Today, a lot of kids are afraid that they are not going to get accepted into the right college of my choice. This causes all kinds of angst and worry in parents. That's not the worry. Research has shown that the major, what a student majors in has much more to do with influence than the college your child went to. Apply to the colleges that you want to go to. Don't worry that you didn't get into your first or second choice, and you have to settle for your third choice, because that school is telling you, we think you can graduate. Picking a major is so important because quite often, it does dictate your lifetime. You need to pick a major that you can do. This is not a time for pipe dreams. If you can't do math, if you can't do science, you are not going to be a doctor; don't sign up for pre-med classes. That's crazy. You are going to wind up $200,000 in debt and no degree. Pick the majors that you can major in. If you are a writer, pick those kinds of majors. If you are a reader, pick those kinds of majors. If you are good at science and math, pick those kinds of majors. If you are not sure, go on and take one course and see how you do in Biology. Take one course and see how you do in Advanced Calculus. Picking a major early is also key to graduation, not that you can't change your mind. If you know that you want to be a Veterinarian or Astronomer, you are going to go to the college that offers those courses, and you are going to take those courses and get that major. As a parent, what we want to tell our kids, it's okay that you didn't get into your first choice. You want to pick the right major that suits you. When the major lines up with the students interests and abilities, they graduate.