When going into the college application process, it’s important to think about majors. That might sound scary for students who don’t know what they want to study in college. That’s okay. Think about it this way: schools want to admit high-achieving students who are experts in a particular niche. We encourage our students to hone in on a very specific academic area and use that to apply to a particular program or major. (You can always change your mind about your major once you’re admitted!)
ECONOMICS
It should come as no surprise that Economics had the most number of degrees awarded from 2021-2022 at 186. Econ tends to be a super popular major among Ivy League students. Yale’s Economics major is housed in its larger, renowned Department of Economics. Courses include Microeconomic Theory, Game Theory, Economic Analysis of Law, The Global Financial Crisis, Central Banking, International Environmental Economics, and more.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
It’s no wonder Poli Sci is such a behemoth at Yale. Alumni include nearly half of the current U.S. Supreme Court (never mind former justices), countless legislators and five United States presidents, to name just a few. The major includes a wide range of Poli Sci courses, including
the Politics of Crime and Punishment, the Media and Democracy, Democracy and Sustainability, the Crisis of Liberalism, the Rise of China, the European Union, the Politics of Fascism, and more
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Yale’s Computer Science program is known for its top-notch research, from Computer Architecture to Computer Music and Quantum Computing. Coursework includes Computer Science and the Modern Intellectual Agenda, Mathematical Tools for Computer Science, Power, Security, and Surveillance: Political Challenges of the Computer Age, Investigative Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, and more.
MOLECULAR, CELLAR, AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
While the liberal arts are prestigious at Yale, the sciences are renowned across the board, too. Molecular, Cellar, and Developmental Biology is a great major for anyone interested in pursuing medicine, genetics, biomedical engineering, and a whole range of other scientific fields. Coursework includes the Science and Politics of HIV/AIDS, Biology of Malaria, Lyme, and Other Vector-Borne Diseases, Genetics, Sensory Neuroscience Through Illusions, Epigenetics, and Biology of Humans Through History.
HISTORY
The Department of History is another extremely prestigious one at Yale. As its website boasts, its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize-winners and recipients of the National Book Award, among others. Courses include Myth, Legend, and History in New England, Capitalism and Inequality, the Global Gandhi: Histories of Nonviolent Resistance, History of Incarceration in the U.S. and the Roman Republic.
PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is a popular major at many schools across the country. Its Department of Psychology offers a wide range of courses from Child Development, to Social Neuroscience, to Algorithms of the mind, to Psychopathology and Diagnostic Assessment, Psychology of Prejudice, and Stereotyping, and Discrimination.
Picking a college major doesn’t have to be a stressful fete. The best strategy is to begin planning as early as possible and identify an academic area you’re already passionate about. Ideally, you’re pursuing extracurriculars and classes that are in line with that passion. Applying to a particular college program or referencing a major in your supplement should include that area of study you’ve already been diving into throughout high school.
Need help with an application? Call us. We’re experts at helping students stand out in the crowd.