He is 17 or 18 -- he doesn't need to know what he wants to do. Going into college undecided is still a thing. There are a lot of kids who go in as engineering, business or finance majors and end up with a much different degrees. And plenty of kids who don't do business and end up working in business or finance. Not so much engineering but you get it.

Schools have different paths so I would encourage you to let him keep his options open.

For W&M, you apply just for admission to the university. You can apply for admission to the business school starting sophomore or junior year. If you don't get admitted, you can reapply. Many move to Econ if they don't get into the business school.

There are also some schools that if you are not admitted to business, you are still admitted to the the university itself but would need to choose another major. Some kids do this and choose economics since it is "business adjacent".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of experience with this and it really depends on the school:

(1) For schools with direct-admit undergraduate business schools (e.g., Penn/Wharton, Michigan, USC, UC Berkley, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana, NYU, etc.), your child really needs to apply to the business school if they are interested in being in that program. It is very easy to transfer out of the business school into the school of arts & sciences, but it is almost impossible to transfer into the business program once you are there.

(2) For schools without direct-admit undergraduate business schools and that admit after the end of freshman year (e.g., UVA), you just apply to the college of arts & sciences, do well your first year, and hope you are selected for admission. This can be a good option for a smart kid who is unsure going into college.

(3) For schools without undergraduate business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, University of Chicago, UCLA, etc.), you just apply for admission to the University and you have the flexibility to major in whatever you want. This is what I would recommend for a child who is not completely committed to business.

As an FYI, the direct admit undergraduate business schools are wildly competitive. It seems like everyone wants to be a business or economics major these days. It feels like it is easier to get into Brown as a Classics major than NYU Stern.

this is very helpful

So - if you apply to a school in category 1, are you only permitted to apply as a business major? So let's say you have your heart set on VA Tech, and don't get into the business school (but maybe you would have gotten in with another major). Are you just out of luck?

Yes, unfortunately this is the case. If you apply into the business school and you don't get in, you don't get into the University overall. The vast majority of these schools do not allow you to pick a secondary/alternative school (e.g., arts & sciences).

Your child needs to be honest with themselves about how badly they want to be in the business program and what, if any, tradeoffs they are willing to make. For my child, they knew that for all of the schools in Category 1 (i.e., those with a direct admit undergrad business program), they only wanted to attend that school if they were in the program. Even though they could be an economics major in the College of Arts & Sciences at these schools, they would be competing with all of the business school students for internships, finance classes, etc., and did not want to do that. They felt like it would negatively impact their overall experience.

My child was also fine with being an economics major at the Category 3 schools since everyone else would be in the same boat with respect to being competitive for classes, internships, etc. Many of the Category 3 schools are also stronger academically than schools with an undergraduate business program. Most kids, for example, would attend Stanford or Harvard (that do not have undergrad business schools) over Indiana, NYU Stern, Cornell Dyson, etc. Penn/Wharton is arguably the only undergrad business school that provides the same level of opportunities as a school like Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, or MIT.

My child never seriously considered the Category 2 schools. They did not want to go through the whole college admissions process only to stress one year later about whether they would be accepted into the business program.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of experience with this and it really depends on the school:

(1) For schools with direct-admit undergraduate business schools (e.g., Penn/Wharton, Michigan, USC, UC Berkley, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana, NYU, etc.), your child really needs to apply to the business school if they are interested in being in that program. It is very easy to transfer out of the business school into the school of arts & sciences, but it is almost impossible to transfer into the business program once you are there.

(2) For schools without direct-admit undergraduate business schools and that admit after the end of freshman year (e.g., UVA), you just apply to the college of arts & sciences, do well your first year, and hope you are selected for admission. This can be a good option for a smart kid who is unsure going into college.

(3) For schools without undergraduate business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, University of Chicago, UCLA, etc.), you just apply for admission to the University and you have the flexibility to major in whatever you want. This is what I would recommend for a child who is not completely committed to business.

As an FYI, the direct admit undergraduate business schools are wildly competitive. It seems like everyone wants to be a business or economics major these days. It feels like it is easier to get into Brown as a Classics major than NYU Stern.

