전공 적성이 명확하지 않을 때 지원할 수 있는 미국 대학교

약 1년 전부터 C양은 필자에게 대학 입학 컨설팅을 받고 있다. 필자가 처음 만난 학생에게 가장 먼저 실시하는 것은 심리 인적성검사 (Sequoia Integrated Psychological Test)이다.

후회 없는 전공 선택을 위한 도구 세쿼이아통합심리검사 (SIPT)

출처: https://parkyounghee.tistory.com/entry/후회-없는-전공-선택을-위한-도구-세쿼이아통합심리검사-SIPT [박영희의 성공유학 ADMISSION EDGE:티스토리]

 

심리검사를 통해 C양의 성격과 특장점을 파악하고 C양이 구사하고 있는 학습 기술을 점검한다. 현재 어떤 심리 상태에서 공부를 하고 있는지 알아보고 C양이 자신의 미래에 대해서 어떤 생각을 갖고 있는지 탐색해 본다. 대학 선택과 전공 결정을 앞두고 가장 중요한 것이 적성과 흥미에 대한 평가이다. C양의 흥미와 관심 그리고 적성이 어떤 분야에 있는지 정확하게 판단할 수 있다면, 어떤 대학을 선택하여 어떤 과목을 전공하고 어떤 일을 하면서 살아갈 것인지에 대한 명확한 해답을 얻을 수 있기 때문이다. 

 

그런데 C양의 적성은 산업 및 과학 분야였지만, 흥미는 행정 및 경영 분야였다. 선대부터 사업을 하는 가정에서 자란 C양은 늘 온 가족이 할아버지 사업을 도와야 한다고 생각해 왔기 때문에, 한 치의 망설임 없이 경영학을 전공으로 꼽았다. 더구나 C양의 과학 성적은 좋은 편이 아니어서 과학 과목에는 관심도 없고 흥미도 느끼지 못했다. 그러나 필자의 검사 결과는 C양은 사회성이 강한 People Person이 아니고, 탐구심과 인내심이 강하여 혼자 성취해 내는 것에서 기쁨을 느끼는 내향적 탐구 성향을 나타내기 때문에 과학에 적합한 성격을 가지고 있음이 판명되었다.

 

그래서 C양에게 Virtual Internships을 통해 바이오 회사에서 인턴을 수행하여 과학 현장에서 어떤 일을 하는지, 과연 C양이 그런 일들을 할 수 있는지, 흥미와 관심을 가질 수 있는 일인지, 재미를 느낄 수 있는지 몸소 체험하도록 했다. C양은 인턴십을 하면서 자신에 내재된 탐구심을 인식할 수 있었고, 가설과 검증을 통해 논리로 풀어 가는 과학의 세계에 흥미를 가졌다고 했다.

그러나 입학 원서를 작성해야 하는 순간까지도 경영학을 해야 할지, 과학을 전공해야 할지, 경영학에 대한 작은 미련이 남아 있었다. 망설이는 C양에게 준 필자의 추천 대학은, 전공을 명확하게 선택하지 못한 학생들에게 특별 프로그램을 제공하는 Research University와 Liberal Arts College이다.  

 

유럽 대학들과는 달리 미국 대학들은 지원 시 전공을 결정하지 않아도 얼마든지 합격의 기회를 제공한다. 지원할 때 전공을 적는 난에 “Undecided”라고 적어도 불이익을 받지 않는다. 많은 학생들이 전공을 결정하지 못해서 걱정을 하는 경우가 많은데, Undecided라고 적고 왜 아직 전공이 결정되지 않았고, 어떤 학문에 관심이 있고, 어떤 분야에 탐색을 해보겠다고 한다면 아무런 문제가 되지 않는다. 대학에서는 Open Curriculum을 통해 충분한 시간을 가지고 전공을 결정하거나 혹은 자기만의 창의적인 전공을 만들어낼 수 있도록 지원하고 있기 때문이다. "Undecided "로 입학하여 1학년 때 Open Curriculum을 통해 전공 적성을 찾아가야 하는 학생들이 지원해 볼 수 있는 대표적인 리서치 대학과 인문학 중심 학부과정의 대학인 리버럴 칼리지 대학들을 소개한다.

 

https://blog.collegevine.com/colleges-for-undecided-majors/에서 인용했음을 밝힌다.

 

1. Brown University

 

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Acceptance Rate: 6.9%

U.S. News Ranking: 14

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1440-1550/33-35

Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,160

 

Brown’s open curriculum is ideal for undecided students. As the “architect of your own education,” you’re able to direct your own course of study by exploring a wide range of disciplines and courses, without being bogged down with demanding requirements. Once students have sampled different disciplines, they can focus on one of the more than 80 concentrations available, or create their own independent concentration.

