<p>Cartera, might your observations be more related to the social class of the applicant rather than the specific major? Correlation rather than causation? Children from families higher up the socioeconomic ladder tend to learn the subtleties of social behavior and communication skills while growing up.</p>
<p>It would seem to me that theater and music majors are frequently the product of upper-middle-class families (“middle class” on CC) simply because deep exposure to these fields begins well before college and costs a fair amount of money in aggregate. First gen children of immigrants are encouraged to major in something that will “get them a job,” which is typically a STEM major or a business degree.</p>
<p>MSNDIS - your brood will be fine! I find it frustrating that kids come out of high school having to choose/know sometimes what they “will be when they grow up.” Mine both have a passion and direction, though not necessarily an absolute as far as career choice. But even if a HS grad isn’t exactly sure, I really feel like that’s what college is FOR for many kids… to experiment and try out different courses and avenues of study. That’s what I like about LACs. Broadening one’s brain, becoming well-read is important! A brain is still growing at 18! Something nearly always eventually clicks. And even if it isn’t in college, maybe one finds a satisfying and happy career post-college (as many of the posts on this thread attest).</p>
<p>Well, it matters more and more these days, unless you have a personal network that can help you get a job. Most resumes are uploaded to HR and computer-scanned for keywords; if your major is not among the keywords, no one even looks at it.</p>
<p>" Most resumes are uploaded to HR and computer-scanned for keywords; if your major is not among the keywords, no one even looks at it."</p>
<p>That’s in companies large enough to HAVE an HR department that has everything computerized. My S got his job answering an ad on Craigslist that went to the sole owner/operator. He got the job before that at a much larger company that DID have an HR person by calling a phone number, also a CL ad. The place I work has 5 paid employees, no HR, no “departments”. Sister’s job was found through an old-fashioned ad in the paper, no HR there either. </p>
<p>Those big companies using computerized scanning and weeding out entire groups of employees based on a few key words have no idea what they’re missing. But I’m sure they don’t care.</p>
<p>Even though I don’t have children of my own yet, I probably would pay for most majors (sorry B.S. Magic major who graduated from my alma mater, you lose out) simply because of my own, albeit limited, life experiences. Growing up, I always wanted to do something in science because it fascinated me, but I also found that I was really good at history/geography. I thought about med school, but the competitiveness wasn’t for me. I majored in Biology because I loved it and it was decently employable, but minored in something that really interested me–political science. I stumbled on a great internship that combined both, but I felt like I needed a masters to really get a firm grasp on the scientific knowledge I’d need in that career. So I turned down the FT job offer and went to grad school. My guaranteed job at my intern agency was gone due to budget cuts, so I went into management/technology consulting–no CS background, no nothing. I am leaving my first job (after 9 months and a promotion) and taking my second ‘real life job’ and returning to what I want to ‘do when I grow up.’ </p>
<p>It’s not always about the piece of paper, but about the path you take to get there. If my kid wanted to major in dance and made the most of that opportunity–internships, networking, etc., I’d support it because ultimately, it tends to work. Driven people are often successful regardless of their background</p>
<p>I haven’t read all the replies so maybe somebody said this already…
It’s easier to have a one-track kid in some ways. Some kids DO have passions/talents that are so over-whelming in their life-long focus that you can’t ignore it. You can’t imagine them doing something else. So you pay (depending on finances) to help them reach those goals. Better yet is to find avenues for their talent. Their are LOTS of compromises along the way.
Hardest is the kid who is good at everything but can’t decide what they want to do.
I have noticed that dear friends close to me always revert later in life (after retirement, having kids) to the things they worked on most as young kids and teens. Some have started new successful businesses based on those interests that were there so early in their lives. The interest didn’t disappear.</p>
For the most part, I’d echo these sentiments, tho’ heaven forbid he should
pursue a degree in Philosophy (like his Dad) or Political Science (like his Mom).
