Need help deciding on a major!

College Majors
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<p>My dream career is to be a magazine editor (or anything along the lines of that), but I've realized that this field is really hard to get into. I even wrote one of my UC personal statements on this aspiration, and was planning to major in something along the lines of Journalism/Communications/Media. However, my parents suggested I major in something more "realistic", such as business admin. They said that career opportunities will be more widely accessible. </p>

<p>I'm in the process of filling out college apps and have chosen Business or Marketing as my first-choice major. Would I still be able to possibly earn a career in journalism even though my major wasn't directly related to it? I've also noticed that UC's don't really have notable business programs (some don't even have business majors available at all, such as UC Davis). Does this mean they're not as impacted?</p>

<p>So, should I choose my major as Business/Marketing instead of Journalism/Communication/Media? Which one is more impacted? Are there any other major choices that are closely related to my ideal career? I think my mom suggested English too, as an alternative.</p>

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<p>It depends partly on what type of subject matter you’re interested in. Fashion? Sport? Politics? Science? Etc. Editors don’t necessarily have a degree in one of the more broad disciplines: Journalism, English, Business. It might be appropriate for you to study a more defined subject, depending on your interests and whether you’re really passionate about one or two fields.</p>

<p>What are your interests? Can you name three magazines that you’d love to work for?</p>

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<p>From what I’ve researched a business degree really only helps if you want to be in business. Obvious much haha. Entering Business isn’t to hard even with a degree such as liberal arts. But enough of my rambling and back to your question. It is good to consider double majoring like combining something practical with what you enjoy. Please keep in mind “CONSIDER”, because there are potential disadvantages</p>

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<p>Hi Newyorkcitylivin,</p>

<p>I totally got your drift. For the past few years I planned to be a reporter, although now I’d like to be an English professor, or a foreign-language teacher.</p>

<p>Anyway, last year I spoke to my English professor about this. He has worked as a journalist, and his sister got snatched up as a reporter for some big publication. He told me that it’s more important to have an impressive portfolio than an actual Journalism degree. In his sister’s case, she had an English degree and a really good portfolio.</p>

<p>Of course, major in what you like b/c you will be good at what you enjoy. If you need you can always pick up a double-major with a more “practical” degree (as some would say).</p>

<p>Job’s are rough in this field b/c it’s not growing. I spoke with a local newspaper a year-and-a-half ago, and they told me that readership isn’t growing for print editions and everything is switching to online (duh). With this info and what I heard from a recent grad, I’m going to learn computer programing, so if decide not to teach and switch back to journalism I can get a job as a web editor.</p>

<p>I hope this wasn’t to much info. Best of luck! Also, feel free to check out my thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/1565838-seeking-input-foreign-language-degrees.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/1565838-seeking-input-foreign-language-degrees.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>@Dunboyne, I see what you’re saying, but I have a broad interest in journalism. Any subject matter would work for me. I would choose fashion, sports, or health over like politics or science, but I honestly wouldn’t mind any subject. </p>

<p>@alexnguyen @collegebound127, what would be a practical major you recommend me choosing that can open the door to a variety of different career opportunities? I feel like if I choose Journalism/Media/Communications, I would only be limited to jobs in that field, which is my aspiration, but it’s already tough to get into. I know I can change my major down the road, but at least for now, what do you recommend? I’m mainly applying to UC’s, some CSU’s, and maybe Pepperdine and Syracuse (I know Syracuse has a really good journalism program).</p>

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<p>If you mean “practical” as in “sets you up for certain jobs right out of college”, that would be majors like computer science and the engineering disciplines. Though I’ll just come out and say, one of my majors is computer science and I would discourage going into it if you’re not genuinely interested in it. Engineering students have said the same thing. It may sound pretty obvious (hard major overall + no interest = bad time), but there’s so many people that try to do that anyway because of how “practical” the majors are.</p>

