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How will I make the decision of what major to choose if I have multiple fields I’m interested in?

I have multiple fields of work that I’m interested in, and don’t know how I’m going to choose one or the other! Are there ways to determine which is the best career path for me? #careers #collegemajors #major

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Kelsey’s Answer

It depends where you are in school - if you're just starting college I would recommend focusing on taking your general courses your first year. These should give you a good taste of different fields of study to help you figure out what you enjoy doing/learning about. If you are already in college and know when you like studying, but not what careers you are most interested in I would recommend visiting your school's career development center. The counselors there can give you resources for researching different jobs, and usually have a list of alumni who are willing to speak with students. You can get questions answered or even shadow someone in the field you're looking at.
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Di’s Answer

If you are already in college and you have not declared a major yet, then I echo Kelsey Peterson's advice on this post.


If you are currently applying to college, then on your application, you can choose a major you are interested in. Some schools, such as the University of Washington, have freshman direct programs, which consider admitting students into specific majors after they've been admitted to the school. For example, UW has a business freshman direct program. If you are accepted into UW, then general admissions sends your application to the undergraduate business school admissions. They review your application and decide whether to admit you as a freshman into the undergraduate business school. From there on, if you stay with business as your major, all you have to do is take general courses and major-related courses. You don't need to compete with students during your freshman or sophomore year to get into business school because you're already in! This is what I did, and it worked out for me!
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Jacob’s Answer

Hi, Madison,


That's is a great question and one that I wish I would have asked when I was in your shoes. I wish I would have done some backwards planning when I chose a major. That is, identifying what careers I thought I would be interested in and working back to find a major that allowed me to pursue multiple career interests. For example, if I thought I might want to work at a think tank doing research but also was considering consulting for a professional services firm, I might have pursued something like economics or math. Both of those majors would provide tremendous technical skills that are extremely attractive to employers and a wide range of career options.


I linked a career guide below and HIGHLY recommend you read the entire thing. I know it is long, but I can't overstate how beneficial I think it is. Read a section a day and you will finish in no time. The research is also very interesting and it's very well written.


I hope this helps. Good luck! Don't hesitate to reach out.

Jacob recommends the following next steps:

https://80000hours.org/career-guide/job-satisfaction/
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Pro’s Answer

Try an Interdisciplinary, Liberal Studies, or General Studies major, that will let you combine multiple interests. Or an Individually Designed major that you can even name yourself.
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Rachel’s Answer

<span style="background-color: transparent;">Collegeboard.org is a great resource for this! I poured through the pages of universities all over the U.S. when I was a senior in high school. Collegeboard was my go-to site! They put all of the information in one place and it is very easy to use. They even have various filters you can apply to see only colleges that have programs you are interested. To determine academic rigor, look at the admissions requirements, G.P.A. of past admitted applicants, SAT/ACT scores, class rank etc. This will give you an idea of what scores and grades you need to be accepted. However, don't be discouraged your application will be reviewed based on the full picture! College-board will help you get an idea of what is most important to the specific school you are applying to.</span>


This professional recommends the following next steps:

  • <span style="background-color: transparent;">Chat with your Guidance Counselor</span>
  • <span style="background-color: transparent;">Create a Collegeboard.org account</span>
  • <span style="background-color: transparent;">Start using CollegeBoard as a resource to look up schools.</span>
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