Selecting a major & Changing Majors @ NYU

<p>Hi, i'm a senior in high school and I am just about ready to submit my application to NYU.
I don't have a specific major in mind, however I am leaning more towards a political or communications major.
I want to know if picking a certain major will increase / decrease my chances of getting into NYU..
if i apply undecided, then does that affect my acceptance?</p>

<p>and once @ nyu, how easy is it to switch majors? ive heard my friends say switching majors at BC and other schools is not very difficult but i don't really know anyone at nyu so im asking here..</p>

<p>Hi, leader,</p>

<p>I think you are referring to CAS, right? I do not think it matters if you apply undecided or declare one major, say, in political science, and then decide to switch majors. Colleges know that you are still in your formative years and the courses you take in college may very well result in a change of mind on your part. In fact, I personally feel that it is part of the college education you are paying for: to be exposed to more ideas, fields, and challenges and then to have the flexibility to consider the best fit for yourself.</p>

<p>The thing you should keep in mind is that you have core classes which fill most of the schedule for first year and second year in college. You may start taking limited elective courses the first two years (more if you come in with more accepted AP/ college credits). So you do have some time to consider the best fit major for yourself. However, you should not take too long to change your mind re: a chosen major. Be familiar with the major’s requirements. Some majors require more credits to fulfill than others. So definitely decide on something by sophomore year, if not earlier to fulfill requirements in a timely manner, especially if planning to double major or minor in something besides declaring a major. </p>

<p>Now, having said this, I am not sure if it might be more competitive for applicants planning to be in certain high demand majors at NYU, like pre-med students who normally declare a major in one of the sciences (biology, chemistry). I would say the competition is stiff in these majors because NYU is a school with a great reputation and it is also an expensive school. Some applicants and their families do not mind paying more for NYU because of the higher return on money invested in a good education in fields such as medicine and business. It is likely the CAS Admissions office will see applicants planning to major in the sciences with especially strong credentials. </p>

<p>So some of the applicants intending to major in popular science majors, like Biology, may be competing for fewer spaces against highly qualified peers. I am not sure about this. Just my hypothesis. Someone in the sciences at NYU chime in if you view this differently based on your observations and experiences.</p>

<p>One last thing to consider, this is not directed for your attention only, but for other posters reading this. Many more medical schools are now considering applicants with majors in the non-sciences (but of course still fulfilling core/ basic science requirements) since they feel these students might bring in more of the “social/ humanistic” elements to medicine missing in the hordes of science majors applying with fewer courses in the social sciences/ humanities, etc. So, applicants may be wise to declare a non-science major if, in fact, the competition is “stiffer” for pre-med students (all with high statistics aspiring to be in medical school).</p>

<p>However, your intended majors, if declared do not appear in be in the super competitive areas. Wait, let me qualify that. I am not sure if communications is one of the more competitive majors?</p>

<p>Hehe, so my long reply to you ends with: Any students in communications who know if your major is a popular and “overly-subscribed” intended major for NYU applicants? Or do these individuals apply directly to Steinhardt?</p>