but two heads (or three, if the other parent is interested in getting involved) may be better than one when it comes to the difficult task of planning a course schedule for a student who is uncertain of his major. There are many complexities, and the more people who study the information, the more likely you are to spot them.</p>
<p>I had a friend in college who started out as a biology major but fell in love with chemistry while taking the general and organic chemistry courses that bio majors must take. She decided to switch her major to chemistry but discovered she had a problem – the organic chemistry sequence she had taken was OK for bio majors but did not meet the more demanding requirements for the chemistry major. If she (or one of her parents) had spotted this problem earlier, she could have avoided an awkward situation that caused her to graduate a year later than planned.</p>
<p>And that was a relatively simple switch. I can’t even imagine the complexities faced by a friend of one of my kids, who switched her major from engineering to film.</p>
<p>Juillet has the right idea. I would also recommend the Highland Battery tests which are also expensive and require an administrator, however, they are not nearly as expensive as having to go an extra semester to finish degree requirements. My son took that test, and it highlighted his strengths, but more importantly, his passions. It suggested that he would find being a professor or a lawyer satisfying. His senior year in HS, he shadowed a history professor and history teachers in HS as part of his senior project, and learned that teaching wasn’t his thing. He is now going into his sophomore year in a special pre-law program and will declare a polysci major, and plans to slide into a 5 year BS & MS program for public administration. He is presently a research intern for the mayor of our town. With the glut of lawyers out there right now, law may not be practical, but the tests steered him toward an area that would be a good match for his interests and skills.
As engineers, we would have steered him toward engineering, but the test showed that his strengths lay elsewhere.</p>
<p>So very many kids change majors that I question the wisdom of pushing an undecided kid to do so before he or she is ready. Yes, certain majors have so many courses in sequence that a kid needs to know walking in that he wants to be a nurse or an engineer; however, most majors are a little more flexible. </p>
<p>I work with incoming freshmen. Better to let a kid be undecided and take a semester or a year of gen eds (which they need to graduate anyway) than jump into a major, which is likely to change, and spend time in courses he didn’t really need (or discovers he doesn’t like). Changing majors is more likely to add time to a program than spending a year as an undecided student and taking distribution requirements. Oh, and while student is taking those gen eds? Visit the career center. Lots of folks there who can help.</p>
<p>My S2 chose a major (Criminal Justice, a perfect fit for him) before finishing h.s. but really had almost two years of gen. eds before getting into his major. By senior year, he decided he didn’t want to be in law enforcement…too late for a change in majors. The college fund only covered 4 years. He finished out the CJ degree and graduated on time. He is employed full time now but his job has nothing to do w/ CJ. </p>
<p>Just goes go show that you can plan all you want but it may not work out like you planned.</p>
<p>My D found two primary things helpful in her major selection (which changed a couple times before she applied, incidentally). </p>
<p>One was reviewing the course listings for the majors she was considering. She realized some majors were not what she initially understood them to be, and that the course topics were not what she expected and not in line with her interests. </p>
<p>The second was visiting schools. Meeting students from the majors she thought she had interest in was enlightening, as was visiting the facilities related to the majors she was considering. It became more and more apparent that she was trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Finally she said to me, “Mom, why am I fighting so hard to figure this out. I know what I love to do, it’s X.” </p>
<p>This caused us to re-do all of the research we had done into which schools could potentially be a fit for her. Some schools were a good match for the old majors under consideration as well as the “newly realized” intended major. Some new schools also popped onto our radar, due to the prominence of her major within that school. In the end, the school she chose was a fit for both the old and the “new” majors, but really is very reputable for the “new” major at both the undergrad and graduate levels. She is very happy we took a step back to really think about the direction her interests could take her.</p>
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<p>What is so special about pre-law? Law schools have no specific course or major requirements, so a “special pre-law program” seems superfluous.</p>
<p>UCBalumnus, I did include this as well in my post : “as others have said, there are a few majors with sequential classes that need to be started early.”</p>
<p>However, for a kid who has no clear motivation in a particular direction such as STEM, and a parent posting in a way that would suggest feeling pressure for the student to know exactly what he or she wants to study/do, it would seem that entering as “undecided” and knowing there is time allowed for major choice, might help everyone feel reassured, and enjoy the process a little more.</p>
<p>Reading about majors and reading course descriptions is a great idea if it is absorbing and fun. I actually found myself doing it for all three of my kids and fairly salivating over classes and books. But my kids didn’t find it as fun (!). I had to keep my mouth shut because their sense of autonomy is so delicate during this transition. If they wanted to discuss things with me, fine, but only if it was coming from them.</p>
<p>A good sign of a kid being ready to declare a major would be that the parent doesn’t need to be involved :)</p>
<p>I found this book to be very useful and fun to use -
10 Best College Majors for Your Personality
[10</a> Best College Majors for Your Personality: Laurence Shatkin: 9781593578633: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1593578636]10”>http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1593578636)</p>
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<p>I have the corollary to PackMom’s story: My very prgamatic D went into college not sure about her major (something business-y?) but very sure about her desire to live in a particular city/region post-graduation. She was also very sure she didn’t want to be an accountant because “accountants are boring.”</p>
<p>She just finished her first year as a staff accountant at one of the Big Four firms; turns out she really did like accounting after all. </p>
<p>Sometimes, kids don’t really know what they want to major in because they really haven’t been exposed to much beyond the basics in high school. There’s a whole world out there where people major in Sanskrit or poultry science, but sometimes a high school senior doesn’t consider things beyond physics or French.</p>
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[QUOTE<em>]
How to Choose a Major? Personal aspects are important. Figure out what it is you love to do. Are there fields of study that spark your interest, or have you taken courses that you particularly enjoyed? However, practical aspects are more important, IMO. Consider which courses you’ve done well in previously and decide which major they have prepared you for. Consider the requirements for any potential majors. Finally dont forget job opportunities and prospect as well as your life style compatible with the salary level of your major.
