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What to Do If Your Child Has No Idea What They Want to Major In
- futurefindersllc
- Feb 23
- 3 min read
So, your teen is staring at college applications, and every time they get to the “Intended Major” section, they freeze like a deer in headlights.
You ask, “What do you want to study?” and get one of the following responses:
👉 “I don’t know.”
👉 “Umm… business?”
👉 “Does TikTok count as a major?”
If this sounds familiar, don’t panic. Not knowing what to major in is completely normal, and the good news is—they don’t have to figure it all out today. But you can help guide them toward smart decisions. Here’s how.
1️⃣ Reassure Them That They Don’t Have to Know Right Away
The pressure to pick a major before even stepping on campus is wild. Truth is, most students change their major at least once. Some studies suggest that 30-50% of students switch majors, and many go in undecided.
📢 Reality Check: Colleges don’t expect 17-year-olds to have their entire life planned out. They do expect students to be curious, open to exploring, and proactive in finding a path that suits them.
If your teen feels stuck, remind them:
✅ It’s okay to start undeclared (many schools encourage it!).
✅ The first year of college is about exploration—not immediate specialization.
✅ Many careers don’t require a specific major.
2️⃣ Encourage Exploration in High School
One of the best ways to help your teen figure out what excites them is to let them try different things—before college starts charging tuition for those experiments.
🔍 Ways to explore different fields:
Take a variety of electives (computer science, psychology, marketing, journalism, etc.).
Shadow professionals in different careers.
Get a part-time job, internship, or volunteer experience.
Join clubs related to potential interests (debate, coding, business, theater).
💡 Pro Tip: Many colleges offer summer programs for high school students in different career fields—this is a great way to test out a major before committing.
3️⃣ Look for Colleges with Strong Exploratory Programs
Not all schools treat undecided students the same way. Some universities force students to declare a major early, while others have structured exploratory programs that help students sample different fields before choosing.
✅ Schools with great exploratory programs offer:
A "University College" or "Exploratory Studies" option.
Advisors who help students explore multiple disciplines.
First-year seminar classes designed for undecided students.
💡 Secret: I have a method for finding schools that offer built-in flexibility—so your teen isn’t locked into a major too soon. I break this down in my course!
4️⃣ Use Personality & Career Assessments (But Don’t Over-Rely on Them)
Online career quizzes can be fun, but they’re not a crystal ball. Still, they can spark some ideas!
📝 A few good ones to try:
16Personalities (MBTI-based career suggestions)
O*Net Interest Profiler (from the U.S. Department of Labor)
StrengthsFinder (identifies key strengths and career matches)
Encourage your teen to use these as a starting point, not a final answer. A quiz might say “engineering,” but if they hate math, it’s a no-go.
5️⃣ Focus on Skills, Not Just Majors
Instead of obsessing over picking the “right” major, help your teen think about the skills they enjoy using.
Ask them:👉 Do you love writing, designing, or storytelling? (Marketing, journalism, graphic design)👉 Are you naturally organized, analytical, or good with numbers? (Finance, business, data science)👉 Do you thrive when helping people, solving problems, or working with kids? (Education, psychology, healthcare)
Many careers overlap between multiple majors—so focusing on skills and interests makes choosing a path way easier.
💡 Want to know the best strategy for aligning skills with the right majors? That’s exactly what I help families do in my course.
Final Thoughts: The Best Major is One That Opens Doors
At the end of the day, college isn’t just about picking a major—it’s about developing skills, connections, and experiences. Many students graduate with a degree that doesn’t directly match their final career, and that’s totally fine.
🎯 Best next steps?
✅ Look at schools with strong exploratory programs.
✅ Get hands-on experiences before college.
✅ Focus on developing skills over picking a perfect major.
Still feeling stuck? In my course, I teach parents how to help their teen build a college plan—even if they have no idea what they want to major in. Want to learn more? Check it out here → https://forms.gle/7Q5aNimiWLCHgZGHA
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