hi! high school senior here, just submitted all my apps :)) anyways ive always had this question but never really gotten a direct answer so im just gonna post it here ig: does applying to a less popular major improve chances of admission? i feel like it does but it also doesn’t bc i feel like a less popular major would be a little bit more selective…but if there‘s not that many people you don’t really have competition…? but then AGAIN i don’t think colleges really look at apps in terms of major (or at least it’s not the most important) it’s really just about the student THEN they look at the major…?
Colleges that admit by major tend to make it harder to switch your major while you’re there. For instance if you were to apply to a competitive school with a Gender Studies major because you wanted to increase your chances of getting in, you may get in but if you wanted to change that major once you were there, there would be no guarantee.
Depends on the college. Some colleges explicitly admit by major, some explicitly admit by division based on major (College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, …), and some do not admit by major or division (although an admission reader may find the 50,000th aspiring CS major to be more of the “same old, same old” than the 5th aspiring philosophy major who would be something different to read an application from – obviously, the listed intended major has to be consistent with the rest of the application).
Where admission is done by major or division, changing into a more popular or competitive major or division after enrolling typically requires another admission process based on college courses and grades and sometimes essays and other things. This is because the more competitive majors tend to be “full” in terms of the number of students that the department can teach, so space for those trying to change into the major is limited.
What if they don’t admit by major? What about smaller schools where you don’t have to apply to a major but they still ask for the students’ “possible” majors”? I’m thinking they still consider it since no school wants all premeds. Not sure if it’s the kind of thing that would be considered more at the end of the process when a class is being shaped.
An admission reader may get bored seeing the “same old same old” from the 50,000th aspiring CS major or the 50,000th aspiring pre-med, but may find something different like the 5th aspiring philosophy major to be more interesting to read.
Regardless of whether or not they have you apply to a specific program or college, of course adcoms can consider your possible major. It’s not just a matter of balance among majors. They’re also looking for the logic in what you state and your prep (academic and ECs.) You may think it’s easier to get into, say, classics, but you’d better have the relevant background.
Lining it all up properly is also an indication of one’s thinking: reasonable or dreamer? Or sure, the possibility they think someone’s just gaming it.
Of course. this applies more to highly competitive colleges.