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<p>Check information:</p>
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[QUOTE*]
Major and Career Search
<a href=“Explore Career Possibilities – BigFuture | College Board”>Explore Career Possibilities – BigFuture | College Board;
<p>5 Ways to Pick the Right College Major
5 Ways to Pick the Right College Major - US News and World Report</p>
<p>Choosing a college major
Choosing a College Major - Colleges and University - HubPages.com</p>
<p>Popular Jobs by Major
Popular Jobs by Major - PayScale College Salary Report 2012-13</p>
<p>Best College Majors for a Career
Best College Majors for a Career - WSJ.com</p>
<p>Some Common Myths about Choosing a Major
Major Decisions: Some Common Myths</p>
<p>Deciding Your Major Five Considerations
<a href=“Undergraduate Resources”>Undergraduate Resources;
<p>Choosing A Career And Major
[/QUOTE*]
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<p>I let my kid select her own major. As she’s a senior next year, we’ll see how things pan out.</p>
<p>I’ve been keeping track of friends with recent college graduates and their success: Latin American studies major is working for an electronic medical records company. Art History major is working for a company that does research for law firms. Sociology major is working for one of the new health care exchanges in marketing. Business major is selling Fiat 500s. </p>
<p>Some majors lead directly to related jobs and some don’t. Many majors will require graduate degrees to do any higher level work related to them. I know plenty of people who majored in X and decided to go to Y grad school and needed to go back to school to do the prereqs. </p>
<p>I don’t know that choice of major really matters much 10 years out, and I wouldn’t tell my kids they had to major in something preprofessional or feel like a failure. There are a lot of roads to success. Yes maybe engineering or nursing or accounting is the most direct, but not everyone wants to do that, and other paths really do exist.</p>
<p>There is a ton of great advice on here and recommendations I wish our two had thought of prior to declaring majors. Twins graduated in 2012 from top 50 LAC-one in English ( Now working in private equity spin-off) and the other with a Philosophy degree ( still stringing together internships and one part-time teaching job. While in my heart I support the idea of majoring in something you are passionate about, it is painful to watch one of our two make it to the final rounds of interviews only to receive a no, because someone else has either a STEM background or even a very specific major such as Communications. Because I believe there has been a seismic shift in the work world, unless one is planning to attend graduate school straight out of college, I would encourage any student and their respective support system to look at employability at 3,6 and 12 months. We know number of grads who "defaulted " to grad school-especially law school, because they did not want to face what is still, IMO, a brutal job market. As someone married to an attorney, I would encourage anyone contemplating law school to take a hard look at the number of law school grads from great schools still looking for jobs. If a person’s self-esteem can take the constant uncertainty of whether they will have a job-then many of the humanities-related fields may be fine. However, our experience almost cries out for “informed consent” when choosing a major and I would encourage students to follow some of the suggestions here. I would also recommend talking with graduates in the majors a student is considering from the school you are attending. Some schools excel in job placement for any major and some do not. Career placement programs in colleges are vitally important and often overlooked.</p>
<p>Our college kids chose their own college majors. This was their decision, not ours…and we supported whatever major they chose.</p>
<p>Strong student who could do most anything they set their mind to? Or a student limited by subject deficiencies? I would -just for reference- pick-out a large state university and look carefully at the online college catalog. This is usually 50-80 pages. It will list all majors and classes required. Sometimes merely looking at the comprehensive list of courses per major gives a student an idea - “clearly not that”, or “that looks interesting”. Even if a large state university is not desired, it is a helpful place to start.</p>