Choosing a major to list on a college application can feel – rightfully so – like a high-stakes decision. Parents and students often wonder: Should we pick something strategic—or something that truly fits? I firmly believe the most compelling applications come from students whose choices make academic and personal sense, not those trying to outsmart highly-sophisticated admissions processes at colleges with varied enrollment goals.
Prioritize Fit and Authenticity
A college application becomes more compelling when a student’s intended major aligns with their interests, academic strengths, and extracurricular activities. When there’s a thread connecting what a student has pursued—classes, activities, internships—to what they say they want to study, their application crafts a coherent story. In turn, it makes an argument for how your student will fit into a college community. That fit is critical. And admissions officers are trained to identify patterns of authentic interests versus positioning.
Pull On Threads of Interest
To prioritize fit and authenticity before applying, try to focus on encouraging genuine exploration during high school. Encourage your teen to dig into varied electives, summer programs, and academic offerings. The better they understand what excites them, the more confidently they can list a major that’s both authentic and likely to stick when they arrive on campus.
“Gaming” the Major Choice Is Rarely What’s Best For Your Teen
Despite the conceptual advantages of prioritizing fit, it can be tempting to choose a supposedly “less competitive” major in hopes of improving admission odds. Know that that approach rarely works best in the long run. Annually, colleges adjust where they need expansion or constriction across academic departments. What might seem like an easier entry one cycle could become more difficult the following year. There’s simply no perfect guide to predicting a college’s internal enrollment strategies or applicant pool changes. Plus, the short-term gaming strategies fall short of considering your teen’s long-term best interests.
College Major Trends
While no two applicant pools are identical, national trends make plain that some academic areas are more competitive across most campuses. Recently, Business, Engineering, and Computer Science programs have been especially popular. That doesn’t mean your teen should avoid those disciplines, but they should choose them only when those fields genuinely fit their academic aptitudes and long-term interests.
Avoiding Costly Regrets
Trying to outsmart admissions teams can backfire. Imagine what happens if switching away from a major they do not actually want to pursue proves difficult. That could result in adding extra semesters to how long it takes your teen to secure a degree. Correspondingly, that could increase your teens chances of dropping out. Further, that delay could also balloon your college costs. Both of those huge downside mean that choosing a “strategic” major for admissions purposes gives rise to huge downsides.
It’s OK To Be Undecided
Not every student knows their direction by senior year of high school (or even in college), and that’s perfectly fine. If your teen feels undecided, I recommend focusing on colleges and a liberal arts education that support academic exploration. Some institutions pride themselves on helping students discover pathways through flexible curriculum models and advising; others make changing majors cumbersome. Understanding this distinction during the college search will save you truckloads of frustration down the road.
Key Takeaway
In the end, the best strategy isn’t about gaming admissions—it’s about authenticity and self-awareness. Please, please encourage your teen to choose a path that reflects who they are today while leaving flexibility for their interests to evolve. After all, evolving interests are a healthy sign of your teen’s active and engaged mind.
Fitz has dedicated the entirety of his 28 year career to encouraging higher education opportunities. He worked in the Vanderbilt, Duke Law and St. Lawrence admissions offices prior to serving as an enrollment management consultant for 200+ selective colleges around the country. He created Find The Right College to make trustworthy college counseling more accessible. Fitz is also the father of two teens so he also understands first-hand the challenges associated with a college search.
