<p>My parents and guidance counselor have been pushing me to check out upper level schools and the Ivies because they feel that I have a very good chance of getting in. While getting into and/or going to a school like Harvard or Brown or any of the other Ivies is something that I would be interested in, I also have a very strong idea of what I would like to major in (either speech pathology or education, leaning more towards speech pathology though). Unfortunately, none of the Ivies seem to offer Speech Pathology or Communication Disorders. I would really like to look further into these institutions but is it really worth looking into and applying to if they don’t have my major? Should I look for another one that they do have? I don’t want to let anyone down or regret not trying to get in, but I don’t know if it’s really worth it if they don’t have my major. I’m rather perplexed by this dilemma and your comments/thoughts/opinions/advice would be much appreciated! :D</p>
<p>1) to correct your parents and GC, unless a family is to be a multi million dollar donor, no one has a good chance at the upper level schools. They are mis-informed.</p>
<p>Here is a sampling of admits & rejects:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/894548-official-harvard-university-rd-decisions-class-2014-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/894548-official-harvard-university-rd-decisions-class-2014-a.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/brown-university/895009-official-brown-university-class-2014-rd-results.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/brown-university/895009-official-brown-university-class-2014-rd-results.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/894258-official-yale-class-2014-rd-results-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/894258-official-yale-class-2014-rd-results-thread.html</a></p>
<p>2) Schools like Harvard and Brown will want to know why they should admit you. In general, it’s to take advantage of their liberal arts curriculum. Many applicants simply aren’t set on what they want to study because they know that a buffet of knowledge awaits them – they don’t want to go in carrying a bagged lunch, as it were. If the idea of walking into an academic cornucopia doesn’t excite you, I doubt you’ll be even a viable candidate.</p>
<p>This isn’t to say that Education or Speech Pathology aren’t viable and needed areas of study – far from it. However, you’ll find H and B students who might want to study those things or pursue them for careers while majoring in Latin or French Literature at the same time.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the nation’s tippy top schools are intellectual hot centers – more than career-prep colleges. I hope this helps.</p>
<p>Do not waste one cent of your money, and one second of your time, applying to places that don’t have your major. This is just plain stupid. Your parents and your guidance counselor are trying to live out their own fantasies through you. Try to find a nice way to tell them to knock it off.</p>
<p>What you need to do is locate the colleges and universities that DO offer your major field, and research those institutions. Then if the adults around you are still prestige-crazed, rank the places that offer your major and tell them that you will apply to one or two of the hardest-to-get-into of this particular set.</p>
<p>You might want to pick out a couple of ivies to apply to. There is no telling how you will change over the next 10 months.</p>
<p>Outside of smart kids whose parents have donated millions, no one has good chances of getting accepted to Ivies. Check the acceptances and rejections on the Ivies boards here on CC. You’ll see many stellar students who were rejected.</p>
<p>No ivies would have the major you’re considering because they don’t offer such majors.</p>
<p>Most college students change their majors at least twice while in college. That’s because in college, they are exposed to new fields, and learn more about their own interests and talents.</p>
<p>If you’re fortunate enough to get into an Ivy, then don’t pass it up just because they don’t offer a major in speech pathology.</p>
<p>To get certified in speech pathology, you need to get a master’s degree anyway. So major in a relevant field, like psychology, neuroscience, or linguistics, then apply to a graduate speech pathology program, like Teachers College at Columbia (in the Biobehavioral Sciences dept.) or Northwestern. Some universities that offer an undergrad speech pathology program will accept beginning students at the graduate level but they might have to make up some prerequisite courses. </p>
<p>Of course, you never know if you will stick with the same interests through your college years.</p>
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<p>Not necessarily. The average college student changes their major . . . more than once. I’d be more concerned about limiting your choices only to schools with that major at this point unless you have had an unusual reason to know at 17 or 18 how you want to commit the next 45 years of your life. Most college students find that the wide range of people and disciplines they encounter in college opens their eyes to possibilities that they’d not previously considered.</p>
<p>If you have your heart set on it, like I have mine on International Relations/public Policy, then, no. If you might want change it, try it. Of course, you could apply just to see if you get in.</p>
<p>Would a top non-Ivy school solve your dilemma?</p>
<p>Northwestern has top programs in education or communication sciences & disorders.</p>
<p>[Communication</a> Sciences + Disorders - About the Department , School of Communication, Northwestern University](<a href=“http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/departments/csd/about.php]Communication”>http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/departments/csd/about.php)</p>
<p>[School</a> of Education & Social Policy :: About Us](<a href=“http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/about/index.html]School”>About Us Northwestern University | School of Education & Social Policy)</p>
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<p>Brown, Yale, Penn, Princeton, and Cornell all offer undergrad programs in multiple engineering disciplines. I don’t think, say, mechanical engineering is more “intellectual” than communication sciences and discorders. Princeton/Columbia even have financial engineering for Wall Street wannabes; Cornell has hotel management/AEM; Penn has Wharton/nursing for undergrads.</p>
<p>Actually, most speech-language pathologist jobs require a master’s degree. That should open up a lot of additional undergraduate options for you. Acceptance into a speech pathology masters program doesn’t require an undergraduate degree in it.</p>
<p>I love how people are trying to talk this kid out of what he wants when that doesn’t happen to the aspiring doctor, lawyer, banker or engineer. </p>
<p>Sam Lee beat me to it – run, don’t walk to NU’s comm dis program. If perchance you don’t like it after taking a few courses, big deal – you’re still at a top 20 school. If a top 20 school isn’t good enough for your parents, that’s a whole 'nother topic.</p>
<p>I think its a load of crap that there are no people that have a good chance of getting into Ivies. There are many, many people with a good chance of getting into Ivies.</p>
<p>MSauce: I know you’re heading to an Ivy – I think my alma mater too. But I stand by my statement: no one can bank on a school that has under 10% admit rate. I was admitted to all Ivies applied. But did I rest on it? Certainly not. </p>
<p>Here are people who have “good” chances at Ivies: Recruited athletes and development admits. Maybe celebrities with brains. That’s about it. </p>
<p>Of course, people get accepted. I did and I don’t think I was extraordinary beyond the pale. But it’s certainly the aberration and not the norm, statistically.</p>
<p>For the OP’s parents and GC to tell him/her that a “good” chance exists, is mis-informed in my 100% honest opinion.</p>
<p>thanks for all the help! i didn’t even realize that i could major in something else and still apply to a speech program in grad school…that could be very helpful in resolving this dilemma :)</p>