Favorite Questions: What's your future major?

Part of an on-going series of favorite interview questions you'll run into during your college admissions interview --CJ

Question: What do you plan on majoring in in college? (Alts: What do you hope to study? What department are you most interested in? What do you plan to pursue in school?)

Background/Why You're Being Asked:

Like the "Why School X?" question we've already covered, you're pretty much guaranteed of getting this question too during your college admissions interview. For reasons that are unclear, every college interviewer assumes you know what you're going to study--despite the fact that 80% of us had no idea when we were in your shoes, and those of us in that 20% ended up changing majors anyway.

So why is your college interviewer asking?

First,

it's a natural ice-breaker. Since it's a college interview, it's normal to talk about academics, and college+academics=major for most interviewers. Also, asking "So, what are you thinking about majoring in?" is a little less intimidating than "What's your primary academic interest?"

Second, your interviewer wants to talk to you about academics, and this is an easy way to pick your brain about your academic interests. You'll mention some area of interest ("particle physics"), which your interviewer can follow up with insightful questions ("what's that?")

So, take the question for what it is--you're really being asked "what area of academics are you most interested in".

How NOT to respond:

This question is pretty tough to screw up, really--although it's happened in my interviews. A couple of ways to shoot yourself in the foot:

• Pick a major that's not offered. Again, the classic one is business--many liberal arts colleges don't have a "business" degree (it's disguised as an economics degree). Ditto finance, or anything uber-practical, like criminal justice or turf-grass management. Spend 10 seconds before your interview making sure that your intended area of study is actually offered.

• Not knowing at all. Note that this is different than being undecided--undecided is fine. Having no clue screams "I have no interest in academics", which won't get you very far. Even a vague sense of direction ("I'm not entirely certain, but I've always enjoyed math and the sciences") is fine. Just remember that you're really being asked "what academic areas interest you" and don't be a deer caught in the headlights.

• Be too ultra-specific and not be able to support it. I've had a couple of applicants over the years who've had extremely defined academic interests--17th century Italian fiction, Central American lizards, etc--and if that's you, that's outstanding (see below). BUT you have to demonstrate that you're serious if you're that specific--if you're into Italian fiction, but don't speak Italian, haven't taken any classwork in it so far, and otherwise can't demonstrate a real interest in the area, it's likely to backfire. You don't need to have spent years in Tuscany at this point, but you should be able to demonstrate (via classwork, extra-curricular activities, etc) that you're serious about the subject and are already pursuing your interest.
  

How to nail it: 

This is an easy question to score points with--think about what really interests you before your interview, why it interests you, and how you'd like to pursue it in college. For me, I enjoyed English, specifically literature, and thought that I wanted to pursue it in college by taking writing classes. (That I didn't is another matter entirely!). A couple of guidelines:

• Be specific. 90% of college interviewees are vague and ill-defined--be in that 10% who clearly know what they're talking about. Someone into math and the sciences, for instance, might initially say "well, I'm going to major in math." To set yourself apart, be more specific in your interests: What area of math is most interesting to you? Do you hate calculus because it's too abstract, but really enjoy more practical/application-focused areas? Maybe your interest is really in probability then, or engineering. Or, maybe you're also interested in the sciences and policy, so statistics would be a better fit? Applicants who are more specific are more compelling because they're clearly put more thought into what they like and what they want to pursue--be as specific in your interest as possible.
  

• Be enthusiastic. If you're going to claim to be interested in history, for instance, make sure you sound enthusiastic and excited when talking about it. Every year I interview someone who seems disinterested when talking about their favorite subject. You don't need to be jumping out of your seat, but make sure that you sound like you're interested in the area you're interested in.
  

• Answer the why. There's an unstated element to this question: Why do you like a given area? Explaining why an area is interesting to you makes it personal, and personal is always compelling. Did you have a teacher who inspired your love for Latin? Have you read a couple of books about the human mind that got you interested in psychology? Make sure to explain your reasons for being interested in a given subject area.

What do you do if you really don't know?

It's fine--and probably more honest--to not have a major picked out (as mentioned, most people really don't know what they're going to study--and those that think they do tend to be wrong). So say you don't know--but immediately offer up the areas that you're interested in and what your thought process is currently ("I'm not certain yet, but I've always been interested in the sciences...")

You also can spin a "I don't know" answer to your benefit by linking it to the school ("... and one of the reasons I'm applying to school X is because it's strong across all the sciences, so I feel like I'll have a lot of options once I hit campus.")

With a little preparation and reflection, you'll be ready to knock this softball out of the park when it gets tossed your way.

Finally, need some major inspiration? Try this, and remember: In academia, everything merits further study  ---------CJ