Do we apply for a major when applying to a university?

Hello everyone!

I know this might sound like a strange question, but I am not exactly sure how this works.

When we are applying to a university in the US, do we also apply for a major or do we decide our major once we are at the university?

For example, can we switch majors completely at the university if we don’t like what we are doing at first.

Thank you!

It depends on the college. Some larger universities require you to apply to specific schools within the college to pursue a major – an example would be a school that has a college of engineering within it. If you are accepted into that, it may or may not be easy to change to s different school/major. Other schools ask your planned major, but don’t give it much weight in the admissions process, and you can switch at will. You have to read each school’s website.

Depends on the university, and sometimes the division within the university. You need to check each university specifically to find out its policies.

Yes, but some universities are enrolled to capacity for some majors, so changing into those majors (or entering them if admitted as an undeclared student) may require a high GPA or competitive secondary admission process after enter the university and completing the major’s prerequisite courses.

For example, at my school you apply to a group of majors as a freshman (engineering, science, liberal arts, undecided, etc.) and then enter your specific major at the end of sophomore year, based on GPA. The advantage of this system is that it’s really easy to change majors early on because you’re not actually in a specific major.

Each school likely details its process on its website.

In general, LACs are least likely to have you select a major / enter through a major stream from the beginning. In general, Engineering and Architecture are admitted through a separate process. In many of the state universities- especially really popular ones, such as California, some very popular majors (such as computer science) are considered “impacted” and it can be harder to be admitted to them. Some majors at schools with a big reputation (for example, compsci at Carnegie Mellon) can be much harder to get into than the university as a whole.

All of those are generalities. If you want flexibility, in general liberal arts colleges, and humanities subjects at universities are the most likely to have lots of room to maneuver.