;7) </p>
<p>Happily, our son appears increasingly to be leaning towards Environmental Science (his only high school AP course), with a minor in business (which, as he puts it, “is important to understand”).</p>
<p>The apple appears to have rolled a safe distance from the trees.</p>
<p>My daughter is both a top student and a talented artist. We encourage her art as a hobby, but she knows that we will not pay for an art major. An art minor, on the other hand, will be fine.</p>
<p>My statements are clearly anecdotal, but in the cases about which I’m speaking, the reasons do not appear to be socioeconomic. The candidates really stand out who were theater/music majors went to the top of the heap in the interview stage based on confidence, judgment and the ability to engage. They also produced excellent writing samples. They were clearly people you did not mind being around on a daily basis. All of them did well in law school, but each went to a public university for undergrad. I recently worked with several candidates with advanced degrees in science/engineering who graduated from top notch schools. None of them are first generation grads. They were find as long as they talked about their area of expertise but had trouble otherwise. My D, a music major, had many friends from very modest means. My D was not immersed in music as a young child. She is classically trained and sings opera but had never seen an opera until she was a senior in high school, when the local opera company opened up their dress rehearsals to high school kids. We were just fortunate that we have a public performing arts school nearby.</p>
<p>Hebegebe–I wouldn’t normally say art is the way to go career-wise but it certainly was for my daughter. That’s why I say you need to look at the whole-life picture.</p>
<p>Vocal Performance and Fine Arts majors here. But then again, I was an English major. It worked out for me, and I’m sure it will work out for my daughters. Even if it means an advanced degree later on or more than one career.</p>
<p>We told our children we would pay for four years of college and they needed to graduate within that time. Major was up to them. We were sorely tested when one son declared he wanted to major in engineering. After much soul searching we decided we really couldn’t justify forbidding such a major, just because it seemed so uninteresting to us. He didn’t actually end up majoring in engineering. Probably he was just trying to shake us up. </p>
<p>All our children have graduated, gone on to graduate school, and are self supporting.</p>
I am not making fun of you, but I found this extremely funny, given the emphasis that many parents have of pushing their children into STEM careers.</p>
<p>^^It is funny in a truthful sort of way. Have you ever visited a large company with hundreds and hundreds of engineers…it’s cubicle land. Could potentially wrench the sole out of a person! A few jobs ago i worked somewhere like this and every once in a while some would put a little flag of something sticking up from their cube for some individuality. The aisles between the cubes had road signs. Not every engineer ends up like this but it’s not a myth. There are pros…and cons…to every career. To deny someone financing for a particular major is farcical as no one can predetermine how another person will end up in the game of careers.</p>
<p>That’s why I think he(she?) was being facetious. At least, trying to get the goat of an engineering major’s parent. ;)</p>
<p>I prefer the term “guide” rather than “push”. We would never choose our child’s major for him. But we know his strengths, aptitudes and weaknesses and so serve as counselors worth listening to.</p>
<p>Haha, my family tried to force me to become an engineer. I would rather work at the deli for the rest of my life. I am trying to imagine a more dull job right now but I can’t. They didn’t like economics initally… not sure why.</p>
We have a relative that is a pure artist. That is her passion, and I can’t imagine her doing anything else. If my daughter were like that, then I would pay for art school. My daughter is different. She enjoys art, but she also enjoys English, and math, and science. </p>
<p>Are college bound students adults, children, or something in between? I have seen many posts stating that they are incapable of reading and understanding student loan forms. Given that logic, are these same students capable of making a decision about college major completely on their own? I think parental guidance is still helpful.</p>
<p>In any case, our children’s education accounts are fully funded, and the money will be used for their benefit, whether for their college education or afterwards.</p>
<p>Momofthreeboys - Yes - you are correct. H is an engineer so I know first hand. Same company for 25 years (that’s enough of a turn off for me - sorry), starts work every morning at 6AM. Want to travel to Saudi Arabia all the time? BUT he loves his job! Go figure…</p>
<p>If the kid showed a potential that he could become Renoir or Beethoven, yes. Otherwise, no - we’ll give you the means to get good grades and scores, and you can find yourself a scholarship to study whatever you want.</p>
<p>Having said that we never said they have to study this specific subject. It’s more like - “with any of these fields, we’ll support you fully”.</p>