Choosing A College Major

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - When you apply or start college everyone asks, what's your major?

The University of Michigan offers 251 majors - graduating with a double or even triple major is a way to hedge bets according to Cecilia Capuzzi Simon in "Major Decisions," in the New York Times "EDUCATION LIFE."

Colleges like those who declare; retention rates and four-year graduation rates are more likely. But it's not easy! At Penn State, 80% of freshmen say they're unsure; half will change more than once after they declare.

The new word for undeclared is "exploratory," less negative sounding than "undecided," and Mary Beth Collier, dean of academic advising at New Paltz in New York, suggests not taking the six subjects you've had before, when you can fulfill a US studies requirement with a black history course.

With 41% of graduates in jobs that don't require a college degree, Collier says, pick an intellectually engaging major, expand your brain, and deepen your understanding of the world.