<p>What is the easiest major to get into Dartmouth with, especially with mediocre SAT <a href="assume:%202100">I</a>* and SAT II scores <a href="assume:%20all%20near%20700">I</a>* but with decent grades <a href="assume:%203.9%20unweighted">I</a>* , decent EC's <a href="assume:%20random%20community%20service,%20a%20couple%20years%20of%20a%20sport">I</a>, some job experience *<a href="assume:%202yrs%20part-time">I</a>, class rank *<a href="top%205%">I</a>, and lots of enthusiasm *<a href="assume:%20good%20essay%20on%20common%20app">I</a>***?</p>
<p>For instance, I know for George Washington University, Engineering was the major they were most desperate for, and so not only were they accepted at a seemingly high rate, but they were also the first ones to receive their package. </p>
<p>I already applied to all my schools as a philosophy major, because I genuinely love philosophy, so I'm not starting this thread for advice, but just because I am really curious. The above assumptions are not my statistics, but they are the statistics of a hypothetical above average student who is well-rounded but not a strong Ivy prospect.</p>
<p>P.S. Sorry if the question is really dumb, and if I wasted your time.</p>
<p>Considering that most people change their major at least once while in college, I believe (and have heard from most people) that the major you put on your application does not influence your admission to the college. The only situattion I can imagine this being different is if someone had EC's that were mostly focused in science, for example, but this person said that he/she wants to major in...studio art. The admissions staff may question the merit and passion invested in the EC's and whether they were done simply to beef up one's application. But that is only if the school you are applying to has only one undergraduate school, Dartmouth for example. If you are applying to UPenn's Wharton school, your decision to major in business through that school will greatly increase the difficulty of admission to UPenn when compared to the other schools within UPenns undergraduate offerings. Cornell's science school is also more difficult, so science applicants have a more challenging time with acceptance. To put succinctly: yes if there are multiple undergraduate schools within the institution; no if there is only one undergraduate school within the institution. I hope that helps, and remember stats aren't everything.</p>
<p>Does major affect admission? </p>
<p>Not really because they know that students often change their mind. Taking classes is like going to this amazing banquet, where you just want to try a taste of everything.</p>
<p>The running joke with one of my D's friends freshman and sophomore year is that "Joe" had different major every term right up until the last minute to file his major card. Through my D's first year it was classics, neuroscience, physics, history and a passing thought about engineering before actually deciding to double major. When my D was home for the end of spring break she started talking about some of her friends and most of them are graduating with a completing different major from what they talked about freshman year.</p>
<p>Thank goodness they all settled on something so that they can actually graduate in june;)</p>
<p>Haha, that's great. I'm glad Dartmouth seems like the type of school where most students like to explore more before deciding the major rather than go straight in with a predetermined mind.</p>
<p>I thought you couldn't even declare your major until your Sophomore year at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>^Yes, but in my original post's context I was speaking of the application, which asks for your major, and in my post #4's context I am speaking of certin schools where the average student comes in already aimed at one major more so than at other schools (like RPI, Northeastern, etc.).</p>
<p>Not true. You don't <em>have</em> to declare your major until sophomore year, but you can declare as early as you want.</p>
<p>to arrowsmith: you said that colleges might question the merit of your EC's if you do not pursue them in college. Would you say that is true for music, because almost all of my EC's are music based but I was only planning on majoring in biology, and maybe music if I could double major</p>
<p>^Not to intervene in you guys' discussion, but so what if the college questions your ECs after you matriculate into the school. You're already in, right? They can't kick you out or anything. I'm doing a couple of sports, and I'm not going to pursue them...</p>
<p>I think the point was that it might prevent acceptance into the school.</p>
<p>^Oh, okay, that makes more sense. Carry on.</p>
<p>To dhlee7570: I think that music EC's would be fine, because music is a life long pursuit and is much more than an academic discipline; people from every major have some interest in music. </p>
<p>I was just trying to say that if a person's EC's led one to believe that the applicant was a "science person" or an "engish person" and their prospective major indicated otherwise, the admissions officers might find that unusual (in a bad way). This is just speculation from what I have gathered as a lurker on these boards. For all I know admissions officers could see someone like that as an interesting (in a good way) applicant. It probably depends on whether the admissions officer is a bored cynic or a cheerful optimist, but knowing that this person has read hundreds of applications for months and that many ambitious people at my high school do things simply to glorify their resume, I would assume the former.</p>
<p>You're probably good though, but as I'm sure you know, there are few definite answers in the game of college admissions. Best of luck! Did you apply this year?</p>
<p>You want to know something funny, I didn't even read arrowsmith's post earlier in this thread. Lol, arrowsmith, this isn't a "nicely disguised chance thread," because I already applied. Plus, I can accurately and fairly say that I have never posted a chance thread in my life, since I joined CC only this march, after I applied to all my schools. Haha, but I can see how you thought it was a chance thread. I just kind of wanted to see what the easiest major to get into a school was with mediocre grades. </p>
<p>I applied as a philosophy major, but there isn't much in high school that you can do that relates to philosophy, except join debates, which is something I actively did. I also conducted some research in physics, but nothing too meaningful. I wanted to start a philosophy club, but my conservative-ass school thought it might be too controversial--I hate my school's administration! I hope that just because my EC's don't really directly relate to philosophy that they'll see that as bad and thus reject me just for that.</p>
<p>Haha I know it isn't a chance thread. I was just making a light-hearted joke (note the wink). But thanks for not reading my attempt at helping you out
:-/ Haha I honestly don't mind; it was somewhat epic. </p>
<p>Your EC's sound fine. My point is if your EC's make you appear like a completely one-dimensional applicant, but your major goes in the opposite direction, that would seem strange. It seems that you are do not fit the profile of a suspicious applicant such as this. Props for not posting a chance thread. I too can proudly state that I never posted one; we are a rare breed on CC haha. </p>
<p>Good luck tomorrow (if you're actually reading this lol)! It's going to a wild day. I'm so glad that I did ED and have been stress free for months.</p>
<p>to arrowsmith: yes I did apply this year and am pretty nervous about tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to get through school</p>
<p>Good luck to both arrowsmith and dhlee! I'm hoping for a quick day at school tomorrow, though it will probably seem like an endless one.</p>