Applying to College as Undecided Major: Pros, Cons

Applying to College
1

"THE APPLICATIONS FOR many colleges and universities allow students to specify an intended major, though this is not required – and not all students ultimately choose to do so. In most cases, choosing to begin college as an undecided major or electing to declare a major before arriving on campus depends on an individual student’s situation.

Below are several scenarios for and against applying to college with an undecided major.

When to Apply to College as an Undeclared Major

If you have a competitive college concentration in mind, your academic profile – your GPA, in other words – will be key. If your high school GPA does not reflect your full potential and you would like to use your first year of college to correct this issue, it likely makes sense to apply as an undeclared major. This is a particularly good idea if your high school GPA is weak in the major’s core field or fields.

Engineering is one common major where this strategy may apply. Because engineering offers strong career prospects, it can be a popular concentration. Thus, universities can be highly selective in which applicants they accept to their engineering schools. If you lack a history of high school success in science and math classes, it may be best to take college-level courses in STEM fields before you apply to this major." …

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-playbook/articles/pros-cons-of-applying-to-college-as-an-undecided-major

2

The recommendation to apply as (presumably non-engineering) undeclared in order to change into an engineering major later is often a bad recommendation, because if frosh admission into an engineering major (or engineering undeclared) is more difficult (typically due to department or division level capacity limitations), then changing into an engineering major later is likely to be difficult (requiring a high college GPA and/or competitive admission).