I concur with this except at Georgetown. It's difficult to move from Business to the School of Foreign Service (which is the more prestigious school to study (international) political science at Georgetown. It's not as difficult to do an internal transfer to the College, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of experience with this and it really depends on the school:

(1) For schools with direct-admit undergraduate business schools (e.g., Penn/Wharton, Michigan, USC, UC Berkley, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana, NYU, etc.), your child really needs to apply to the business school if they are interested in being in that program. It is very easy to transfer out of the business school into the school of arts & sciences, but it is almost impossible to transfer into the business program once you are there.

(2) For schools without direct-admit undergraduate business schools and that admit after the end of freshman year (e.g., UVA), you just apply to the college of arts & sciences, do well your first year, and hope you are selected for admission. This can be a good option for a smart kid who is unsure going into college.

(3) For schools without undergraduate business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, University of Chicago, UCLA, etc.), you just apply for admission to the University and you have the flexibility to major in whatever you want. This is what I would recommend for a child who is not completely committed to business.

As an FYI, the direct admit undergraduate business schools are wildly competitive. It seems like everyone wants to be a business or economics major these days. It feels like it is easier to get into Brown as a Classics major than NYU Stern.

this is very helpful

So - if you apply to a school in category 1, are you only permitted to apply as a business major? So let's say you have your heart set on VA Tech, and don't get into the business school (but maybe you would have gotten in with another major). Are you just out of luck?

Yes. For almost every direct admit school, if you are not admitted to the business school you are not admitted to the school at all. Treat targets as a reach if you are applying to business. My DS is a senior. Of his 10 closest friends: 8 are applying for business, 1 biology, 1 history. The schools just don’t have space for this influx of business majors. It is insane. Very, very competitive. PP mentioned applying to business at UVA at the end of first year. Just be aware the admit rate is less than 50%. This is why people like direct admit programs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of experience with this and it really depends on the school:

(1) For schools with direct-admit undergraduate business schools (e.g., Penn/Wharton, Michigan, USC, UC Berkley, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana, NYU, etc.), your child really needs to apply to the business school if they are interested in being in that program. It is very easy to transfer out of the business school into the school of arts & sciences, but it is almost impossible to transfer into the business program once you are there.

(2) For schools without direct-admit undergraduate business schools and that admit after the end of freshman year (e.g., UVA), you just apply to the college of arts & sciences, do well your first year, and hope you are selected for admission. This can be a good option for a smart kid who is unsure going into college.

(3) For schools without undergraduate business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, University of Chicago, UCLA, etc.), you just apply for admission to the University and you have the flexibility to major in whatever you want. This is what I would recommend for a child who is not completely committed to business.

As an FYI, the direct admit undergraduate business schools are wildly competitive. It seems like everyone wants to be a business or economics major these days. It feels like it is easier to get into Brown as a Classics major than NYU Stern.

this is very helpful

So - if you apply to a school in category 1, are you only permitted to apply as a business major? So let's say you have your heart set on VA Tech, and don't get into the business school (but maybe you would have gotten in with another major). Are you just out of luck?

Short answer w Va tech: yes. They make it very clear there is no second choice major or school though. (This happened to DS, and he definitely knew kids with lower submitted sats and gpas who did not apply to business or engineering at Va Tech and were excepted — close friends who shared their stats)

At some schools, you do not have to pick anything other than your general school first.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of experience with this and it really depends on the school:

(1) For schools with direct-admit undergraduate business schools (e.g., Penn/Wharton, Michigan, USC, UC Berkley, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana, NYU, etc.), your child really needs to apply to the business school if they are interested in being in that program. It is very easy to transfer out of the business school into the school of arts & sciences, but it is almost impossible to transfer into the business program once you are there.

(2) For schools without direct-admit undergraduate business schools and that admit after the end of freshman year (e.g., UVA), you just apply to the college of arts & sciences, do well your first year, and hope you are selected for admission. This can be a good option for a smart kid who is unsure going into college.

(3) For schools without undergraduate business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, University of Chicago, UCLA, etc.), you just apply for admission to the University and you have the flexibility to major in whatever you want. This is what I would recommend for a child who is not completely committed to business.

