I have clubs in areas other than the sciences; however, I want to become a biology major. Will the fact that I have no science clubs or activities other than science classes make it hard for me to get accepted into that major at a good school? Will a biology internship over the summer save me?
Most schools don’t admit by major. There is no need to match major to ECs unless you are planning to schools that do. Do you know what schools you are interested in and whether they admit by major?
You don’t need saving. Biology is rarely an admit-by-major subject.
Thanks guys!
@theconcernedkid, please read this!
https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/
It is the single best thing on creating a college path that will work for you. Where that path goes might be different than you are thinking that it should be- but it will be a good path for you, which is what really matters.
So what I’m getting at here is that: if all my ECs are related to business and politics, but I truly have a passion in science, I can apply for a degree in a science major such as biology or chemistry and not have my chances penalized?
Again, at many schools you do not “apply for a degree in a science major”. That isn’t how it works. What are your target schools? Do they admit by major? Many schools don’t require you to declare a major until the end of sophomore year. The exceptions are mostly large publics (like the UCs) where certain majors are in such demand that they limit the number of people in them.
I loved that! Thanks for sharing it. I especially liked how he referred to “hook” as something that is personal for every applicant. not some magic bullet only a few have.
@theconcernedkid , I think what the others are trying to tell you is that for most universities, your specific ECs will have no bearing on whether you are admitted to any specific major or not. For a better understanding, I suggest you read the article at the link @collegemom3717 posted in message 4 of this thread.
There are a small minority of schools that may take your ECs into some small measure during the application process. Some people have asked you to share which schools you plan to apply to so that they might be able to tell you if those specific schools might weigh you ECs against your major when considering whether to admit you.
Ok! Thanks guys! Still haven’t put together a list fully, I’m almost done though! I was thinking schools like… Northeastern? or like Boston University?
Google is your friend.
Quickly googled BU:
https://www.bu.edu/admissions/why-bu/academics/majors/undecided/
"Many of our Schools and Colleges have an undeclared option, and it’s perfectly fine to explore different academic pathways before making a decision. BU does not require you to declare a major until your sophomore year.
As an incoming first-year student at University Orientation, you’ll sit down with an academic advisor who can help you explore courses and figure out what you may want to do."
So at BU it sounds like you can declare a major coming in, but its not required.
I didn’t google Northeastern. I’ll leave that for you.
Thank you guys all so much!