<p>Really though, most people don’t end up getting jobs within their major unless they’re in one of those more vocational majors. None are really more practical than any other unless you’re trying to get into a specific field that requires you to study a certain subject. To that end, as I always say: Go with what you’re interested in. If you happen to be interested in a “practical”/in-demand major, more power to you.</p>

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<p>You’re right, our closest is managerial economics. Not the exact same thing, but if you are looking at applying here keep that in mind. We also don’t have a journalism major, but do have a professional writing minor…of which I know there’s a petition to make it a major going around, no idea when and if that’d actually happen though. Again, just something to keep in mind if you intend to apply here.</p>

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<p>OP, a couple more questions…</p>

<p>Do you think you’d be comfortable with the quantitative aspects of economics (basic to mid-level math, stats, econometrics, maybe some comp sci)?</p>

<p>Which interests you more: studying English in depth (i.e. criticism), or studying the broader field of Communications?</p>

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<p>@PhantomVirgo Yeah, my dad has a really great job in the engineering field and I think he’s hoping I choose to major in something along the lines of that, but I just don’t have much of an interest in it. In your opinion, do you think I should choose my major as Business/Marketing or Journalism, considering I have more of an interest in the latter but am really looking for a more “practical” major? Which one do you think is more impacted? Has a better program for it (among UC’s)? I’ll look into the managerial economics major at Davis because I want to apply there, but I know it’s more notable for its biological sciences. I’m just trying to figure this all out as much as I can now and set myself up for the right path. Although, I know many people end up changing their major and ideal career well into college. </p>

<p>@Dunboyne I’m not that great at math, although I’m currently taking AP Stats and am one of the top in my class, so I think math similar to that would be fine. If you’re referring to studying English literature, than studying the broader field of Communications interests me more.</p>

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<p>I’ve looked into Economics as a major and am starting to take quite an interest in it! I’m not so keen on how much math it seems to require, but I’m pretty good at Stats (am not taking AP Calculus in HS, not sure how much that would affect me). Is it really math intensive? I’m more interested in the social science aspect of it, if that makes sense…</p>

<p>Any advice on that?</p>

<p>Also, if I do choose to major in Econ instead now, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of one of my personal statements that explained my aspiration of wanting to become an editor and work in the field of journalism? Would colleges think I don’t know what I want?</p>

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<p>Economics does require calculus but it’s usually only a couple of courses. AP Calculus BC with a grade of 5 usually lets you place out of those required courses. So if you don’t have AP Calc, no problem, it only means that you will have to take the courses pre-major (or minor). If you think you’re good enough with math to pass (not ace) these courses, then you should be ok. Some colleges even have pre-calculus to get you up to speed.</p>

<p>Econ is more stats intensive than “math” intensive, at least in undergrad, so that might work out for you. And don’t worry, the social science aspect is the primary focus.</p>

<p>Yes, do look into Economics as a program of study. This might please your parents in that it’s good preparation for studying Business at a masters level, with an MBA or MA in Econ, Management, etc if you change your mind about Journalism. It’s a good program of study for a future journalist too, whether you cover business, politics, sport, entertainment, whatever. The world revolves around money, more or less.</p>

<p>I would say that most “practical” programs of study would involve quantitative work (STEM fields). But economics is a great choice for someone who wants practicality without the heavy math/science. And as you know, most colleges don’t offer an undergrad Business program. </p>

<p>Your personal statement can be amended, no? Add to it. An economics major doesn’t change your future plans to be a journalist at all. It’s excellent preparation. Figure out why that is and amend your statement, if need be. </p>

<p>You might want to look into a Foreign Language minor as well. Having another language is very helpful as a journalist. Consider a double minor. And whether you study Communications or English, I don’t think either is going to hurt you or help you more than the other if your plan is to enter Journalism.</p>

<p>So a couple ideas:
–Econ major with a double minor in Communications/English and Foreign Language.
–Communications/English major with a double minor in Economics and Foreign Language.</p>

<p>Obviously the Econ as a major would be a better hedge if you change your mind about journalism and decide to enter Business at a graduate level. But Comm/English is more in line with your interests. And I’m not certain how the various UCs differ in the availability of these majors/minors.</p>

