Do Your EC's Really Have to be Related to Your Intended Major?

<p>For example, many applicants play instruments, and quite a few are successful performers. However, is that really important if they want to major in, say, engineering? Would the admissions officer just blow off the instrument playing?</p>

<p>Goodness no. Harvard doesn't care about your major. There is room both for the well rounded kids and the ones where everything is related to their eventual major. Lots of pre-meds and scientists played in the Harvard orchestras when I was there.</p>

<p>From whay I hear the ECs should reveal a passion for something, if it happens to be your major than it is a big plus, but overall the application should present you, and you is represented by your stats and your passion, your application should show both.</p>

<p>Exactly, show a passion. If your passion then ties into your major, fantastic! But it doesn't always have to be the case.</p>

<p>My example:</p>

<p>I wrote on my app that I'd probably major in Govt, or maybe Spanish. (I've now switched it to History, maybe Spanish... and eh, who cares? I don't have to decide for about 20 months.)</p>

<p>Things on my application related to Govt:
-MUN (1 year, as a senior)
-student govt as a sophmore.</p>

<p>That's it.</p>

<p>See? You don't need to be a chemistry star in HS and then tell them you're going to be a biochem major (although that would probably go over well too.) Basically, what they want to see in your ecs is that you did them because you enjoyed them, not because you wanted Ivy League admisison.</p>