College Admissions Consulting The Major to Career Connection, Plus Listener Questions Written by Emily Toffelmireon March 1st, 2018 I came to College Coach after working for many years in college admissions and high school counseling. As a school counselor, I assisted students in the college application process and wrote hundreds of letters of recommendation, while also helping them and their families cope with any emotional, social, and academic concerns throughout the year. I transitioned from the high school setting to the admissions office when I joined the University of Southern California as an assistant director, reading freshmen and transfer applications and collaborating on admission decisions for over 150 majors, including the liberal arts, engineering, business, cinema, and the fine and performing arts. I subsequently took on the role of senior assistant director in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where I coordinated the division's Mork, Stamps, Trustee, Presidential and Dean's merit scholarship selection process, as well as recruitment publications and outreach, and traveled everywhere from Honolulu to Miami presenting to and interviewing hundreds of applicants each year. Learn More About Emily choosing a major, college admissions advice, getting in, major, On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Sally Ganga talks about the connection between major and career and tackles a number of our listeners’ questions. The Major to Career Connection Michael Sherman, founder of Graduate to Employment, joins Sally to discuss the role college majors play in job placement. Pulling from his 25+ years of experience in recruitment for companies like Bank of America and EMC, Michael reminds us that employers "hire people not majors." While he acknowledges there are a few careers that require a specific undergraduate pathway, the vast majority do not, and most industries hire from a breadth of disciplines. Michael suggests ways to explore careers and build skills outside the classroom through clubs, community services, and internships. He also identifies the attributes most sought after by employers and how liberal arts majors can position themselves as unique and valuable job applicants. Listener Questions After the break, Sally is joined by Shannon Vasconcelos to take on listeners’ college finance and admissions questions. Finance My family probably won’t qualify for need-based aid. How do we avoid paying full price for college? Do colleges consider 529 plans and private assets when determining financial aid? Which parts of my financial portfolio will be taken into account by financial aid offices? Are there prestigious need-aware schools where it’s to my advantage to be able to pay full price? Admissions Should I take additional AP courses online to boost my transcript? Do colleges look at online courses differently? How many highly selective schools should my son apply to? Do I have to keep taking foreign language in 11th and 12th grade? How many AP courses should I take to be a competitive applicant? Want one of your questions answered on air? Submit them here. And tune in to our next episode to learn more about athletics in the college admissions process, understanding Early Action decisions, and navigating financial aid appeals. Related Resources Read | Posted on February 20th, 2025 Advanced Placement or Dual Enrollment: Which One is Right for You? Read | Posted on February 5th, 2025 Kickstarting Your Community Service Journey: Practical Tips for Students Read | Posted on January 28th, 2025 Teaching Kids About Money: Financial Lessons from Children's Books
