Customer Reviews

The College Board Book of Majors: 2nd Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Because this 1,314-page book covers such a wide range of majors and the average family or college aspirant is likely to have narrowed his or her interests down to just a few, this book is best suited for the reference shelves of a high school guidance office where a diverse cross-section of readers can access it.

However, it's not expensive, so perhaps worth the required nickels from the family or student who doesn't mind tossing them at the CollegeBoard, a dependable provider of data and interpretation to college-bound students. This is especially true for the high school junior who begins to think about *where* he'll go to college with little or no clue for what he'd actually like to study there (this reviewer still assumes the not-unanimously-accepted link between college and study). If your family has multiple college-bound high schoolers within a few years of each other, the data and trends presented in this book are not likely to change substantially from year to year. So, a single purchase might serve more than one of your children.

Each of the covered majors is grouped together with similar majors in a section. Under each major, subsections address 'What it's about', 'Is this for you?', 'Recommended high school prep', 'Typical courses in this major', 'Concentrations', 'What the study of this major is like', 'Other majors you might like', 'Questions to ask colleges', Career options and trends', and 'For more information'. Not surprisingly, 1,314 pages fill up quickly.

The second section of the book then lists the colleges and universities in each state that offer each of the majors mentioned in the first.

You can find this information elsewhere. The appeal of this book lies in the fact that it collects it for you in one handy volume and gets it to you on the cheap.

Son number 3 is now beginning the multi-year process of finding both a college and possible profession. Unlike my other two, he likes many different subjects. This unique reference starts with common majors that most people are familiar with and uses the same descriptive format for each to allow easy comparison. Each entry starts with "If you like....then you might like this major." It then describes a typical curriculum for that major, suggests other majors that you might like that are not as well known in the same "field," and ends with possible REAL JOBS you might apply for having an undergraduate degree in that major. Suggestions of possible starting salaries are also included. My son's favorite part of the entries was looking at what other majors might fit the interests of someone who likes "major x." I also found it illuminating as I am contemplating a return to school and a major in history and secondary education. I found out I might like to major in "Medieval and Renaissance Studies," rather than straight history. Lastly, on their website, you can look up what universities currently carry the more unique majors. All in all, a helpful, interesting, easy-to-read, non-intimidating resource.

This guide was extremely helpful to my 16 yr. old daughter who is trying to sort out which classes to take her last 2 years of high school and how they would relate to various possible majors. Since she is looking at a number of very different majors, it gave her some idea of how she would use her talents in different areas. She actually told me about the guide and asked me to purchase it after seeing a friend's copy at school.

A waste. A huge price for something that is immediately out of date. Don't buy it. Find it in your counselor's office or at the library instead.

This book was a bit dissapointing, really. You think a book of this size and price would at least include more and better information, and many of my desired majors it had absolutely no information on. Totally was not worth it.