Explain applying to a specific major to me

[Anonymous]

Is it only specific majors that you need to apply to when you first apply to college, like engineering, nursing, architecture, maybe business? These were in different “schools” at UVA when I went. Or when I read on this board that kids apply directly to their major, are you talking about something different? Like my child will need to know whether she wants to major in biology or history before she finishes high school?

[Anonymous]

The official timeline is what you remember. But the common app asks for intended major, and nowadays the social norm at most high schools is to identify your intended major when you announce a high school. Some admissions offices look at “fit for major,” ie, whether your academic strengths and extracurricular activities match your intended major. Similarly, people working with consultants to craft an “authentic” narrative tend to target a particular major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it only specific majors that you need to apply to when you first apply to college, like engineering, nursing, architecture, maybe business? These were in different “schools” at UVA when I went. Or when I read on this board that kids apply directly to their major, are you talking about something different? Like my child will need to know whether she wants to major in biology or history before she finishes high school?

For many LACs you don't declare a major until one or two years after enrolling.

[Anonymous]

Entirely university dependent Op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it only specific majors that you need to apply to when you first apply to college, like engineering, nursing, architecture, maybe business? These were in different “schools” at UVA when I went. Or when I read on this board that kids apply directly to their major, are you talking about something different? Like my child will need to know whether she wants to major in biology or history before she finishes high school?

For many LACs you don't declare a major until one or two years after enrolling.

The issue is that premed classes and computer science classes are expensive for schools to offer and difficult for kids to pass.

Weak CS students and weak premeds tend to be nervous, boring people. Their main activity is lying in bed and crying about their rotten grades. They add nothing of value to their schools.

So, schools may not officially care about the applicants’ majors.

But they want to see that applicants have real interests and won’t clog up the mental health clinic with wailing about how they won’t get to be rich doctors or software developers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it only specific majors that you need to apply to when you first apply to college, like engineering, nursing, architecture, maybe business? These were in different “schools” at UVA when I went. Or when I read on this board that kids apply directly to their major, are you talking about something different? Like my child will need to know whether she wants to major in biology or history before she finishes high school?

For many LACs you don't declare a major until one or two years after enrolling.

The issue is that premed classes and computer science classes are expensive for schools to offer and difficult for kids to pass.

Weak CS students and weak premeds tend to be nervous, boring people. Their main activity is lying in bed and crying about their rotten grades. They add nothing of value to their schools.

So, schools may not officially care about the applicants’ majors.

But they want to see that applicants have real interests and won’t clog up the mental health clinic with wailing about how they won’t get to be rich doctors or software developers.

Agree that universities want students to be successful and admit students they think will be successful.

Not sure the mental health clinic's budget is a consideration. Most of the time, unsuccessful CS majors will just become business majors or humanities majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it only specific majors that you need to apply to when you first apply to college, like engineering, nursing, architecture, maybe business? These were in different “schools” at UVA when I went. Or when I read on this board that kids apply directly to their major, are you talking about something different? Like my child will need to know whether she wants to major in biology or history before she finishes high school?

For many LACs you don't declare a major until one or two years after enrolling.

The issue is that premed classes and computer science classes are expensive for schools to offer and difficult for kids to pass.

Weak CS students and weak premeds tend to be nervous, boring people. Their main activity is lying in bed and crying about their rotten grades. They add nothing of value to their schools.

So, schools may not officially care about the applicants’ majors.

But they want to see that applicants have real interests and won’t clog up the mental health clinic with wailing about how they won’t get to be rich doctors or software developers.

I mean…kinda? More like there’s finite lab space and amount of people who can fit in lecture hall. For example, at DC’s lac, they artificially deflated the amount of premeds by making it a “negative” for admissions. The reason? The most pre-med students they can teach at once is ~80 across the various majors, and it’s intensive on other departments (math, Physics) if there’s more premeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Entirely university dependent Op.

This. Check the college's website.

Impacted and/or highly competitive majors, like engineering, comp sci, business, pre-med, may require admission directly to the program.

One univ my kid is applying to asks for potential major/interests but only to determine which advisor would be best for the student.