IvyWise KnowledgeBase
College Majors

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis, and rapidly changing domestic and international political landscapes, have underscored the need for a new generation of leaders who are motivated and well-prepared to address complex societal challenges. Across sectors, it is important to elevate the importance of measuring program impact, identifying policy recommendations, and contributing to the public sphere.

As an academic advisor, it is not uncommon for my advisees to find a subject they are passionate about but express concerns that it is a poor choice to declare as their major. After all, with STEM majors increasing in numbers and taking center stage these days, and their marketability and professional trajectory obvious, students interested in the social sciences and humanities can feel like they have chosen a major with an ambiguous career or graduate school path.

One of the most daunting parts of the college application process is the pressure to decide right now what you want to study and the type of career you plan to pursue. First, you should know that being unsure about these things, or even having no inkling at all of what you want to do after graduation, is normal.

Graduate school offers a rigorous curriculum in a fast-paced environment. ­One way admissions officers determine your ability to be academically successful is by reviewing your transcripts. Official transcripts from each institution you have previously attended showing all undergraduate and/or graduate work included will be a required component of the application materials.

While we are not supposed to have favorite applicants in the admissions process, I will fill you in on my little secret; my favorite applicants to read at Johns Hopkins University were often the Biomedical Engineering (BME) applicants. I loved learning about their innovative solutions to the problems overwhelming healthcare. These students are always so creative, passionate, and excited about making their impact in the world through engineering.

Peruse the academic offerings on any university’s website, and you’ll encounter everything from the more “traditional” psychology, math, business, and English majors to several intriguing potential majors like neuroscience, Slavic, and Eurasian Studies, public policy, astrobiology, and data science. Suffice to say that one of the most exciting aspects of pursuing a college degree is that you finally get to focus on an academic area that genuinely intrigues you and ignites your curiosity.

Medical schools are composed of many different types of students. Some, like me, didn’t know they wanted to become physicians or surgeons until they were in college, or even quite a bit later in their lives. (See this awesome list of post-baccalaureate programs for more details.) Others knew from an early age that their future was in medicine, and like the goddess Athena, they sprung forth as a fully formed premed with a four-color highlighter grasped tightly in their tiny baby hands.

Mathematics is one of the most useful skills to gain in high school and college, as it helps open the door for many lucrative and fulfilling careers. As a math student and a professor, I’ve seen a lot of students go on to do great things with their math degrees. Math majors can get hired as actuaries, statisticians, financial planners, cryptographers, and accountants straight out of college. Of course, math and engineering majors of all kinds also have the option of continuing their education as far as the Ph.D. level, if desired.

“You know, there’s math in music” my piano teacher said as I lowered my hands from the keyboard. With one simple phrase, she sent my 12-year-old mind into a cyclone, questioning the sneaky places that math might also be hiding without warning.

In recent years, even as undergraduate enrollment numbers have plateaued, students enrolling in STEM majors have continued to grow rapidly. Admission rates into selective institutions are plummeting and the competition for STEM students at our nation’s top institutions is becoming increasingly competitive, so what exactly can make a great student stand out among the thousands of other good applicants to STEM programs?