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<li><p>How much does going undecided about the major affect your chances of getting in? Do colleges prefer students who have at least a vague idea about the major they intend to pursue? </p></li>
<li><p>If you’ve already decide on the major, should your EC’s reflect interest in that field of study? For instance, say I want to major in Psychology but most of my EC’s and achievements are sports/athletic related. What impression would this inflict on admission officers? </p></li>
<li><p>Stereotypically, Indians opt for engineering-related majors. Do chances increase if being an Indian one intends to opt for a social science or arts related major? </p></li>
<li><p>How much do chances increase if you’re applying for no finaid at need-aware universities? I know they increase, of course, but by just how much? Is it enough to make up for, say, a bad SAT score?</p></li>
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<li><p>Not at all at the Ivys. Quite so much at the public schools like Georgia Tech, UIUC, UC Berkeley, UCLA, etc. Well, it would benefit you to have a vague idea, since you need to write supplement essays about your future academic interests.</p></li>
<li><p>No and Yes. ECs should portray only one thing and that is depth. If you show commitment and passion, you are by very definition, bound to succeed at whatever you undertake. No impression at all, if you are asking about how relatable they are. However, if you have been really involved in sports/athletics, then admissions officers are going to view it in a positive light.</p></li>
<li><p>Ah stereotypes 
No. Unless they are unpopular majors at the universities I mentioned in point 1.</p></li>
<li><p>Very much. It could mean the difference between you with a 2100 SAT (assumption) getting in versus someone with a 2250, asking for full aid. Bad? How bad? It’s all subjective.</p></li>
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<p>Please get more opinions than one. I am in no way an authority in these subjects. I only have a few more months of experience than you :)</p>
<p>Tizil7, thanks for the answers. 
I haven’t taken the SAT yet, I’ll be taking it this may. I just wanted something I could relate the advantage with, just as you did.</p>
<p>Any other opinion guys? Bumpp</p>
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<li><p>By itself, the major you choose won’t make a difference, I think However, if your essays/ECs show a passion for an academic field, then choosing a related major is a logical idea, right? If you demonstrate a non-academic passion (volunteering, sport etc.) then I don’t think choosing undecided is bad.
One little box won’t make all the difference in the world, but the box is a part of your application, holistically. If you demonstrate you are horrendously ignorant about your intended major, it can work against you. If you demonstrate you know a lot about your intended major, it will probably work in your favor.
If you don’t talk about your academic goals very deeply, it means they can’t judge you by it, obviously. This is where your discretion comes in - which makes you look stronger, your academic passions/goals, or something else? Put your best foot forward. IMHO, I think colleges judge you by your achievements as much as they judge you by your power of discretion :)</p></li>
<li><p>Well, like I said above, you can choose not to elaborate on your intended major, and it may look sketchy (if you have no mention of psych anywhere else, then that looks sketchy) - but if it means you have space to elaborate on something stronger, then it’s cool. So yeah, you have to use your discretion.
I chose an intended major that I had no ECs in, but I wrote my essay on how much fun I had reading about that subject. On the other hand, I think it was a safe decision because I had focused ECs in other fields that I mentioned briefly in other essays/short answers.</p></li>
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<p>You have more than one essay (hopefully), so if you are worried about a discrepancy between your academic passions and your activities, you can elaborate on your academic goals in one essay, and your activities in another. If you are up for it you can try to tie them together - for instance, an essay like “How Football Made Me Love Math” or “Music and Engineering” :)</p>
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<li><p>They’re not supposed to make any decisions based on your race If you sound like a stereotype, you sound like a stereotype - and nobody wants a stereotype, right? On the other hand, if you are a seriously talented and passionate Indian engineer, nobody can deny you the right to study engineering at a great school. Be the best person you can be, and show how unique you are.
I don’t think choosing an unpopular major can help very much unless you are applying to a college where you are “bound” to a major/field (like the UCs). For many schools, they don’t take the intended major too seriously because so many people end up not doing that major!
If you’re talking about the image you portray holistically, choosing a humanities focus in your app can land you in a stereotype too (Indian struggling to defy societal norms?) Discuss your goals with maturity and demonstrate passion/talent, and you’ll be ok.</p></li>
<li><p>No clue, but I know for sure that bad SAT scores can be made up in many ways (great grades, APs, recs, etc).
About the aid, though, I have no idea. Like Tizil said, how bad? Be safe and assume the worst: you’re a kid with a bad SAT score not asking for aid, but there is in all probability a kid with a great SAT score not asking for aid, too.</p></li>
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