Match Your Passions with College Program

College-bound students often choose their college major based on fields that are popular at the time and offer promise of a rewarding career. These days, business and STEM-related fields seem to top the list. But students should also consider the activities that bring them joy, as the pastimes that they engage in for recreation and relaxation can often lead to rewarding careers.  

Students who love drawing – and are talented in the field – have several options for turning this passion into a profession.  If they also are attracted to the sciences, a career as a Medical Illustrator may be enticing.  A bachelor’s degree in this field is offered at Rowan University (NJ), Arcadia University (PA), Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) and Cleveland Institute of Art (OH).  Other illustration options include a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cartooning from The School of Visual Arts, and fashion-related programs at the Fashion Institute of Technology, both located in Manhattan.  The renown Rhode Island School of Design offers courses in Editorial Illustration, Journalistic Illustration, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Illustration.

Students who are devoted to the care of animals might be impressed by Rutgers University’s Undergraduate Program in Animal Sciences. The University reports that, since 2000, the acceptance rate to accredited veterinary schools has been over 70% for qualified graduates from this program. A major in Animal Sciences is also offered at Penn State University, University of Connecticut, University of Delaware, University of Maryland, and University of Rhode Island.

Colleges in nearby states with pre-veterinary bachelor’s programs include Quinnipiac University (CT), University of Delaware, Penn State University, and several New York-based schools: Fordham University, Hofstra University, Ithaca College, Manhattan College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Syracuse University.

Students passionate about music have limitless options, including opportunities to specialize at the undergraduate level.  Among the specific majors offered in the field of music are Music History/Literature, Music Management, Music Pedagogy, Music Performance, Music Teacher Education, Music Technology, Music Theory and Composition, and Music Therapy.  A listing of the specific colleges offering a major in each of these fields can be found in College Board’s Book of Majors. 

Students with a love of foreign languages and cultures have a multitude of options, including majors in Asian studies, Caribbean studies, European studies, Hispanic and Latin American languages, Middle Eastern and Semitic languages, Native American languages and studies, and Scandinavian languages and studies.

When students are able to match their passions with college programs that lead to successful careers, they’re likely on the path to a rewarding college experience.

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362