Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 19:12     Subject: Re:Major choice and strategic positioning
We know 2 kids this cycle who were advised by their outside of school independent counselors to appy to the undersubscribed major - they had good results. Both initially were thinking pre med/biology until meeting with counselor - one switched to philosophy , the other to some version of Medical Humanities/medicine in Society - both were full pay and ED to Ivy and got in. They plan to switch once they start and pursue pre med as originally planned.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 11:02     Subject: Major choice and strategic positioning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is this why on the Instagram posts the private school kids have majors like English or anthropology or migration studies and all the public school students have math or science majors, computer science or engineering?


Yikes. But so true.



Yes. College counseling at privates is so much better, obviously, and starts early. And many of those kids also have private counselors, some starting in middle school.


100+ the kids at my pvt that landed t20 definitely were strategic.


Did anyone see the Game's podcast from this week re Exeter's exmissions and strategic major choice?
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 10:52     Subject: Major choice and strategic positioning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Most people I know who got into Ivies went in as “undecided”.


that's maybe what they put on the IG and social media. I know DC won't put what DC applied as and will likely put "undecided" bc these ethnic/field studies can be looked down upon....

At our private, the successful Ivy and Ivy+ early admits were below - not our CCO highly recommends these niche majors too with good to great outcomes (assuming ample evidence for major):

Anthro
Archeology
Art History
Chicana/Latino Studies
Classics
Comparative Lit
English
History
Iranian Studies
Jewish Studies
Medieval Studies
Phil
Sociology
Women's/Gender Studies




The list seems incomplete, it should include business, a vocational type major


You are joking about business, right????
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 10:50     Subject: Major choice and strategic positioning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is this why on the Instagram posts the private school kids have majors like English or anthropology or migration studies and all the public school students have math or science majors, computer science or engineering?


Yikes. But so true.



Yes. College counseling at privates is so much better, obviously, and starts early. And many of those kids also have private counselors, some starting in middle school.


100+ the kids at my pvt that landed t20 definitely were strategic.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2026 11:51     Subject: Major choice and strategic positioning
How is this playing out this admissions cycle?

Does anyone know if the early T20 admits from their HS are predominantly these types of majors, or are they the CS/Econ/Eng/Business and math, and then they fill in with these peripheral majors in RD?

How does it work?
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2026 09:36     Subject: Major choice and strategic positioning
Sociology is no longer under-subscribed at most schools. These lists should be adjusted.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2026 09:19     Subject: Major choice and strategic positioning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Most people I know who got into Ivies went in as “undecided”.


that's maybe what they put on the IG and social media. I know DC won't put what DC applied as and will likely put "undecided" bc these ethnic/field studies can be looked down upon....

At our private, the successful Ivy and Ivy+ early admits were below - not our CCO highly recommends these niche majors too with good to great outcomes (assuming ample evidence for major):

Anthro
Archeology
Art History
Chicana/Latino Studies
Classics
Comparative Lit
English
History
Iranian Studies
Jewish Studies
Medieval Studies
Phil
Sociology
Women's/Gender Studies



Great list. But keep in mind that English and history, despite a decline the past few decades, are doing OK; their major counts are much higher than the other majors listed. Philosophy is also not as undersubscribed as many people think. History and, especially, philosophy, are also majority male.


All things being equal, with ample evidence for major, does an Archeology major at Brown or a Medieval studies major at Stanford have a better shot than Applied math or economics?

Not aware of if Stanford has decent medieval studies, though I know they have great humanities. But the answer to the spirit of your question is an unequivocal yes.


One reason is that a student who can even make a sort of plausible case for an applying as a medieval history majors is going to look like a culturally literate, engaged student.

Plenty of CS students aren’t, too, but no selective school wants the kinds of money-minded CS majors who’ve dutifully done what their parents told them to do, without joy, and then watched TV when they weren’t following the commands of their elders.


That type of cultural literacy plays well with AO - who had similar degrees. Its like a talking their talk and walking their walk kind of application. They are excited to read references that showcase the applicant's IV.
With robotics/CS/Eng its harder - and the cultural literacy and lingo is not strewn about an application in the same compelling way (compelling for the AO) - so they become another dime a dozen.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2026 09:10     Subject: Major choice and strategic positioning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Most people I know who got into Ivies went in as “undecided”.


that's maybe what they put on the IG and social media. I know DC won't put what DC applied as and will likely put "undecided" bc these ethnic/field studies can be looked down upon....

At our private, the successful Ivy and Ivy+ early admits were below - not our CCO highly recommends these niche majors too with good to great outcomes (assuming ample evidence for major):

Anthro
Archeology
Art History
Chicana/Latino Studies
Classics
Comparative Lit
English
History
Iranian Studies
Jewish Studies
Medieval Studies
Phil
Sociology
Women's/Gender Studies




Good starter list of niche majors....I know there are many others.