Some students know what they want to do with the rest of their lives early in high school. They have the next couple decades all mapped out — whether they include med school, reporting from the trenches, starting a business, or something else entirely.
Others are still exploring their passions by the time senior year rolls around, and the idea of having to choose a major, before they even set foot on campus, is intimidating.
If you fall into the latter category, don’t worry. There are many schools perfect for undecided majors that allow you to hone your interests and identify the strengths that set you up for success in the career world.
What should you look for in a college if you’re still grappling with your choices? And which colleges are best for helping you find that focus area? Let’s take a look.
While many colleges require you to declare your major at t he end of freshman year, others give you the flexibility to wait until the end of sophomore year. This is beneficial to students who need a little more time to explore their interests.
Some colleges have rigid core curricula with numerous requirements in different areas. However, there are many schools that have few requirements or none at all — in other words, an open curriculum — which enables students to spend more time dabbling in a diverse array of disciplines, rather than having to focus on meeting strict requirements.
Many colleges give you the opportunity to create your own major, usually with guidance and approval from faculty. There are different variations of this, such as combining multiple concentrations or focusing on a particular niche.
You have many peers who are also unsure of what they want to study when they matriculate. In order to help students navigate this decision, some schools provide mentorship programs focused on determining their interests and strengths and how they align with courses of study.
For more tips on picking a college, see our post: What to Look for in a College as an Undecided Major .
Research universities and liberal arts colleges both offer opportunities for students who are undecided about their major.
Research universities often have pre-professional programs and courses, such as physical therapy and nursing. If you’re even remotely considering a path like this, a university is probably the better choice. They also tend to offer more majors, which makes it more likely that you’ll find something right for you.
Meanwhile, liberal arts colleges typically have more flexible curricula that focus on helping students develop general skills that can be applied to most careers, such as critical thinking. Often, they also allow you to declare you major later on, or even create your own (although some universities have this option, too). Because they tend to be less career-focused than universities, they tend to be a good choice for undecided majors.