I’m sure you have been asked this many of times but will my chances of getting in change based upon the major that I choose? I want to major in Computer Science and REALLY want to go to Purdue University. I have acceptable grades and a fair chance of getting in but I am worried. How competitive is the admission and how much do teacher recommendations and essays matter?
Having talked to admissions previously, apparently no one major is more difficult to get into than the other (Although I honestly can’t say I believe that). I know they look for solid test scores and an upward trend in grades. They also really like to see rigor in your classes. Essays will definitely help you sell yourself. Honestly though, if you have good test scores, you’ll get in no problem. I didn’t have the best GPA (3.3), but got a 30 ACT and got direct admission into Krannert.
Yeah, no - there are definitely majors that are harder to get into than others. My neighbor applied to Krannert and was denied, but then applied as undecided and was accepted. I’m elementary education, and I can tell you that it is way WAY easier to get into my program than it is to get into engineering, or CS, or business. Just thought I’d put that out there. 
I also think that the essays and recommendations play a larger role for getting scholarships, or if your grades and test scores are lacking.