Conventional wisdom is to send your child to the best college for him or her and your son or daughter will try subjects on for size and eventually arrive at a major. Although that wisdom will result in some good outcomes, I prefer to help

teens set realistic goals for themselves and pick a college according to their goals

as well as what suits them.

 

College now costs as much as a modest home or a very expensive car.  I have

some difficulty planning to spend that much money without a plan.  High school is not too early to make a college major choice.  Students do not have to wait until their junior year of college to declare a major.

 

It takes some time, possibly some assessment and advising to help a student arrive at the best college major for themselves.  It is worth the time and effort to allow them to have the information they need to make a college choice based at least in part on the quality of each college academic program for the major they will pursue.

 

In over 30 years of work with teens and college-age students I have yet to meet the student who could not choose a major given the appropriate amount of information and assistance.