The importance of exploring majors earlier in high school

Is your child thinking about applying to some colleges and universities where record numbers of applications are taking admission offices by storm? Applications at hundreds of colleges and universities have become increasingly competitive, with some seeing up to a 75% increase in their numbers over the last 4 years. It is daunting.

When considering larger universities, the picture takes on an additional component. You can’t simply look at overall admission rates. You must consider the rates at the specific colleges within these universities. Certain highly sought-after majors such as business, nursing, or engineering can be twice as difficult. Really? Yes.

The good news, though, is that your child can do something about this and increase their chances of gaining admission.

Beyond being deliberate about the courses they choose to take in high school, they can prepare. They can be intentional. They need to be able to show on their application that they have engaged in their desired major beyond traditional coursework and have invested their time to gain the experiences and build the initial skills to know that they are not merely writing down an area of interest on their applications but can show through their activities that this major is a fit for them.

Timing matters.

They shouldn’t wait until the spring of their junior year to start engaging, for they won’t have enough time to explore with any depth. I suggest they seek out these formative experiences earlier in high school and enjoy the learning that will arise. They won’t believe the difference it will make.