Flying Jets & Becoming Vets: Dr. Seuss & the Reality of College Majors

Why majors matter now more than ever and tools to help your student unlock their path.

Last week, in the midst of our usual bedtime routine, I found myself reading Dr. Seuss's Maybe You Should Fly a Jet! Maybe You Should Be a Vet! to my kids.

Maybe you should fly a jet.

Maybe you should be a vet.

How about a deep-sea diver?

How about a beehive hiver?

Would you like to be an actor?

Would you like to run a tractor?

Like to drive a taxicab?

Or run a big computer lab?

And like any parent, I couldn't help but wonder, as each 'maybe' echoed, what wild paths my own little ones might take.

But here's the kicker: in today's college landscape, those 'maybes' aren't just whimsical dreams. Declaring a major, showing genuine interest in that field, proving you've done the work – is all part of the application puzzle. Forget 'undecided' and ‘figuring it out later.’ For a teenager who just wants to fit in, or for any of us who find it hard to pinpoint what makes us 'different,' picking a major feels like a huge, scary step. And it's made even harder by the fact that colleges want to see vulnerability and how you stand out.

Honestly, it bugs me that kids are pressured to pick majors and careers before they even know who they are. But I can't change the rules. What I can do is help families navigate this maze. We can break down those big, scary questions into bite-sized pieces. Focus on their skills, their strengths, their genuine direction and that's how we unlock an authentic application. And who knows? Maybe they will fly a jet or become a vet!

Below are five tried and true tools to guide your teen as they think about which major interests them:

1. Choose Your Major Quiz

2. UC Berkeley's What Can I Do With a Major In..?

3. Cal Poly’s Majors Overview

4. UC Freshman Admission by Discipline

5. 16 Personalities Test

Soar Sooner,

Carrie