<p>I'm applying regular decision to Vassar and it is definitely one of my top schools. However, I've just recently found out that their weakest department is math. I am undecided, but I am leaning towards math. This definitely discourages me, but I love other aspects of the college, so I am of course still applying there. Also, since I am still undecided, I know I might change my mind about my area of interest by the time I choose a college to enroll in.
Anyway, my real question: I don't know if I should say that I am thinking of majoring in math on the general common app or on my specific application to Vassar. In general, I still haven't decided yet if I'm going to put "Undecided" as my major or if I'll put math because it's my first choice right now, but will Vassar have less of a chance to accept me if they see that I am interested in math?</p>
<p>Pretty sure that your putative choice of major will not make any appreciable difference- majors are one of the things that changes hugely for many (most?!) first year college students, and Vassar in particular has multiple systems in place to encourage you to try new things. </p>
<p>Fwiw, I know a current second year who came in as a potential chem/math major, and has dumped chem b/c he is loving the math so much (this is a person who spent a good part of fall break watching MIT math lectures, and deciding to do one of their online courses- for fun…). I also know a physics major who has added a math minor- partly b/c it’s not hard to do if you are in physics, but also b/c they are enjoying the math. From the people that I know at Vassar, there is at least one, perhaps 2 math teachers that nobody can figure out why they are still there (and at least one of them teaches a gateway class- but if you have AP Calc you can usually avoid them), but the rest of the department is strong.</p>
<p>Say who you are and what matters to you. </p>
<p>@collegemom3717 Thanks so much. That helps a lot. It’s good to know that some people enjoy the math program. n general, I’m having trouble deciding if I should say I’m undecided on my common app for all of my schools or not, but I think I’ll just say that my intended major is math because right now, that is what I’m most interested in.</p>
<p>No harm in that.To an adcomm, math says ‘i am happy with academic rigor’ - never a bad thing!</p>