Liberal Arts Majors: Myths Dispelled

Ask twenty people what they think about the term "liberal arts education," and you'll likely get twenty different responses, and those responses will probably contain as many misconceptions as facts. Let's clear up the myths:

All liberal arts students are politically liberal. False. Students of all political beliefs graduate with liberal arts degrees. The word "liberal" in liberal arts has nothing to do with politics. It's rooted in the Latin term "artes liberalis," in which "artes" referred to the general skills that a "free person" (liberalis) needed to master in order to contribute meaningfully to society.

Math and science aren't liberal arts subjects. False. Chemistry, physics, astronomy, and mathematics are all liberal arts disciplines. Many people assume otherwise because these fields also fall under the STEM umbrella; however, from the Middle Ages until today, these subjects have been included in the liberal arts as well. The liberal arts also encompass the humanities (English, theater, music) and the social sciences (economics, history, psychology). College majors focused on preparing for a specific career, such as engineering, nursing, or business, are generally not considered liberal arts degrees.

You can only get a liberal arts degree from a small college. False. You can get a liberal arts education at many different institutions, from small liberal arts colleges to large research universities. Many people mistakenly believe liberal arts studies are confined to smaller liberal arts colleges. In fact, every major American research university offers extensive undergraduate programs across a variety of liberal arts disciplines. Nearly all research universities, from large publics to elite privates, have an undergraduate liberal arts college.

A liberal arts degree doesn't prepare you for a specific career. Maybe. A liberal arts education is not designed to prepare students for one specific career path, but that doesn't mean it leaves graduates without marketable skills. Critical thinking, written and verbal communication, research, and problem-solving are all skills that liberal arts programs cultivate and that employers across nearly every field value. Many liberal arts graduates also find that the flexibility of their degree allows them to pivot between careers or industries more easily than graduates with narrowly focused training. That said, a degree alone isn't enough. Like all college students, liberal arts majors should seek out internships, work experience, and extracurricular activities to help build their resumes and gain practical, real-world experience.

Liberal arts majors all end up working at Starbucks. False. Just ask liberal arts majors who went on to become CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Whole Foods, HBO, Disney, Hewlett-Packard, American Express, and Merck, among many others. (The longtime CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, was also a liberal arts major.) The Hamilton Project, an economic policy initiative of the Brookings Institution, analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau and found that liberal arts majors work across all sorts of careers and industries, including science and technology. 

Liberal arts majors have skills employers want and need. True. Research shows that employers value the types of skills that liberal arts studies foster. In one study conducted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), 91% of employers surveyed agreed that when hiring recent college graduates, a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than a specific college major. These are precisely the skills a liberal arts education is designed to build. Liberal arts majors should be just as intentional about career preparation as students in more career-oriented majors. This means connecting with career services early on, seeking out internships, co-ops, and applied learning opportunities, attending professional development panels, and actively networking, all while taking advantage of the scheduling flexibility a liberal arts education typically provides.

Liberal arts majors don't make as much money as engineering or business majors. 

It depends. How much any individual earns over a career is shaped by career choice, experience, location, employer, and personal drive; no two graduates in any major earn the same. Engineering majors do tend to land the highest average starting salaries among all degree holders, and some liberal arts majors start below the median for college graduates overall. However, research from the AAC&U and other studies shows that while some graduates with liberal arts degrees start at lower income levels, their income tends to increase at a faster rate over time, closing much of the initial gap.

Want to explore typical career paths and salary data for your major? The Hamilton Project offers an interactive tool based on census data showing the most common careers pursued by graduates in over seventy undergraduate majors, along with median salary comparisons over the course of a career.

Your Summer, Your Story

Summer does not need to be packed with expensive camps or prestigious programs to be meaningful. It is a rare stretch of time when students can pause and ask a question that gets lost in the school-year rush: What do I actually care about?

  Before thinking about programs or internships, start there. Genuine self-knowledge shapes every decision that follows, including, eventually, the college search itself.

   Ask yourself some honest questions. What activities are you already involved in, and which ones genuinely energize you? Are there things you have always wanted to try but never made time for? Have you taken on a leadership role, formally or informally, and what did that feel like? Have you ever created something new, organized an event, or spotted a need in your community and stepped up to fill it? Think about impact, too. How has your involvement affected the people around you? What growth have you noticed in yourself? These questions are worth sitting with. 

   Here is what many students do not realize: colleges are not simply looking for a list of impressive activities. They are looking for patterns, a coherent picture of who you are and what you genuinely care about. When a student pursues something consistently and authentically, that story comes through. Think of your activities as brushstrokes. Over time, they should paint a picture of a person with real interests, real initiative, and real growth.

    Meaningful exploration is often closer than you think. Look around your neighborhood. Do senior citizens need their lawns mowed or trash taken out? Could you start a dog-walking business, organize cleanup days at a local park, or tackle an environmental project? Are there old items waiting to be restored or repurposed? Even a lemonade stand raising money for a cause you care about teaches how to create a flyer, advertise, talk to people, and manage money. A student who designs and sells handmade jewelry while donating a portion to charity is learning creativity, entrepreneurship, and compassion all at once.

   For students drawn to more structured interests, free platforms like Coursera, edX, and Khan Academy offer courses in everything from coding and engineering to psychology and creative writing. Community colleges offer affordable dual-enrollment options where students can earn college credit. Healthcare-curious students might shadow a professional or volunteer at a hospital or senior center. Creative students can build a portfolio, start a blog, contribute to a publication, or launch a YouTube channel around something that genuinely excites them. Students interested in law, government, or the environment can seek out internships, conservation programs, or community organizations doing work that matters to them. A part-time job counts, too. Working in retail, food service, or a local business builds communication skills, responsibility, and maturity in ways a classroom rarely can.

