My daughter is getting ready for her senior year of high school and starting to fill out college apps right now. She does not have any strong feelings on what path she would like to take for her college major. Most of her friends are geared toward the STEM path, but she is definitely more into the humanities. She is a gifted writer and love English. Does not want to teach but worried that she would flounder for a job after graduation. I just think she needs to experience and be exposed to more before she makes any decisions. She has time. However, she is planning on applying to colleges and checking off the box that she would like to pursue an English degree because that is what she feels comfortable with right now. I am thinking it may be better to be undeclared and go in really weighing all options. Thoughts on this? I know she can always change her mind after she enrolls, but I’d like for her to start off on the right foot. Thanks for any advice or btdt. This is my first post here. I started lurking the start of her junior year and this has really helped with narrowing down her colleges based on our finances and her stats.
Honestly, just let her check the box that she feels comfortable with, that best reflects her current sense of her direction.
There are a few cases where schools have specific exploration programs for undecided students, and in those cases it might be important to designate such a program as her desired path. But if she’s applying to liberal arts colleges, for the most point this question is moot. They ask about major because they want to know what a kid is thinking; but in reality students at these schools don’t declare their majors until the second half of sophomore year. Schools know that students will explore and change their minds.
Except in rare cases, it doesn’t matter and isn’t worth turning this into a Negotiation with your child. Leave this one to her, and focus on bigger-picture issues of crafting a good college list.
The more salient question is, what does she feel she wants from an English major? Literary analysis? Creative writing? Rhetoric and persuasive/nonfiction writing? Strengths and offerings vary among schools, so no matter what major she designates, she should look at whether the available programs match her interests and goals.
At some colleges, some majors are capacity limited, and it may be possible to get direct admit to the major. In this case, it is better to apply to the major and get direct admit than to have to compete for admission to the major later.
However, English is less commonly capacity limited than majors like CS or engineering majors, so it be less of an issue for a prospective English major. Also, many colleges or their arts and science divisions do not do direct admit to English.
What level of colleges?
It won’t matter at most schools. Students usually don’t declare a major until sometime sophomore year. A few courses of study have dependencies for major classes that require knowing early on (engineering and physics come to mind). But I would not worry about which box she checks. Colleges know it is more of an inkling than a commitment for many students.
I would suggest she sit down with the Book Of Majors (her GC mayhave it) and flag majors/careers that look interesting. Then try classes in a few of them frosh year, and spend time in the college career office researching cater options with those majors.
thanks all!
lookingforward — we live in PA – she is applying to :
- 5 of our state schools within a 2.5 hour radius of home (West Chester, Bloomsburg, Kutztown, East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg)
- Boston U and Northeastern (reaches for her)
- private schools that she toured, liked and will have the strong possibility of merit - Arcadia, Ursinus, Widener, Drexel, St. Joe's
Her weighted gpa is 4.4, best SAT was 1350, superscore 1370, top ten percent
School does not rank beyond deciles and does not provide unweighted gpa
In that case, humanities, I agree to let her decide. She isn’t declaring a major, just expressing a “maybe” interest. If there’s space, she may be able to list a second choice, too. A strong letter from an English teacher will be a plus. Once there, she can explore.
Best wishes.
The most likely way for the indicated major to matter in a non-impacted subject is that her first advisor will probably be from that faculty. Otherwise it really won’t make much (if any) of a difference.