Many students struggle with how to represent their interests on their college applications, so when I saw this inquiry in the New York Times Magazine’s Ethicist column, I couldn’t help but read—and then chime into the conversation!
A college applicant wonders if selecting a major on an application that they’re not very interested in could be considered lying, and if by doing so, they would be unfairly “taking the place” of a student for whom that major genuinely was their first choice.
I sent a response to the Ethicist, which they published the following week (you can see a summary of the original Q&A for the column and select responses here):
Aside from the most highly selective and specific programs at certain universities, the majority of colleges do not have specific quotas in place for the majority of majors, and they fully expect students to change their minds (often more than once) after they’ve arrived on campus.
In these circumstances, admissions officers care far less about an applicant’s aptitude in a specific academic field and far more about the general qualities they would bring to the campus community: qualities like curiosity, resilience, creativity, or kindness. These qualities are what make for a productive and engaged campus contributor regardless of whether the student chooses to study fine arts or philosophy or physics.
That’s why, as College Advisors, we focus so much on helping students create a cohesive narrative for their applications: because academic interests and goals are just one piece of the puzzle. College campuses are tiny ecosystems, so not only do they need a balance of artists and engineers, but also of thinkers and doers, introverts and extroverts, problem-solvers and innovators, researchers and writers—you get the idea.
In a highly selective admissions process, the key to a successful college application is not choosing a major that will “give you an edge”; it’s demonstrating (through your academics, activities, essays, and more) that you have what it takes to meaningfully contribute to the place that will become your home for the next four years.