Changing major not uncommon, even at top schools
Dear Mr. Bradshaw,
I have just begun my junior year in high school and realize that it will not be long before I need to really focus on my college search. I want to maximize my final years academically and at this point I am not sure what major I will eventually choose. I have a general idea that I want to study business or teach history, but I have no firm convictions either way. I may even decide on law school.
How important is it to decide on your major early on? My parents are worried that I might make the mistake of choosing a major that is “unmarketable.”
Signed,
Undecided
Dear Undecided,
What is a “marketable” degree? The answer may be in the eye of the beholder. Most colleges require that you declare your major by the end of your sophomore year. To choose history does not mean you are locked out of a business career. To choose business does not mean your career must be in business. Either major will open doors to a whole range of career options.
Law and medicine are attainable with either degree, as are other careers such as financial planner, teaching or the military.
Consider Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court as an example. He was a history major at Harvard College and went on to Harvard Law School. Roberts was editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review, so, clearly, the writing skills he learned as a history major helped prepare him for law school.
Roberts graduated from La Lumiere School near LaPorte, a small Catholic boarding college-preparatory high school.
Conor S. Tochilin, who was the 2013 editor of the Harvard Law Review, has a similar background. He graduated from Westminster School, a small Christian high school in Atlanta. Tochilin started as a math and philosophy major, switched to history after reading Adam Smith and Karl Marx, and finally decided to major in economics and philosophy.
These two examples show that students can end up at the same place, but take different approaches to choosing a major. Roberts remained focused on history as an undergraduate, while Tochilin needed to experiment with several fields before making a decision.
I am a big proponent of taking at least a core of applied math classes including statistics in high school. An applied math curriculum focuses on the more practical or career-oriented aspects of the subject. Math will sharpen your critical-thinking skills while giving you an edge on the competition if you decide to go to graduate or professional school. Be aware that while applied math will provide a student with requirements to graduate it might not meet some college’s criteria as an acceptable entry-level course. Students generally excel on the GRE, LSAT and GMAT if they have a strong background in math.
Choosing a major can be tricky, especially if you have multiple interests. Many students change their majors and according to a 2020 “Best Colleges” study, three in five would change them if they could go back. My professional suggestion is that before you commit to a major you consider several factors including the cost, your salary expectations and employment opportunities in your field of choice. This is where your parent’s “marketability” remarks come into play.