<p>One of the things to keep in mind is that there is not necessarily a great connection between your D’s major and her future career. Our D is a graduating senior who is majoring in neuroscience. She will start medical school in the fall. She is not planning a career as a neuroscientist but was extremely excited about studying the brain and participating in leading edge research while at MIT. She was not really interested in engineering but could have majored in any number of other fields such as chemistry or biology and been perfectly happy. </p>
<p>Of all her friends in her sorority graduating this spring, few are actually pursuing careers in their specific field of study at MIT. Several will go into consulting, others into investment banking, one is going to law school, several to medical school, one will join a pharma company. Although one acquires a lot useful skills while at MIT, it is not a vocational or trade school. Sure, a lot of students will work in computer science for companies such as Google or Microsoft or for NASA or Boeing in aerospace, or Dupont in chemistry. But overall what your D will gain from MIT is creative problem solving, which many employers specifically seek out. Our D got several offers for jobs in industry and even banking even though she never took a single business class while at MIT in the event her medical school plans did not work out. She also interviewed for several MD/PhD programs. A number of student return to business school, law school or med school after a few years in the workforce. </p>
<p>I really don’t think there is a wrong choice in regards to majors at MIT. Your D should pick a field she is really interested in exploring. She will have plenty of time to think about her future career plans and nothing she does while at MIT will lock her out later. She is only at MIT for 4 short years and has a lifetime ahead of her to plan her career.</p>