 

2. University of Rochester

 

Location: Rochester, New York

Acceptance Rate: 30%

U.S. News Ranking: 34

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1340-1500/26-34

Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,780

 

The flexible Rochester Curriculum is the cornerstone of the university experience. Students have no general education or core requirements other than a single writing requirement. Students determine where they want to focus their studies (their majors) and then select clusters in two areas, each containing three thematically related courses. This is ideal for students who don’t want to be tied down to a prescribed curriculum. For those whose interests don’t fall within a specific department, there’s also the option to create an interdepartmental major.

 

3. Northeastern University 

 

Location: Boston, Massachusetts 

Acceptance Rate: 18%

U.S. News Ranking: 49

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1390-1540/32-35

Undergraduate Enrollment: 14,202

 

Northeastern’s Explore Program equips undeclared students with the resources they need to make an informed decision about their major and career path. Participants can meet with academic advisors and student leaders, as well as attend events that connect them with faculty, students, advisors, and alumni in areas that interest them. They also attend a first-year seminar course where they’ll meet other students in the program. 

 

Students may also create an independent major if their interests don’t fall under one of the 250 majors or 150 combined majors.

 

4. University of Toledo 

 

Location: Toledo, Ohio

Acceptance rate: 95%

U.S. News Ranking: 298-389

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1020-1240/20-26

Enrollment: 15,568

 

The University of Toledo has several opportunities to help students decide on a major. The Undecided Program, for example, allows them to sample diverse course offerings via a custom course plan designed with their academic advisor, receive guidance on reaching their goals, and explore career possibilities.

 

Meanwhile, the Exploratory Living Learning Community (ELLC) enables students to live among undecided peers and share the experience of navigating majors and working with faculty and peer mentors.

 

5. New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study

 

Location: New York, New York

Acceptance Rate: 15% (NYU)

U.S. News Ranking: 30 (NYU)

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1350-1530/31-35 (NYU)

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,500

 

NYU’s Gallatin is all about thinking outside the box. Students design their own nontraditional courses of study under the guidance of faculty. Geared toward students who are “focused, intelligent, disciplined, and creative,” the school provides the opportunity to create individualized education. Along with taking courses at Gallatin and other schools within NYU, students participate in experiential learning, such as internships and study abroad, meant to broaden their thinking and connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Undecided Majors

 

1. Amherst College

Location: Amherst, Massachusetts

Acceptance Rate: 13%

U.S. News Ranking: 2

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1420-1560/30-34

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,839

There are no distribution requirements and no core curriculum at Amherst. The open curriculum allows students to choose from more than 850 courses while receiving advice from faculty. If that weren’t enough, Amherst students are also able to take advantage of the Five College Consortium in Western Massachusetts, which allows them to take courses and use additional resources, such as libraries, at Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students may also create their own interdisciplinary majors.

 

2. Grinnell College

Location: Grinnell, Iowa

Acceptance rate: 23%

U.S. News Ranking: 13

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1320-1530/30-33

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,733

 

Outside of your major, you’ll only need to take one course at Grinnell: a First-Year Tutorial, where you’ll choose one of 35 topics and develop writing, critical thinking, and presentation skills. The open curriculum gives you the chance to sample different courses and disciplines. You may also create your own major if you feel that the opportunities offered don’t quite fit your interests.

 

3. Hamilton College

Location: Clinton, New York

Acceptance Rate: 18%

U.S. News Ranking: 9

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1410-1510/32-34

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,924

 

Students gain a broad liberal arts education at Hamilton, where many matriculate without having a firm idea of the concentration they intend to pursue. Students work with faculty advisors to create an educational plan that reflects their interests and strengths, and don’t need to declare their concentration until the spring semester sophomore year; they may also design an interdisciplinary concentration with faculty guidance. The open curriculum encourages them to pursue a range of passions as they undertake various programs, including a Senior Project.

 

4. Smith College

Location: Northampton, Massachusetts

Acceptance Rate: 32%

U.S. News Ranking: 15

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1340-1520/30-33

Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,531

 

Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, students at this women’s college navigate an open curriculum meant to help them develop crucial skills. Smith recommends that students pursue coursework in each of seven major fields of knowledge: literature, historical studies, social science, natural science, mathematics and analytic philosophy, the arts, and foreign language. Smithies may also design their own interdepartmental majors.

 

5. Wesleyan University

Location: Middletown, Connecticut

Acceptance rate: 16%

U.S. News Ranking: 20

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1450-1560/33-35

Enrollment: 3,018

 

Wesleyan operates on the principle that student agency encourages lifelong learning. That’s why it has an open curriculum that encourages them to explore different subject areas and create their own general education plan. Students are expected to earn a certain number of credits in each of three areas, for a total of nine general education course credits, and declare their major in their sophomore spring. 

 

세쿼이아에서는 인턴십,포럼,논문,SIPT,및 다양한 프로그램들이 여러분을 기다리고 있습니다. 진학상담및 학생 개개인만의 특별한 학습방법 안내는 아래의 연락처로 연락바랍니다.