<p>I have heard that when applying to some prestigious colleges, like HYPS, MIT , CalTech, NW, etc. that some people fill in an uncommon major on the app, and it somehow increases their chances of getting in. For example, a male might mark nursing as his intended major for his app to MIT, since not many males intend to go into nursing. Or you might fill in a humanities major at HYPS, since most applicants at these schools intend to major in science. Since one can change his/her major after he/she enrolls, doing this doesn't require you to stay in that major.</p>
<p>Has anyone known of anybody who has done this, and if it really works?</p>
<p>In some cases,it probably worked. Most of the time, if the program is something like nursing, it may not be so easy to transfer into the mainstream once you get into the school, as it is a specialized program. I know that with CMU, there are some schools within the University that are easier to get into than others. The Computer Science school is one of the selective programs in the country. And to get into some of their performing arts venues is nearly impossible. But getting into an "easier" track, such as Humanities is not necessarily going to get you into either of those programs, as you do have to apply to switch schools. In the case of the computer science, if you can do very well in the like courses, which does not often happen, it is possible. With performing arts, it is very, very unlikely as you are not even permitted to take the courses in the department that those in there are taking, and you have to audition on the same terms as even the outsiders.</p>
<p>I really hope people hit the search function more often as I have already posted this several times. I have talked to the dean of admissions at U Michigan, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins regarding this "advantage." To sum it all up they said that yes you could do that, but in the end you are lowering your chances. The dean of admissions at Hopkins said several years ago some kid had gotten in on a classical languages major, since his science grades (his 'real' intended major) were weak. He expected to transfer into the BME program, but was rejected from departmental approval, she said he eventually transferred out before graduating. Similarly the dean of admissions at Columbia said you can apply to an obscure major, but since your interests are not built to that specific field, a person with much lower credentials (she described a 1570, 4.0 compared toa 3.6 1390) who is more interested will probably be chosen over you. Even on these boards adn its archive I have only seen one case where this happend, but the kid did have some interest in his major, not as much as his 'real' major. Some other kid applied for a major like astrophysics or something in the archive, and he said he was rejected from all of the schools to which he put that major down (he said the same of his friend).</p>
<p>I honestly don't think it would help your chances that much. I applied for a relatively obscure field as a second major (biology was my first, Near Eastern Studies was my second). I had several ecs to demonstrate interest in the field, but Yale rejected me (I got in at Chicago and Hopkins, though). Anyway, even if it did help your chances, there's no predicting what the "obscure" majors are. HYP may need a viola/music major one year, and a Celtic Studies major the next. Avoiding extremely popular majors, like pre-med at Hopkins (no, it's not a major, but you can apply as pre-med) or political science at Yale would increase your chances.</p>
<p>No, lying will probably hurt your chances. The colleges will look for a demonstrated interest in that obscure major, and if that's lacking, the colleges will correctly presume you're trying to game the system, and will probably reject you.</p>
<p>In addition, the elite colleges for which you're probably considering lying about your major are also the ones that do interviews. What exactly do you plan to say when you're asked in the interview about your interest in that obscure field? </p>
<p>"Um, it sounds cool" isn't going to do anything for you except cause the adcom or alum interviewer to doubt your veracity. If you select a major -- any major -- adcoms or alum interviewers will expect that you'll be able to state clearly why you're interested, and you'll also give some strong examples about how you've pursued that interest. Presumably if you've picked a major out of a hat, you'll have nothing to say, and you'll look like an idiot in the interview.</p>
<p>Even if you apply to a college that doesn't intereview, they'd still expect that if you have some exotic interest in a major, it would be demonstrated by your ECs, essays, recommendations, coursework, etc.</p>
<p>I don't think it will hurt your chances if there's some grain of truth in it. For example, I wasn't sure whether I would major in psychology or neuroscience or philosophy or mathematics, but I know that Wesleyan University would like to see more girls in science, so I wrote down neuroscience. Now, it turns out I am actually now planning to major in neuroscience, but still - there is some truth that some majors will be more attractive than others.</p>
<p>However, I'm not advocating it. I think it's completely unethical to just outright lie. That's as bad as putting down community service or leadership positions that you haven't done. It's just... not right. And a lot of the time, when an application just "isn't right," it can be sensed by those reading it.</p>
<p>What if you have a relative that teaches a certain subject at a prestigious college, but you don't want to study that subject? Would it increase your chances if you listed that as your major, but didn't end up doing it.</p>
<p>I've heard from admissions officers that applying to Yale as a history or English major drastically lowers your chances. I had good math scores/grades and said I would major in applied mathematics. I'm not sure what I will major in, but I'm sure it'll be something close to that.</p>
<p>"Is it bad if you don't have any ECs that really support your actual, intended major?"</p>
<p>Depending on what the major is, it could look odd or could look like you're lying.</p>
<p>For instance, if you say you plan to be a classics major, and are taking Latin but passed on being involved in your school's national championship-winning Junior Classical League although you have found plenty of time for Mu Alpha Theta, volunteering at a hospital, and doing a summer science research program, the college might justifiably wonder if you're really planning on majoring in biochemistry and heading to med school. </p>
<p>If you say you want to be a journalist, but have never bothered to write for your school newspaper or yearbook and during your interview, you admit that you don't even like to read newspapers, your claiming to want to be a journalist would seem like a fantasy or an outright lie.</p>
<p>"Northstarmom, somehow I doubt that someone who cares enough about college to be on CC would use the phrase, "Um, it sounds cool."</p>
<p>Nonetheless, thank you very much for divulging that it is not in our best interest to use that verbiage."</p>
<p>You probably would not believe the things that people can blurt out when they are in an interview situation and are caught in a lie. You also probably wouldn't believe what even honest, presumably normally tactful people can blurt out in an interview situation. </p>
<p>My fave example of this is after I answered a student who'd asked when I graduated from college, the student gasped, "That was before I was born!"</p>
<p>Well I've been apprehended by school officials countless times for dishonesty before, and I've managed to weasle my way out of it almost every time.</p>
<p>I suppose everyone is different. So I'm happy with a compromise in this argument.</p>
<p>No, sup. Some college applications simply ask you about what you think you'll major in. Colleges know that the majority of students switch majors in college at least one time, so it's not as if the college expects you to stick to it. It's also OK to write "undecided."</p>
<p>The one time the major declaration is important is if one is applying to a specific school such as a college's engineering, business or nursing school. Such schools have different admissions requirements than admissions to the rest of the college.</p>