Unlike many medical school students, John DeGuardi didn’t have adolescent dreams of becoming a physician. “I liked science, history, political science,” he says, but was undecided on a major or career. His appreciation of multiple subjects is what led him to apply to liberal arts colleges. But where he ended up, Hamilton College, was not initially on his radar; it was on his parents’. Looking back, John admits it was youthful hubris that initially prevented his interest in Hamilton: “I thought I was too good to go to a school I hadn’t heard of.” At his parents’ insistence, he visited campus and instantly clicked with the “down-to-earth people and atmosphere that was collaborative, not competitive.”

For most people, the path from undergraduate studies to a profession is not a straight line. There are changes of heart, changes of major, and changes of career. As college counselors, we talk to many high school students who are convinced the major they indicate on their college applications will determine their futures, so they must choose wisely or be doomed. But a quick poll of, say, anyone around you, will confirm you know plenty of people who work in a role they did not directly prepare for in college. Yet these same people benefit daily from the knowledge and skills they gained as an undergraduate.

When working with high school students on their college admission process, I get a few common questions about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) majors and careers. “I like my math and science classes; what STEM field should I major in?” or “How can I find out if I really like engineering?” or “I want to go further in my STEM studies; where can I start?”  There are literally hundreds of careers that fall under the umbrella of STEM, and sorting out which ones are right for you might seem daunting. The answer may be finding a STEM mentor who can help you explore these questions and help you discover opportunities to further your interests. But where would you look for such an advisor? Here are some of my best tips:

Contemplating a liberal arts degree but concerned about how that will translate into your career? Convinced that your child must major in a pre-professional area if they’re ever going to make a living? We get it: college—and life—are expensive, and these are important concerns. That’s why we’re exploring the value of a liberal arts degree when it comes time to actually get a job. We’re also talking through the impact of owning real estate on the financial aid process.

One of the most popular majors in recent years is business, and more colleges are offering programs in this area. If you’ve ever wondered what students actually study or whether or not you should major in business if you want a career in business, you’ll want to listen to this week’s show. For those looking to spend a semester in another country, we’ll take a closer look at the financial side of study abroad and offer some tools and resources for high school students hoping to discover and explore their interests.

The environment, from questions around global warming to plastic in our oceans to single-stream recycling, is very much in the news on a seemingly daily basis. Many colleges now offer some form of an environmental studies major, and we’ll offer thoughts on the options available to students pursuing degrees in that area. We’re also answering your college admissions and finance questions.

“I want to become a doctor! What do I need to do?”

This is one of the most common questions I hear from students and their families. There is a lot of information and myths about the pre-med path, and it can be challenging to figure out what is important to consider when researching colleges.

Guest Post by FindCourses.co.uk

What you want to do after college is an important decision, and chances are, it’ll impact on which college you choose to go to in the first place. In fact, future earning potential is often the reason students choose their degree in the first place, factoring important points like average salaries, forecasted earnings, and promotion opportunities into their schema before taking that all-important step into furthering their education.

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Thanks to this data visualization from findcourses.co.uk, we know which 100 universities produce the wealthiest graduates around the world, as featured in the Forbes list of billionaires.

Guest Post by Sabrina Manville, Co-Founder of Edmit

College graduates earn $1 million more in their careers than the average high school graduate. Since college costs (for now) less than $1 million, paying for a college degree seems—on its face—to be worth it. But not all degrees are created equal: each college and major has a different return on investment.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Elizabeth Heaton spends the bulk of the show answering listeners’ questions, but also dives into show business (jazz hands, everyone!).