SaphireNY, It may make sense to choose schools on the basis of which might be more interested in accepting someone with your interests. The idea that you’d have gotten in to MIT had you stated you wanted to be a French major is absurd unless of course you want to major in French. And if so, MIT would have been looking for your ECs and your accomplishments to reflect your longstanding interest in …French. Anyone who molds their stated major to fit what they think would interest a school is not adopting a winning strategy. On the other hand, choosing schools where your interests may be viewed as particularly desirable make more sense. Often it will mean that you are applying to schools that lack a presence in the area you are interested in -few profs conducting research, fewer other students with similar interests, etc. Gaming the admissions process to get yourself into a school because it is listed high in prestige but lacks depth in the topic you are interested in studying seems no bargain to me.