<p>...would selection committees look at you in a better light than someone who put down a popular major like "Economics". I know ideally they shouldn't, but if they're picking applicants to fill their school's departments, wouldn't they want a major/concentration-varied student body?</p>
<p>No. Not unless your entire application supported your passion in that major, and even then quite often not. Most college know that the vast majority of college students change their majors once, if not twice, during their career. It's too speculative to try to compose a class of "majors." The most they're likely to do is separate kids into major categories: math/sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering.</p>
<p>does it help you though if you do put down a somewhat obscure major and you have the record to back up the interest?? i put down east asian studies as my intended major for almost every school that I applied to because of a genuine interest in Chinese. I have taken chinese in school as well as AP French, AP Spanish, and AP Spanish lit, so that shows that I have a real passion for languages. Is that the kind of obscure major that might set me apart?</p>
<p>Your unique interests and experiences (as illustrated by the rest of your application) would make you stand out even if you applied as an economics major. Picking an unpopular major without substantiation, on the other hand, would not make a difference.</p>
<p>Wow, you're really similar to me, though my main language of interest is Japanese and I selected "asian languages and linguistics." xD</p>
<p>I personally haven't heard anything from an admissions office either way on whether that major selection will help. Still, if you've taken that many languages AP that itself is impressive (to me anyway).</p>
<p>but say you put down creative writing, and you wrote great essays and had writing related ecs, wouldn't that theoretically help since that is a somewhat obsure major? Wouldn't a school w/o a high percentage of writers want more writers?</p>
<p>Many schools know that students will change majors so in those cases, it's practically irrelevant what you state. Don't game this. Just state something if you're really considering it. If you're undecided, then just list that. Nothing wrong with it.</p>
<p>Wouldn't UPENN have a higher rejection rating for Wharton rather than say an English major?</p>
<p>Yes it does matter at some schools. For example, the geology department at some universities may be suffering a shortage of students, so if you apply to those you have an easier shot. I believe that's the situation at Cornell. But as for all schools? Meh... it's probably a school-by-school philosophy</p>
<p>lol this totally reminds me of the 'underwater basketweaving' note in mit's application directions...</p>