<p>I am gonna apply to
Reach and High Match: Macalester, Lafayette, Union, Franklin&Marshall, Dickinson
Low Match and Safety: Whitman, Denison, Centre, College of Wooster, University of Puget Sound</p>
<p>I want to major in Economics.
My question: Am I gonna have more chances to be admitted if I say that I want to major in Mathematics?
Some people says that majors matter, and others don't. I see a lot of people major in Econ so majoring in Math will increase my chances to be admitted. Is that true?</p>
<p>My stats:</p>
<p>Class ranks: 1/23
GPA: 4.0+ im not sure
ACT: 28 but it will be up to 32
SAT 2: Math 2C 730, Biology 680
AP: CalAB(5) Bio(2)
Taking Eng, CalBC, Chem, Psy next year.
My school only offers Eng, CalAB, Bio, Chem.
I am taking BC, Psy online.
Extracurricular acts: omitted. (some volunteer, mission trip, FBLA etc.) not that great.</p>
<p>One’s application tends to reveal his or her true interests. For example, someone who is going to major in math would probably have taken the most rigorous math classes, be on the math team, have high math standardized test scores, etc. So if that same person spontaneously indicates an intended major in art history, colleges will get the sense that something’s up. It might even hurt since such a person shows little promise as an art history major. Of course, I’m generalizing here, especially since math and econ are pretty related. Nor am I really answering the question. All I can recommend is to paint an honest portrait of yourself–admissions officers will appreciate it, and frankly they aren’t stupid.</p>
<p>bcd, I think you have your reaches, matches and safeties a bit mixed up. Whitman’s stats for accepted students is higher than all the schools in your reach/high match list except Macalester. Whitman is less known in the east and midwest, so you probably aren’t as familiar with it. Also, aren’t all these schools liberal arts schools? Wouldn’t an “undecided” major be perfectly acceptable? Majors matter most at large public or highly selective privates where scads of people are flocking to a particular well regarded department. The schools you are applying to will be less impacted and it’s OK to ask the department you’re interested in that question.</p>
<p>Faking a major doesn’t help unless you want to pursue a double-major later, in which case you can declare the other major you really want while in college.</p>
<p>Not sure I agree with Jazz since many kids don’t know what they want to do in college. D was well rounded and other than high math scores and completing through BC calc there were no hints she would end up a math major. OP, I don’t think it matters unless econ is in a business school that looks separate admission critieria. We only saw this with engineering and that meant it was tougher to get in, but that may just be the schools we looked at. I suggest you create college list and then pose question to individual schools.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for all these people. @Jazzed My stats seem like someone who wants to major in Math. thats why I came up with this way to apply. My school doesnt even offer ap cal bc but I found an online course to take it and also got 5 on ap cal ab. My math teacher will write me a recommendation too.</p>
<p>@bopambo I didn’t know whitman’s that hard to get in! is there anything else that is mixed up in my list? </p>