<p>Does applying to a certain major really affect your chances at acceptance?</p>
<p>Say, biology or biochemistry vs Paleobotany or Exogeology??? (made up)</p>
<p>In short, does applying to a more popular major hurt your chances at acceptance?</p>
<p>somebody answer this because I want to know too!</p>
<p>yes, if they are impacted at the school (usually engineering).</p>
<p>Depends on the school - UCLA couldn't care less what your declared major is, unless its film/theatre or engineering (but those are both separate schools with their own adcoms)</p>
<p>yes, it has <em>some</em> impact, how much, not very much likely. However, you cant exactly say you're going to major in physics at a school that lacks physicists and expect a boost if your transcript for example does not include a single physics or calc class.</p>
<p>I think it matters very little. Otherwise people would apply under obscure majors then change once they got in. I think it only matters if you are applying to a certain program within a school. I don't remember the percentage, but some large number of students change their intended major once at college. So I doubt it has a large effect on admissions.</p>
<p>It matters, but not a whole lot. Schools are pretty good at predicting which intended majors lead to which actual major areas (i.e., someone listing Poli Sci and History as possible choices is most probably going to stick to the social sciences.) In that respect, with the exception of schools with a narrower focus, the admissions people are looking for potential students with varied academic interests--who wants an incoming freshman class that's 98% English majors? (or anything else, not to pick on English majors)</p>