As an FYI, the direct admit undergraduate business schools are wildly competitive. It seems like everyone wants to be a business or economics major these days. It feels like it is easier to get into Brown as a Classics major than NYU Stern.

this is very helpful

So - if you apply to a school in category 1, are you only permitted to apply as a business major? So let's say you have your heart set on VA Tech, and don't get into the business school (but maybe you would have gotten in with another major). Are you just out of luck?

Anonymous wrote:Lots of experience with this and it really depends on the school:

(1) For schools with direct-admit undergraduate business schools (e.g., Penn/Wharton, Michigan, USC, UC Berkley, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana, NYU, etc.), your child really needs to apply to the business school if they are interested in being in that program. It is very easy to transfer out of the business school into the school of arts & sciences, but it is almost impossible to transfer into the business program once you are there.

(2) For schools without direct-admit undergraduate business schools and that admit after the end of freshman year (e.g., UVA), you just apply to the college of arts & sciences, do well your first year, and hope you are selected for admission. This can be a good option for a smart kid who is unsure going into college.

(3) For schools without undergraduate business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, University of Chicago, UCLA, etc.), you just apply for admission to the University and you have the flexibility to major in whatever you want. This is what I would recommend for a child who is not completely committed to business.

As an FYI, the direct admit undergraduate business schools are wildly competitive. It seems like everyone wants to be a business or economics major these days. It feels like it is easier to get into Brown as a Classics major than NYU Stern.

Echo this, my DC was interested in business last cycle and direct admits are difficult. In terms of ECs, my DC had relevant job experience including as a business development intern for a non profit.

Lots of experience with this and it really depends on the school:

(1) For schools with direct-admit undergraduate business schools (e.g., Penn/Wharton, Michigan, USC, UC Berkley, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana, NYU, etc.), your child really needs to apply to the business school if they are interested in being in that program. It is very easy to transfer out of the business school into the school of arts & sciences, but it is almost impossible to transfer into the business program once you are there.

(2) For schools without direct-admit undergraduate business schools and that admit after the end of freshman year (e.g., UVA), you just apply to the college of arts & sciences, do well your first year, and hope you are selected for admission. This can be a good option for a smart kid who is unsure going into college.

(3) For schools without undergraduate business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, University of Chicago, UCLA, etc.), you just apply for admission to the University and you have the flexibility to major in whatever you want. This is what I would recommend for a child who is not completely committed to business.

As an FYI, the direct admit undergraduate business schools are wildly competitive. It seems like everyone wants to be a business or economics major these days. It feels like it is easier to get into Brown as a Classics major than NYU Stern.

From what I can tell, I think it’s fairly easy at most schools to switch from business to a liberal arts major, as long as you don’t try to do it late in your college career or something

Every school does it differently, some like Virginia Tech you’re pretty locked into the school and major, otherwise it’s very difficult to transfer into popular majors like business later on, especially if you applied to liberal arts and then try to transfer into business which is a restricted major at some schools.

If the school is a reach for your kid, assume it is very much a reach for the business school, especially if you are a white boy from the DC area. Aim to be at the 50 to 75+ percentile of the stats to be sure that you can be a target for that school.

Apply to the Business School and hope to be a direct admit. Give greater to those choices.He can always, always switch to Arts and Letters or whatever the college calls their liberal arts college w/other majors. Too often students think they will qualify later for the business school and instead get shut-out later. Getting shut-out is more ordinary.

Every school is different. My son took a lot of business classes in high school. He is an economics major and is probably going to switch to finance. His plan is to pick up a second business major (BIS). He has said he also will minor in economics. At his school this is common and easily doable.

His little brother is likely going to a school where he has to apply to the business from high school. He didn't do that so he will be an economics major or pivot to something else.

Usually, it is easier to go from business to liberal arts.

My son is trying to figure out what he wants to "do." Thinks he is interested in business, maybe political science? Definitely not an engineering/stem/science focused kid, but math comes more naturally to him than English.

A few questions for anyone willing to share...

1) How did your kid figure out applying to undergrad business programs was the right fit for them? Did they love/thrive in high school economics, business courses?

2) Can you apply to a school's business AND arts & sciences school? For example, if his first choice is VA Tech Business major, can he also apply to study economics or political science at VA tech?

3) If you are accepted to a school's business school and decide after the first year you want to switch to an Arts & Sciences major, can you easily switch? I know it is very difficult to go the other direction.

thanks!