November 1, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN IN IL
I'll address just one of your questions: do you have a better chance of
getting into a college if you have an undecided major? That depends on
the school. Most schools have quotas for how many students they admit
into a given program (e.g., pre-med) but they also have quotas for how
many students they admit overall (including undecideds). So it is
possible that you might not get admitted if you declare a major but
would if you were undecided. The downside is that you might not be able
to take the classes you need for a pre-med degree as an undecided
major. This could set you back a semester or a year. My advice is to
declare a major if you really know what you want, and say undecided if
you're unsure.

Your dependence on your family is really going to limit your life
choices severly. If you're not ready to leave home, consider saving a
ton of money by attending a local 2-year junior college and getting your
associates degree. After 2 years, you may find that you can consider a
wider range of choices than just Pittsburgh. Do a great job there, get
good grades and be active in clubs and organizations, and your chances
of being accepted by the school you choose will only get better.