How is common app Major used
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Anonymous
| Colleges say major is decided in Sophomore year but the common app school specific question ask for the Major. Why is this collected and how is this used |
Anonymous
| Narrative coherence and class shaping |
Anonymous
|
Search “strategic positioning” here.
Also listen to a lot of AO podcasts. They’ll give you clues. |
Anonymous
| We were told some schools download only the questions they need to use, so there's no telling which school even looks what which questions. |
Anonymous
You can see from the pdf preview which questions the school is asking. All of them ask about planned major or area of study - sometimes they have the student list up to three, and minors too. |
Anonymous
I mean on the Common App. Each school can decide which questions they’re going to download. |
Anonymous
If the question is required by that school, they will be downloading it. It’s part of their initial biographical It’s like none of the schools ask about race anymore. Because it’s not part of their review. |
Anonymous
+1 even at schools that don't require you to declare a major, they do want a sense of interests. They can't have a class that is all majoring in biology and CS. |
Anonymous
Sure, but you can see what questions they use by looking at the pdf preview, which is different for each college depending on what parts they use. There is also a list within the common app which points out questions that anre ignored by certain colleges (demographic info mainly). This will become clearer when you start using the common app but the info you were told is not correct. |
Anonymous
https://premiumprep.com/2024/09/06/small-ways-to-make-a-big-impact-on-your-common-application/ Major Matters. We often hear from colleges that they’re looking for students who have specific academic interests and pursue them outside of the classroom. You can read more about this in our blog post about “pointy applicants.” Essentially, you want to be sure that if you apply to be a business major, your application shows intentionality with that choice. Are you checking the box because business majors “make a lot of money,” or have you pursued business-related activities, have goals associated with that specific major, and sound reasoning for why you want to study it? A few key areas to highlight your specific major of interest: Academic Program: Almost every college will ask you which Academic Program you are interested in. Some colleges read exclusively by major and the major you choose can have a great impact on your admissions decision. Other colleges don’t make admissions decisions based on your major of interest but do look to make sure that your chosen academic program makes sense within the context of your application. Did you get a C- in Chemistry? You may not want to select Pre-Med. Have a slew of extracurricular activities that speak to an interest in Computer Science? The admissions committee may raise an eyebrow if you apply as a Sociology major. It’s important not to lie – don’t try to backdoor your way into a college by picking what you think is a less competitive major. However, some majors are indeed just ultra-selective and a similar, adjacent program might be a safer option. It can be helpful to have a third party (like your Premium Prep counselor!) review your application and help you figure out what major or program makes the most sense within the context of your accomplishments. Future Goals: This question, buried at the bottom of the Education section, can feel like a throwaway, but you should use it to your advantage to show genuine interest in your chosen area of study! Be sure that whatever career field you choose aligns with your major choice, and don’t be afraid to say you intend to earn the highest degree in your field (MBA, JD, etc.). Pro Tip: If you select “Other” for Career Interest, a text box will populate, allowing you to elaborate on your career goals. This gives you 100 additional characters to explain what you hope to do after graduation. If you have clearly defined goals in mind, this can be a great place to share those. Supplemental Essays: We’ve written at length about how supplemental essays can be even more important than the personal statement. They’re your chance to demonstrate interest, show you’ve done your homework, and elaborate on why that specific university is the right fit for you. This includes the major or school you select! Again, make sure that if you are writing about an intended major, program, or research interest in your supplemental essay, the rest of your application matches those interests. |
Anonymous
What is AO? (thank you). |
Anonymous
Admissions Officers (Yale and Dartmouth have good podcasts, as does CAP (college admissions podcasts). |
Anonymous
This is true for many but not all schools. The student should be sure to know when applying whether the specific institution admits by major (like UT Austin) or not. |
Anonymous
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Some schools look at the application separately by department/school — for example, if you are going for arts & science, engineering, school of business, or education, etc. and you compete by school for available spots. In those cases, you cannot switch from applying for, say, anthropology, to studying engineering once you get there.
Some smaller schools don’t do it this way. |
Anonymous
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Dr. Hoffman says they "consider major" even if they don't admit by major.
"They consider major. They don’t “admit” by major. But they absolutely consider it and will restrict admits by major if they need to do so." |