What are the Least Popular Majors at the University of Pennsylvania?
When applying to the most elite and competitive colleges, indicating interest in a less popular major on your application can set you apart as a unique candidate.
For most schools, including UPenn, what you select on your application is not binding (meaning, you are not locked into that major just because you indicated interest!). However, it’s important that the major you select ties into your application “pitch,” and how you are presenting yourself to that specific school.
Here is a list of the least popular majors at UPenn, organized by broader interest:
For those interested in …
A Business Major
While the Wharton School of Business is one of the nation’s most revered undergraduate Business Schools, choosing a more niche major will help your application stand out from the rest.
Furthermore, most business majors can be applied to many different business-related jobs after graduation; someone who majored in Operations Management could find themselves working in Accounting, and someone who majored in International Business could find themselves in Management.
A Social Sciences Major
At most liberal arts schools, the majors listed above are incredibly interdisciplinary. This means that Africana Studies majors will be taking History courses, Sociology courses, Women and Gender Studies courses, etc.
So, if you have an interest in History or the Social Sciences, selecting a more unique major (instead of a more obvious choice, like Sociology) makes you come off as a candidate with specific and individual interests.
Majoring in a Language
Again, what you select on your application is not binding! So, if you have an interest and a demonstrated academic strength in languages, indicating interest in pursuing languages at UPenn can be a smart idea.
If you realize that you do not want to major in languages once admitted, it is easy to explore other options before declaring your major at the end of sophomore year.
A Performing Arts Major
Are you a creative soul? Demonstrating interest in a Theatre Arts or Music major at Penn could be a good choice. Since these majors exist in a liberal arts setting at Penn, they are also less performance-centered and more interdisciplinary.
In Conclusion…
Selecting a niche major can both make you stand out from the application pool, while also serving to specify your academic interests. Just make sure you have evidence to back up that academic interest in your supplemental essays.
Unsure how to write about your major of interest in your supplements? Schedule a free consultation with us, and we’ll discuss how to connect your indicated major to your larger application “pitch.”