<p>Consider going to grad school for Journalism. There are some good Masters programs. Two of the best are at Northwestern and Columbia. Work your butt off in undergrad and aim high. Who knows, maybe you can end up in New York, ready to start your career. Not a bad place to be for a journalist.</p>

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<p>^ After reading your most recent post, I agree with this suggestion. It strikes a balance between the practicality and interest aspects, plus it ties into both journalism and business.</p>

<p>And yeah, regarding the personal statements you should be able to edit them and tie in how econ relates to your goal to become a journalist.</p>

<p>For the math requirements, at Davis at least it requires three quarters of the MAT 16 (calc for social sciences, basically) series or two quarters of the MAT 21 (calc for hard science/engineering majors, excluding biosci) series. From what I’ve seen, that general requirement is about the same as far as how long you have to take math. Many people come in without any calc under their belt, so you most certainly won’t be alone there.</p>

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<p>@PhantomVirgo I’d first like to thank you for the abundance of great advice you have given me! It really does help. </p>

<p>I’ve decided to choose Economics as my major, and luckily all schools I’m applying to offer that as a major. My personal statement (prompt #1), regarding my aspiration of wanting to work in journalism, pretty much reached its maximum length, being that both essays combined can’t be more than 1000 words. Therefore, I can’t add much to it but I can certainly make a few changes. I’m a little stuck on what exactly I should amend, though. If you don’t mind, could you take a look at it? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>I’ve never even thought about grad school for Journalism. Northwestern and Columbia do have prestigious journalism programs, maybe that could be another option I choose to take in the future if I still want a career in Journalism!</p>

<p>I’m at least now fairly certain what path I’ll be taking in college, which is Econ major with a double minor in Communications/English and Foreign Language (French, since I’ve already taken all 4 years including AP). I think I’ll be able to handle the math, given that its more stats intensive. My senior sched is just filled with as many AP courses as I can fit, which is why I couldn’t take both AP Calc AB and BC.</p>

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<p>newyorkcitylivin, I’m happy for your new-found enthusiasm! </p>

<p>–One thing I’d like to point out is not to lose sight of being flexible with your plans. I’m not sure if this came across in my posts, but even if you choose to only Minor in Economics, your options for the future are still very good. An Econ minor still allows you to have all or most of the pre-requisites to transition into a business career, with an MA in Economics or MSc in Management or an MBA, etc. So I wouldn’t rule out the Econ minor if you decide to Major in Communications or English. I’m not trying to sway you one way or the other; just want to make you aware that it still works.</p>

<p>–If you choose to minor in Econ, and want to be fully prepared for grad school in Business, take a few courses in other business fields such as accounting, marketing, and finance. You don’t need many, just two or three to give some depth to your business studies. An Econ major usually has this depth built into the program, but with a minor, be careful with course selection to give yourself options for the future.</p>

<p>–By all means, write your Personal Statements and Apps to include Economics as a major if that’s what you choose. But in reality, I’d recommend that you be flexible when ultimately settling between the Econ major or minor, and the Comm/English major or minor. You can probably switch. Your choice might depend partly on what school you attend. </p>

<p>–Are you applying to UCSD? Their graduate Econ program is ranked as highly as UCLA, Duke, Brown, Cornell (US News). I know it’s a graduate ranking, but the undergrad quality might be similar. Just my opinion, but if you want to major in Economics, think about applying to UCSD and UCLA. UCLA Econ and English are both excellent, so you might want to give it a whirl unless you think it’s far too reachy. UCD, UCSB and UCI are all solid choices too, but I think you said somewhere you have already decided to apply to those schools.</p>

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<p>@Dunboyne, thanks for the advice! I completely understand what you’re saying and will take that into consideration. And yeah, that’s very true - my choice will most likely depend partly on what school I attend. I am applying to UCSD, UCD, and UCSB, and I’m still choosing between Berkeley or UCLA as my reach school to apply to. I know Berkeley has a good Econ program, but I wasn’t aware UCLA is ranked highly in it too. Does UCI have a good Econ program too? </p>

