College Majors

When preparing students for the college admissions process, we place a lot of emphasis on identifying and developing students’ interests in addition to good grades and test scores. As we’ve said before, students’ interests are important because it helps colleges make admissions decisions and build well-rounded classes. However, developing students’ interests isn’t just about getting into college – they’re a key factor in helping students succeed during their four years and after graduation.

When admissions officers evaluate college applications, they don’t just assess an applicant’s grades and standardized test scores. They also factor in extracurricular activities and your interests to get a comprehensive view of who you are, both inside and outside of the classroom.

While grades and test scores are important decision factors, admissions officers read applications in context and strive to paint a whole picture for each student they review. Colleges want to know exactly how you’ll fit in on campus, what kind of roommate will you be, and what activities you’re likely to get involved in once you’re on

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Students interested in becoming engineers have traditionally enrolled in four-year degree programs at large universities with comprehensive engineering programs. These programs allow students to specialize in a particular type of engineering, such as mechanical, chemical, or civil. However, different paths for studying engineering have begun to diverge from the more traditional trajectory.

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If you think your choices for college majors are limited to studies such as English and Mathematics, it’s time to think again. Universities across the world are offering students a host of innovative and inventive fields of study devised to align with the interests and goals of their entire student body.

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Ask the Right Questions to Choose a Major That Connects to Your Goals

Selecting a college to enroll in is one of the most important decisions students have to make, but it’s not the only major academic choice most will face. Choosing a major is an important milestone, and it’s not uncommon for some students to enter college as “undecided” majors. Although policies vary by institution, most students will need to declare a major by sophomore year if they haven’t already.

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Explore Your Interests to Identify Your College Course of Study

When it comes to the college admissions process, the first question students are often asked is “what do you plan to study?” Choosing best-fit schools to apply to is stressful enough without factoring in that students also have to make hard decisions about what they want to major in while still in high school.

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As more families consider the ROI of a college education, the value of a liberal arts education in today’s world has been a hot topic. With many STEM degrees and programs topping lists of “highest paying majors” and “best college ROI,” many have waged a war on the liberal arts, pegging them as useless degrees that don’t warrant the cost. However, while a STEM degree can open doors to lucrative careers, many employers are finding that, without a liberal arts background, many STEM graduates lack the necessary communication, management, and collaboration skills that are necessary in the workforce.

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According to a new survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies are planning to hire 9.6% more college graduates from the class of 2015 than they did from last year’s graduating class. The most in-demand degrees: engineering, business, and computer science. What does this mean for current high school students? Even with rising college costs, there’s no doubt that a bachelor’s degree is worth it. However, it’s not just about where you go to college, but what you study.

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Recently, the focus of the college search for many hasn’t been just finding the best-fit school for a student’s goals and interests – it’s also been about the outcomes that a college education in a specific major or at a particular institution can give students once they graduate. ROI has been a huge factor in college decisions lately, and that has been reflected in things like college rankings. This has left many liberal arts and humanities majors the punch line in a string of higher education jokes – but in the time of STEM and specialized majors, is a liberal arts degree really useless?

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These schools offer students some of the country’s most interesting concentrations

While many students opt for college majors like business, history, and biology, others decide to take a more unconventional path in school. Interdisciplinary studies allow students to combine a variety of interests into one major, but some schools decide to create distinct majors on their own. Colleges across the country offer a slew of unique majors for students with highly individualized interests, and the list grows every year.

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Academy Awards presenters this year came from some impressive programs 

Sunday night, stars flocked to Los Angeles to walk the red carpet and see who would win the most highly-acclaimed awards in Hollywood: the Oscars. Stars like Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Lawrence were amongst those who received the coveted award, and this year, the Academy chose to celebrate the future of filmmaking by choosing six students to present the awards. The contest winners were narrowed down from over 1,100 essays and film submissions answering the question “How will you contribute to the future of movies?” With this opportunity, these young artists are already on the path to stardom and an Academy Award of their own. 

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IvyWise intern Sarah discusses majoring in sociology

Want to learn about how social structures and institutions create belief systems, resource distribution, and identity formation? What better way to prepare for the professional world than by knowing how it works and recognizing where it needs reforming! Learn how systems of operations work, and become more conscientious of the world around you in the process by majoring in sociology.

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