CaCO3Girl posted:It's a problem when they don't know their own interests. You can study english anywhere, but how about Marine Biology? Kind of specialized isn't it? I know it was only offered in 2 schools in PA when I was applying for college. So, how do you have a school list without knowing their interests is my question. Picking all the D1 schools in the state, for example, isn't a great way to go.
I don't agree that it's a problem (respectfully--it's fine with me if we just agree that we don't agree, of course). Some kids have a definite goal in mind, some don't. Depending on the source you check, between 33-75% of college students change their majors at least once, and 20-50% enter with their major as "undecided." Sure, if your kid thinks s/he wants to study marine biology, then schools in the Dakotas aren't a good plan. But if he changes his mind and switches to American History, it would be a rare college that couldn't provide a good education/preparation in that field as well. I wouldn't suggest to any kid that it's a problem if they don't know what they want to major in while still in HS (or during their first year of college, for that matter).
JMO... I entered college as "undecided," changed majors 3 times, then went to an Ivy League grad school. I do think things are somewhat different now than they were decades ago when I was in college. But all the surveys I see show that employers want liberal arts grads (not necessarily specific majors) and that the top medical schools have plenty of students who majored in, say, English, History or PoliSci.