Hi, I’m about to be a senior in high school and I’m undecided on what I want to do after it’s all over. I’m currently thinking about pursuing psychiatry, but I don’t know if that’s what I really want to do. Science isn’t my favorite subject, but something about psychiatry seems different. Helping treat individuals with mental disorders sounds interesting to me. However, my passion is English. Always has been and probably always will. I’ve always really wanted to go to NYU. NYU has such a great reputation, but the tuition is super expensive for my family. To make matters worse, my ideal future consists of me majoring in English and possibly wanting to become a college English literature professor. Before you start, I know that this field is ridiculous to get into and that the pay and job outlook is awful starting out. Just the idea of me living in a big city learning about my favorite subject, and one day, maybe teaching other young adults my passion seems exciting. I know my family would be disappointed I didn’t pursue something in medical or law, but it would end up being my choice. I have a lot going on though: my GPA is 4.59, I’m in 4 AP classes this year, I’m National Honor Society president, and am very active in my school and community. I guess i have a few questions. What do you guys think? Is it even worth it to go through all that trouble? What else could I do with an English major? Are there any college professors out there with advice? Do I have a good chance at getting accepted into NYU at all? Sorry about all the details, but I’m just so lost.
I’ve heard of English majors going into law later, dental school, etc. Honestly, in college you might change your major, a lot of people do. You never know, so that’s a possibility. As for now, I’m a big believer that it’s not worth your time and money if you’re not going to get a sense of fulfillment out of it. If English makes you happy, then do that. You can always change your mind later. And I don’t know if you’ll get accepted bc I don’t know your stats but typically you can look at their common data on freshman applicants and see where you fall, regarding GPA & stuff. Being in the upper 75th percentile will give you a good chance, but nobody knows for sure. Good luck!!
If you’re still possibly interested in psychiatry, you could major in English and complete the premed coursework. This way you can keep your options open- you don’t have to choose just yet.
Try not to set your heart on just one school. Your chances of admission are probably pretty good, but NYU is not a school known for great aid. Start looking for other schools that have strong English departments and are in the type of urban location you’re looking for and that offer more financial aid. NYU is not the only one. Especially if graduate school is in the cards, you need to make your undergrad as affordable as possible.
Focus on finding a school you can afford. NYU is ridiculously expensive, so that dream could end up being a nightmare. As mentioned, if you continue to be interested in Science, you can decide to major in English and take your premed reqs in college. But don’t worry about that now, focus on an affordable school which feels right (fit).
All of this is really helpful. I can definitely see me majoring in English, but still doing the premed requirements for psychiatry. And yes, I know that NYU is expensive so I do have other, cheaper schools in my choices. I have a feeling they would accept me, but I agree with InigoMontoya. I doubt they would give me not much (if any) aid. Thank you all!