<p>So, I want to get into Harvard - like most people do. </p>
<p>On the applications, I'm asked about what I will most likely major in. In order to have the best chance of getting in, should I circle the field that Harvard has the strongest department in - like economics?</p>
<p>Or should I circle the field that Harvard has the weakest department in?</p>
<p>If you go about applying to colleges this way, the next time I see you I’m going to punch you in the jaw.</p>
<p>Oh, come on - I just want to get accepted really badly! So will you please help me out here?</p>
<p>All indications are that “intended majors” have no bearing on admissions and are used only for survey reasons.</p>
<p>Putting an obscure major can help, but only if you obviously care about that field of study and have done a bunch of work/gotten awards/great teacher rec. etc. in it. Otherwise, putting down an obscure major can hurt you, since the admissions committee doesn’t really like when people try to game the system. Putting down economics won’t help at all; Harvard has plenty of Econ majors.</p>
<p>Your best chance of getting in is choosing the major which best matches your passions/essays/extra-curriculars.</p>
<p>apply undecided unless uve done work in a particular field and have a very serious focus on it.</p>
<p>Okay, question… im planning on applying… and im very successful in Debate… and im wanting to major in Political Science… so should i write an essay about my debate experience in relation to how it affected my interests in college?</p>
<p>Yes, but recognize that it has to be better than the other 500-1,000 essays they get with the same approach, and its special quality will have to be apparent in the first few lines, before the reader’s mind goes blank at having to read yet another Debate/Government essay.</p>
<p>alright thanks</p>
<p>Is engineering considered to be an obscure major at Harvard?</p>
<p>you don’t get it. see the government and orangutan posts. and that’s that. admissions committee will see right through you, and you will risk even the minuscule chance you have getting in.</p>
<p>I thought this post was a joke.</p>
<p>I’ve heard Harvard admissions say multiple times they don’t care what your prospective major is.</p>
<p>You can major in “college admissions;” that would give them a laugh.</p>