It is understandable that not every 16-18 year old knows exactly what they want to do in life. Hence, when college application time comes, it is very common to see furrowed brows on the faces of students and parents alike, wondering which major to declare on the application forms. Quite a few wonder if choosing “Undeclared” as an option is a good idea.
If you think about it, it does not really seem like one.
If you think about it, it does not really seem like one.
Colleges are increasingly looking for a clear direction from prospective students, based on their essay prompts and other pre-requisites. Most colleges have listed additional requirements depending on the school and major one applies for. In such a scenario, the percentage intake of undeclared majors is usually very small.
College education today is not cheap. Average costs are upwards of $20,000 – usually around $40,000 per year. It hardly makes sense then to go in undeclared and take random courses for an entire year to find one’s “true calling”. Spending a year taking business classes, and then suddenly switching to science can be just as expensive. Instead, it might be a better idea to take time off, audit some colleges, do some online courses (free or paid), take some aptitude tests, or even do an internship to finalize one’s areas of interest before shortlisting and applying to universities. Alternately, a student could take some courses at a Community College which are comparatively cheaper, find their field of interest, and then sign up full time with a good University to pursue that particular major. However, applying as a full time student at a community college and getting student visas will be a bit tricky if you are an international student. A better option is to enroll in a smaller Liberal Arts college, where students are exposed to humanities, modern languages, mathematical and social-scientific education, and usually get more attention and guidance from advisors and mentors as compared to large technical universities and state colleges.
Not declaring a major has another pitfall – how does one select a University that excels in the line of study one wants to follow? Not every university has schools in business, sciences, engineering and arts that are equally and/or highly ranked. A Computer Engineering program at a state University might be ranked in the top 10, but it’s Business School might not even feature in the top 50.
Visiting counselors might help, but most counselors work with numerous students, and simply do not have the time or tools to seek and pinpoint a student’s interest that matches with their strengths. Most end up looking at grades, and advising on the latest trends in the field of the study that particular students are good at. Talking to people who are knowledgeable could also help, but too many cooks spoil the broth, so talking to too many people might be counter-productive, as it might confuse the students and their parents even more. A “hot” industry today might turn “cold” by the time a student graduates, so taking up a major based on what is in the news might not help either.
It is a difficult decision, but one that needs to be made well before applying, or else it could turn out to be very expensive. If undecided, the ideal course of action would be to narrow down the choices to at least broad areas like Business, Engineering, Medicine, Computer Science or Arts, enroll in a (Liberal Arts) University, take a few courses, and then change / finalize the major by the Sophomore year. The student could then even apply for a transfer to a college that is renowned for the major they wish to follow. In the end, the student has to work in the chosen industry for most, or even the rest of their life, and hence they should ideally be interested in the work they will be doing.
College education today is not cheap. Average costs are upwards of $20,000 – usually around $40,000 per year. It hardly makes sense then to go in undeclared and take random courses for an entire year to find one’s “true calling”. Spending a year taking business classes, and then suddenly switching to science can be just as expensive. Instead, it might be a better idea to take time off, audit some colleges, do some online courses (free or paid), take some aptitude tests, or even do an internship to finalize one’s areas of interest before shortlisting and applying to universities. Alternately, a student could take some courses at a Community College which are comparatively cheaper, find their field of interest, and then sign up full time with a good University to pursue that particular major. However, applying as a full time student at a community college and getting student visas will be a bit tricky if you are an international student. A better option is to enroll in a smaller Liberal Arts college, where students are exposed to humanities, modern languages, mathematical and social-scientific education, and usually get more attention and guidance from advisors and mentors as compared to large technical universities and state colleges.
Not declaring a major has another pitfall – how does one select a University that excels in the line of study one wants to follow? Not every university has schools in business, sciences, engineering and arts that are equally and/or highly ranked. A Computer Engineering program at a state University might be ranked in the top 10, but it’s Business School might not even feature in the top 50.
Visiting counselors might help, but most counselors work with numerous students, and simply do not have the time or tools to seek and pinpoint a student’s interest that matches with their strengths. Most end up looking at grades, and advising on the latest trends in the field of the study that particular students are good at. Talking to people who are knowledgeable could also help, but too many cooks spoil the broth, so talking to too many people might be counter-productive, as it might confuse the students and their parents even more. A “hot” industry today might turn “cold” by the time a student graduates, so taking up a major based on what is in the news might not help either.
It is a difficult decision, but one that needs to be made well before applying, or else it could turn out to be very expensive. If undecided, the ideal course of action would be to narrow down the choices to at least broad areas like Business, Engineering, Medicine, Computer Science or Arts, enroll in a (Liberal Arts) University, take a few courses, and then change / finalize the major by the Sophomore year. The student could then even apply for a transfer to a college that is renowned for the major they wish to follow. In the end, the student has to work in the chosen industry for most, or even the rest of their life, and hence they should ideally be interested in the work they will be doing.