<p>Btw, since Econ is an impacted major at UCSD and Berkeley, does that mean my chances of acceptance are even lower? Would I have a higher chance if I apply to a non-impacted major and then switch to Econ later, if accepted?</p>

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<p>Yes, both Berkeley’s Econ and English are outstanding. UCSB and UCI are very similar quality wise overall, and for Econ and English. Economics, English, Comm, French are usually pretty solid at top 50ish universities at an undergrad level. It’s when you get into the more obscure majors that the weaknesses start to appear.</p>

<p>You might want to check again whether Econ is impacted at UCSD. I believe it’s only impacted at UCB and UCLA. </p>

<p>As for whether you have a higher chance of being accepted if you list a non-impacted first-choice major…who knows? I doubt it very much. If the school wants you, it wants you because you’re a capable student. It’s not going to reject you because you want to study something that’s in high demand. They would be losing a student that they would otherwise want. UCB and UCLA are reach schools anyway, so if you would be rejected, it would very likely be for other reasons. But if you’re given the option of putting an alternative major on your app when your 1st choice is impacted, it would be wise to put the alternative.</p>

<p>If you’re going to apply to only one of UCB/UCLA, here are some things to consider:
–In addition to Econ: UCLA has a Business Econ major (impacted), while UCB has an Environmental Econ major (impacted). Business Econ is more appealing for broad journalism.
–UCLA has a Communications major. UCB has a Media Studies major (impacted).
–These points might be important to you if you got into the university but didn’t get into the Econ major. In other words, at UCB you might have to opt for the English major. At UCLA, there’s probably a better shot at the Comm major, plus you have the Business Econ which is good for journalism.
–Decide whether UCB and UCLA are reaches or high reaches. If UCLA is a reach and UCB a high reach, this could make the difference.</p>

<p>I’m pretty sure all of the UCs would have an Econ major, and English/French major/minor. No problem there. It’s the Econ minor, the Comm major, and the Comm minor that won’t be offered everywhere, so you’ll want to check that and maybe start a spreadsheet. I’ll have a quick look…</p>

<p>Economics Minor: not offered at UCB, UCLA, UCSB.
Communications Major: not offered at UCI, UCR.
Communications Minor: not offered at UCB, UCLA, UCSB, UCI, UCR.</p>

<p>You’ll want to cross-check all of that.</p>

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<p>@Dunboyne I was mistaken, Economics at UCSD isn’t impacted. Only some engineering fields are, which makes sense. </p>

<p>Yeah, I always hear people saying they’ll pick a non-impacted first-choice major to better ensure acceptance, which is where I got the idea from. Berkeley doesn’t offer an alternative major in college apps (not sure about UCLA yet), so that won’t work to my advantage. I know my chances are very slim at Berkeley, but me and my mom visited the campus and we both love it, so she really wants me to give it a try. </p>

<p>UCLA, on the other hand, seems to have an Econ program that is more appealing for my ideal career. This past year, UCLA actually had a slightly lower acceptance rate than UCB, but I heard that was only because they had more unqualified applicants. I also heard they’re very unpredictable when it comes to admissions. I haven’t visited the campus, so I can’t really compare it to UCB, but I’m not sure how I feel about the LA area in general. </p>

<p>Thanks for looking that up for me! My list of colleges I’m planning to apply to is very extensive, and I need to shorten it because the total price of college apps will be like $600+ at this rate. Colleges I definitely know I’m applying to are UCSB, UCSD, UCD, UDR (got admitted through their Guaranteed Admission Program over the summer, so I know that’s a safety), SDSU, and Cal Poly SLO. However, I also have other colleges I’m still deciding on whether or not I should apply to. I really want a good mix of safeties, matches, and reaches. I actually made a chance thread yesterday, so if you could take a look at my stats and everything and help me get a better idea of where I stand, that would be great! </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1568948-chance-me-ucs-others.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1568948-chance-me-ucs-others.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;