Your kid's college and major?

Parents Forum
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<p>I would suggest having him take a few tests - a personality test, like myers briggs, one of those tests that show possible options based on interest and merge it with his natural strengths and talents. </p>

<p>I would agree if you want to be an engineer, or a nurse, you have to get accepted as a freshmen into those particular programs.</p>

<p>However, why not apply to the arts & science department, that encompasses a ton of different classes, at a school where they have a theater department where he can join in as a hobby or a class and see where it goes from there?</p>

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<p>I think that being undecided is fine, and is quite common. Many of the students who think they know what they want to do, or study, change their minds.</p>

<p>My son behaved the same way. I told him that he did not have to go to college, and could go to work instead. I left the house and came back to find he had made a color-coded schedule for visits (he has since graduated from an Ivy and works in a good job). He also did his essays on Dec. 31. But honestly, if he could not summon any enthusiasm or effort, I was absolutely fine with him working (and he knew it!).</p>

<p>How about getting him a voice teacher and seeing where that goes? Perhaps one option, if he truly likes it, is to pursue music eventually. One of my kids is a music major and has already had three great internships by mid-junior year. Students can pursue performance and get experience under their belt, and music majors tend to do really well getting into med school and so on. He could even spend a year between high school and college/conservatory taking lessons, learning theory and so on.</p>

<p>One other thing: how about looking at schools like Sarah Lawrence or Bennington? I know a lot about Bennington, and the kids do not have to choose a major at all there. First years take anything they want, from the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, and come up with an interdisciplinary plan. It is not unusual for a student to focus, say, on vocal performance and neuroscience, linking the two. There is intensive advising which also helps kids make those connections and follow interests. There are other schools like that as well, that don’t pigeonhole kids into specializations. Bennington also has a field work term, for 7 weeks in the winter, that are essentially f/t internships. Students may work in a lab, dance in a company, work in a museum, teach, apprentice with an opera company: you get the idea.</p>

<p>I would relax and try to help him find what he would enjoy. I know your family is in the arts and entertainment culture, as are some of mine, so I don’t mean to sound naive, but I do think that with kids who are unsure, it helps to accept it and just try to nurture any little movements in any direction whatsoever.</p>

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<p>However, both SLC and Bennington have limited depth and breadth in many subjects; a student who is undecided going in may have to transfer if s/he eventually decides to want to major in something that the school does not have sufficient depth and breadth in.</p>

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<p>Another one in the “don’t sweat it” camp. My own D1, like OP’s, knew exactly what she wanted to major in and what type of school she wanted to attend. It really narrowed our college search as it was a specialized major. Half way through first semester, she changed her mind. Bless the school she went to; it required a hands on type introductory course for students in that major, and d1 realized she needed a job with more human interaction. </p>

<p>Anyway, new major has a lot of prereqs, and she’ll have to take a summer class to get back on track. Not really too big a deal in the grand scheme of things. New major is more rigorous, but far less specialized. I think it’s a better fit. More job options, more opportunities for advanced study.</p>

<p>So, you S doesn’t know what he wants to do? Really, most 18 year olds don’t, and those that claim they do (like mine) don’t either. Pick a school that he likes with a good range of majors. While it might be tough to find a school that’s top notch in both music and science, it shouldn’t be too hard to find one that’s good in both.</p>

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<p>My D didn’t know what she wanted to do, but she knew it wasn’t going to be math or science; she’s a humanities/social sciences kid. We started the search by determining the type/size of school she wanted. We looked at schools that were broad in reach and had few barriers to switching majors. Our approach was “If you change your mind about what you want to do, but love the school, you won’t have to transfer.” </p>

<p>By the time she figured it out, as a sophomore, she realized that the school she was in wasn’t really strong in that field. But she was able to formulate a course of study that would let her do what she wanted to do. The school was very flexible so she could do that. She chose one of those basically “useless” majors (English) but put together a good program for her.</p>

<p>She now has an excellent job in the field in which she is interested.</p>

<p>(BTW, even kids who are “certain” about their majors change their minds. The president of University of Rochester entered college certain that he wanted to be a chemist. He graduated college as a philosophy major.)</p>

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<p>I’d like to mention something that hasn’t been brought up here yet. When I started at a major university I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. And didn’t discover it until well into my sophomore year. However it wasn’t taking Gen Ed classes that did it. Instead I found out what I wanted to do in large part by talking to my roommates and friends. I heard about their classes and experiences in a wide variety of majors – everything from education to business to communications to prelaw to premed to liberal arts. I don’t think I would have had this expose to other areas and other ways of thinking at an LAC. Maybe this is one argument for a university.</p>

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<p>^I figured out what I wanted to do via a freshman seminar in a very specialized field. Gen Ed classes aren’t always the best intro to a field. </p>

<p>I think a university (or largish) LAC is a good place for a student who is unsure of their direction. Look for some place with lots of offerings and not too many requirements. It’s fine to be undecided.</p>

