<p>Hi all - I'm getting really stressed out with my college applications and the fact that I want to go into Marketing. Some of the bigger schools have business schools which are necessary to Marketing students (and I am not the best at math..) would it be easier for me to apply to the school in a less competitive manner, get in, and then work my way into the marketing program? thank you!</p>
<p>It’s definitely an interesting and very debated strategy to declare a ‘less popular’ or ‘less demanded’ major in your application with the hope that it makes you stand out a little more.
I think it’s a great strategy. I declared a completely different major than the one I intended to study and it seemed to work out for me since I was accepted to my first choice.</p>
<p>I don’t see how this can possibly help you unless there is a lot of other stuff on your resume that suggests you’re very interested in what you list as an intended major. Thus, for example, if you’ve taken Latin, won prizes in Latin, etc., you might be able to list that you want to major in Classics–even if you don’t–and it might help you. But if you haven’t done any of those things, you’re not going to impress anybody by listing Classics.</p>
<p>If you’re talking about other general majors, I can’t see any point. If you’re talking about a school where you have to apply to specific programs, it may not be easy at all to transfer from one to another.</p>
<p>In schools where different majors or divisions have different levels of selectivity, it often requires applying to change major or division, with sufficiently high college GPA in course work sufficient to prepare for the new major without delaying graduation.</p>
<p>In some schools (e.g. Berkeley), one does not enter the undergraduate business division as a freshman; one enters in another division and applies to the business major in one’s second year.</p>
<p>First of all – you should not apply for any major unless you have sufficient interest that you would want to study the topic.</p>
<p>Second – if you are going to do this, find out the school’s transfer policy into the major you prefer before you apply. There are some schools where the path is pretty easy, others where it’s difficult.</p>
<p>What you don’t want to happen is to have the supposedly ‘easy’ department determine that you really haven’t ever demonstrated any interest in that field and reject your application – which could happen if you try to game the system. Likewise, you may actually spend a semester or two with the major you applied to before you can change your mind and transfer, which would be a waste if you don’t have an interest. (Some colleges will let you transfer before you enroll, but not all).</p>
<p>This being said – College is a time to explore your interests. Many Many students come to a school wanting to study one thing and finding out that their interests lie elsewhere. That’s what school is about.</p>
<p>Personally, if you have multiple interests, I see nothing wrong with applying to the one that may have the easier admissions path and then transferring.</p>
<p>The OP’s question is SO school specific that it makes it difficult to provide good advice…to the OP:</p>
<p>Please tell us which school you are considering this for</p>
<p>I’m between putting down Russian/Marketing on my applications. I’m also super interested in English Literature. I want to double major in them both (russian/marketing) so would there be much harm with myself listing “Russian” as the intended major? And then adding marketing on…?</p>
<p>And I’m not trying to impress anyone with the my listed major, but I’ve heard that it’s sometimes easier to get into schools if you apply for a major that is not the most competitive (i.e. it would be easier to get into ASU for secondary school education than for Accounting at WP Carey).</p>
<p>It’s for many schools really, I don’t have one pinpointed as top choice.
The application that I’m sending in tomorrow (granted all of my transcripts are updated) is for Drexel, which has an absolutely beautiful program with 18 mo of co-ops.
I’m not going to be heartbroken and cry if I don’t get in, because there are other really nice schools that I’m considering, but it would be really nice to get my letter early and know that I have a choice for enrollment with them. :)</p>
<p>I know that some schools, like AU, don’t actually consider the choice of major in their admissions. So that brings some concern, as well with the fact that @ucbalumnus brought up. Do those schools consider majors at all? Because i know that UC berkeley’s business administration in undergraduates is closed…</p>
<p>If you truly intend to major in Russian, then there is nothing wrong with listing this as your major.</p>
<p>If the school does not automatically allow double majors with Marketing, you run the risk that you will not be admitted into the program you desire.</p>
<p>thank you zephyr15! :DDD</p>