By Kunal Mehra
When going to college, one thing students often worry about is ‘what major should I choose?’ Deciding your college major requires careful consideration, for it will impact your academic life and play an important role in your future career path. Therefore, building the right strategy based on variables such as your interests, passions, academic excellence, and career ambitions is critical.
As the most primary assessment, it is important to understand the rankings for each major. If the department ranking is not high, but the school itself has a high reputation, your chances of being accepted may be relatively high if you apply for an unpopular major at the university. Conversely, even if the university ranking is relatively low, specializing in one major may make it difficult to get accepted because the competition is much higher for that major.
For example, the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor ranks 23 in the U.S. rankings and is ranked 6 for business majors, beating other Ivy League colleges. In other words, the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor’s business major is more competitive than other majors, and getting in can be as challenging as the Ivy Leagues.
Unlike the UK universities, many American universities allow students to apply undeclared – where you do not specify your major at the time of the application. For students who find it difficult to declare their major at the time of application, it is worth considering applying undeclared.
So which is better – applying declared or undeclared?
When deciding on your major, consider three points. First, ask yourself what you are interested in and where your strengths lie. Second, be clear about your academic and career goals. Third, find out the major’s acceptance rate for the university to understand the level of competition.
This assessment will help you make a successful application with your choice of majors declared. It will also significantly increase your chances of being accepted as you will be able to build and convey your authentic narrative.
On the other hand, if you have a competitive college concentration in mind, but your high school academics don’t reflect your full potential in the core subjects, it might be best to use your freshman year to rectify this issue.
A great example of a competitive major is engineering, where the acceptance rates can be in the low single digits. But most importantly, apply undeclared, if you are truly undecided. It is simply not worth choosing a major before you have fully explored your interests and passions.
“Deciding on the major you would build your career on is not an easy task. It is imperative to start early and develop your own major selection strategy to differentiate yourself from other students. Fret not, you need not walk this journey alone. Make full use of existing resources, and seek advice from your school career advisors, mentors, seniors, or tutors. Their expertise and years of experience can translate into insights that will help you make the most informed decision.”
(Author is Country Head, Crimson Education)