One of the questions students ask me most often about the application is, “What should I put as my major?” Every student who asks that is really asking something slightly different – from “What majors do you offer?” to “Does it matter what major I pick?” to “What if I change my mind?” and more. So, I wanted to take some time today to share my thoughts on how we consider a student’s first- and second-choice majors in the application review process!
In the admission process, we ask applicants to select a first- and (optional) second-choice major for a number of reasons:
We admit students directly into a major so they can start exploring that interest right away.
To help us understand an applicant’s interests, preparation, and goals.
To start to picture the type of student they might be at USC.
Already have a major in mind? Amazing! Feel free to list that as your first-choice major! If there’s something else you’d be excited to study or explore, you can list that as your second choice. While we try to admit students to their first choice, there are some cases where a student’s second-choice major makes more sense for their preparation or interests, and we’ll admit the student to their second choice (or undecided).
Not sure what to pick? That’s okay! I find that students aren’t unsure of their major because they have no interests, but rather because they have lots of interests and just aren’t sure where to start. I like to think of the majors a student lists as the fields they want to explore first. The majority of USC students will change their major at least once, so it’s okay to not be 100% sure about what you want to study and to list majors you think you’re interested in or want to learn more about.
If you’re having trouble figuring out what majors might be interesting to you, I have a few suggestions:
Do you have a dream job or field you want to work in? Look up important people in that industry and see what they studied in college! While their exact path may not be quite right for you, it can help point you in the right direction. Many fields don’t have a specific or required degree, but rather look for people who have learned certain skills or had related experiences! For example, not all lawyers have Political Science degrees (although many do!) Many pursue an undergraduate education related to the type of law they hope to practice or the communities they hope to serve.
Check out the catalogues for the colleges you’re considering (here’s a link to USC’s)! There are lots of majors and fields that you didn’t learn about in high school and may be nicely aligned with your interests!
Pro Tip: You can also use the program descriptions and requirements to tell the difference between majors that sound similar. I also like to have students look at the degree requirements for the majors they’re interested in. If all those classes don’t sound interesting, it might not be the best major for you!
When talking about majors, I also regularly hear students say something along the lines of “I really want to study major abc but I hear it’s hard to get into, so I’m going to apply to major xyz because it’s easier, then I’ll switch into what I really want.” Although it’s generally easy to change majors at USC, there’s no major difference in the admission rate for the academic majors at USC, so one program is not significantly easier to get into than another. Also, in my experience, students write more compelling applications when they apply to the majors they’re most excited about. Their passion shines through in a way that’s missing when they apply to a major they think is “easier” to get into.
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of major options –whether you have your heart set on a certain major or you’re still deciding between a few –you can always attend an Academic Department Information Session (online or in-person) to learn more about the resources and opportunities offered in the different schools and colleges at USC. Click here to learn more and to register!
Written by: Kelsey Bradshaw Carroll, Associate Director – USC Office of Admission