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<p>My D is also interested in theatre and voice, but she realizes that her chances of finding a job in that field after graduation are very small. So, she has looked at colleges that will allow her to do a double major or minor in theatre and then something else (that she just doesn’t know what yet). We had the same concern about how to find a college when she doesn’t have her major decided. But, we just looked at a wide range of schools to see what she likes in a school and then made sure that she applied to schools where she would be able to have time to explore classes and select a second major as well. I think that they are still very young and with all the required classes in HS there was not a lot of time for some students to explore options and decide what they want to do for the rest of their life. I think its okay to take a year or two at college to figure it out and make sure they get it right.</p>

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<p>Pull them out of hat. I do not believe that everybody has to know their preference, but if you believe so, then this is the only way to single out one. I also do not see any tragedy in getting into something that eventually is not working for you. Just go back to school and change it. I had done it in my 30’s and having family. Did not like engineering after 11 years of experience, switched to IT and very happy that I did. How I would know originally? There is no way. Cannot work in engineering without degree. Here is your catch 22.</p>

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<p>I have two kids in college. The oldest is a master planner and organizer and knew her intended college major from her sophomore year in college … and ending up changing the major she always knew she wanted as a college sophomore and moved on to something new (but sort of related). The second kid had no idea in what he wanted to major … he ended up at a school covering all the options he was considering and half way through his first semester has already narrowed the possibility set a lot including some new options. </p>

<p>For me there are two main thoughts … first, college is a time to explore and then decide majors … second, each student is very different at how they come to those decisions. (and … third, for our kids we hope they pick schools that help them explore the super set of possible majors for them … for me, for example, I went to a school that had engineering, math, physics, computer science, and architecture).</p>

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<p>However, most of the majors in that set have a lot of overlapping freshman year requirements, so it was presumably easy for you to choose a freshman year schedule that avoids locking you out of any of the possible majors.</p>

<p>A truly undecided student needs to be careful with this type of thing where not planning for all of the possible majors could result in unintentionally getting locked out of some of them due to not taking the freshman year requirements for them.</p>

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<p>Most will never know until they start working.
11 years of trying was enough for me to give it up and move on.</p>

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<p>My D also didn’t know what she wanted and I helped her by having her take a Myers Briggs personality test as mentioned by someone earlier. This helped my D know more about herself and gave her general subject areas and occupations she might enjoy based on her personality. It helped focus her thinking and helped her narrow down the colleges she was considering. And I noticed that she shared this with her other friends. We used a book borrowed from her guidance counselor but you can find a free test online.</p>

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<p>CC actually has one of those tests for students here
[Why</a> You Should Know Your Temperament Type - college-admissions - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_admissions/temperament_snapshot.htm]Why”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_admissions/temperament_snapshot.htm)</p>

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<p>"A truly undecided student needs to be careful with this type of thing where not planning for all of the possible majors could result in unintentionally getting locked out of some of them due to not taking the freshman year requirements for them. "</p>

<p>Yes, this is one of our big concerns. </p>

<p>Thanks everyone for your advice. I’m sharing a lot of it with him. I can also tell, frankly, that we are of lesser financial means that many(most?) people on this board. We have saved since he was a toddler and will be able pay for tuition and books at an-instate school. If he wants to go away, he’s on his own for that. We can’t afford to help him other than my husband giving him a summer job at his business. So, another factor in all of this is that it has to be smart financial move. Hubby is against student debt and thinks that it’s not overly important where your undergrad is from, not sure if I feel the same. Anyhow, we have some big decisions to make!</p>

<p>BTW, my son did take an online Myers-Briggs test and it was interesting because he sees himself not like he really is. I’ve taken this test professionally and the key to good results is to be highly self-aware.</p>

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<p>Since you are in Michigan, you do have some fine in-state public universities, so if you can afford those, that is a pretty good position to be in.</p>

<p>Most schools do have course catalogs on their web sites to browse.</p>

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<p>We sat down a couple of days ago and went through all of the programs offered at all of the schools he applied to. He was quite interested in Bioengineering at Michigan State, with a minor in music. But we just learned that he got a deferral from that school. Oy! But it was helpful to go through them all.</p>

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<p>It sounds like your son needs a typical flagship with lots of potential majors to choose from. MSU sounds perfect but Oy is right…sorry.</p>

<p>I am going to suggest another flagship that has lots of potential majors but is OOS. It might work within your budget.</p>

<p>University of Wyoming. OOS Tuition/Fees/Room/Board $21,500 per year. Depending on his grades/scores; he may qualify for up to a $6,000 scholarship. That might make the price similar to MSU. </p>

<p>[Non-Resident</a> Freshman | Scholarships | Admissions | University of Wyoming](<a href=“404 - Page Not Found”>http://www.uwyo.edu/admissions/scholarships/non-resident-freshman.html)</p>

<p>Other state schools with lots of majors and cheap OOS prices would be the South and North Dakota schools.</p>

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<p>Bioengineering with a minor in music is likely available at other schools too.</p>

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<p>“Hubby is against student debt and thinks that it’s not overly important where your undergrad is from”</p>

<p>-Strongly agree. I am a parent of college graduate who went to IS state for free (Merits) and is very happy that we can help her financially with Med. School in appreciation for mature decision making choosing her UG. To add, she had the most awesome 4 years in her UG, much better than espected with great results of being accepted at several Med. School, couple of them in top 20.</p>