   Explore. Take some risks. Have fun. The self-knowledge you gain this summer is what makes every next step feel purposeful rather than performative.

When Parents do Too Much

As college application season approaches, a familiar pattern often emerges: parents want to help their teenagers succeed, so they begin stepping in to manage parts of the process. The motivation is understandable. Applying to college can feel overwhelming, and parents naturally want to reduce stress for their child.

      But there is an important difference between supporting a teenager and taking over the process.

     Researchers have begun studying what is often called “overparenting.” In one large analysis of more than 21,000 participants, researchers found a clear pattern: the more parents overhelp, the worse children’s mental health tends to be. Higher levels of overparenting were associated with increased anxiety, higher rates of depression, and lower resilience. The effects were even stronger as children got older.

     Researchers describe overparenting as developmentally inappropriate control. In other words, it happens when adults step in to manage tasks that a child or teenager is capable of learning to do themselves.

     The intention usually comes from love. Parents want to smooth the path and prevent mistakes. But when young people are constantly protected from small challenges, they miss opportunities to build independence and problem-solving skills. Too much help now can unintentionally create helplessness later. The college application process is actually an ideal opportunity for students to begin developing these skills. 

     When parents take over tasks such as emailing admissions offices, resolving scheduling questions, or communicating with counselors, it can send an unintended message: I don’t think you can handle this yourself. Even when that is not the intention, teenagers often internalize that message. Over time, it can weaken their confidence in their ability to manage important responsibilities.

     Students are about to enter a stage of life where they will be expected to advocate for themselves. In college, professors expect students, not parents, to ask questions about assignments or grades. If a roommate conflict arises, students must work through it themselves. If they need help with financial aid, registration, or academic advising, they will be the ones expected to contact the appropriate office.

     Guidance and coaching can be incredibly helpful.  Learning how to do these things while still living at home provides an important safety net. For example, if a student needs to call an admissions office, a parent can help them think through what they want to ask or review an email before it is sent. Parents can help students organize deadlines, talk through decisions, and offer perspective when emotions run high.

     When students write the email, make the phone call, or solve the problem themselves, they gain something far more valuable than a completed task: confidence. They learn that they are capable of navigating the adult world. The college application process is actually an ideal opportunity for students to begin developing these skills.

     The goal is not to solve every problem for teenagers. The goal is to prepare them to solve problems on their own.

Focus on Majors: Applied Mathematics

Applied mathematics is the study of mathematical methods and how they're used to address problems in science, engineering, business, and other fields. It sits between pure mathematics and the applied disciplines that use math as a tool. Students build skills in calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, probability, and computational methods, then learn to apply those to real-world problems.

     Most programs encourage students to develop depth in a second subject. This gives the degree a lot of range, which is one reason it can appeal to students with strong quantitative skills who haven't yet settled on a specific direction.

     Students who do well in applied mathematics tend to arrive with a solid math foundation. The most useful courses are calculus and statistics. Physics is worth prioritizing, since it's often used to describe real systems. A computer science class or programming skills can also prepare a student for the major.

     In terms of mindset, students who tend to do well in applied mathematics are comfortable sitting with a problem that doesn't have an obvious answer. They're generally more interested in understanding WHY a method works than in simply getting the right answer. A natural curiosity about how things are measured, predicted, or modeled is an initial indicator of a possible good fit. 

For applied math specifically, a flexible curriculum may matter more than it might for other majors because the degree's real value comes from pairing math with another field. Schools that don't require a specific list of general education (GE) courses or narrow GE categories give students more room to explore “applying” mathematics.

Brown's Open Curriculum allows applied mathematics majors at Brown to spend elective credits learning a second field. Their applied mathematics concentration offers tracks in biology, computer science, economics, and physics, and students can pursue independent research through the Division of Applied Mathematics, which spans fluid dynamics, mathematical biology, and machine learning theory.

With the "Rochester Curriculum," at the University of Rochester, instead of fixed core requirements, students choose three clusters of study: one in their major and two others built around their own interests. It's a similar philosophy to Brown's but at a more accessible admissions level. Applied math majors here can double major in economics, computer science, or other fields without the friction of narrow GE requirements.

USC offers a five-year combined Bachelor's and Master's in Applied Mathematics. Students apply during their sophomore or junior year and take graduate-level courses that count toward both degrees simultaneously. The 4+1 structure is worth considering for students who know they want to go further in the field. The minor a student chooses often clarifies where their skills will be applied. 

Common pairings:

• Computer Science - Moves students toward software, machine learning, or AI roles

• Economics - Useful for quantitative finance, policy analysis, or consulting

• Biology or Neuroscience - Connects to computational biology, bioinformatics, or research

• Statistics - Deepens the credentials for data science or research tracks

• Public Health - Relevant for health policy and global health organizations

• Psychology / Cognitive Science - A path into User Experience (UX) research, behavioral economics, and human-computer interaction

     For students interested in building AI systems, machine learning runs on linear algebra, calculus, and probability. As AI tools become more common across industries, knowing what a model's output actually means and when to question it requires the same analytical thinking learned in applied mathematics curricula. The ability to interpret a result is increasingly useful.

Career Paths for Applied Mathematics Majors

• Actuary

• Biostatistician

• Climate/Environmental Modeler

• Computational Biologist

• Cryptographer/Cybersecurity Analyst

• Data Scientist

• Econometrician

• Epidemiologist

• Financial/Quantitative Analyst

• Machine Learning Engineer

• Operations Research Analyst

• Quantitative Risk Manager

• Research Scientist

• Signal Processing Engineer

• Software Engineer

• Supply Chain Analyst

• University Researcher/Professor

• UX Researcher (Quantitative)

Choosing a Gap Year

After years of structured schedules, deadlines, and pressure, it's not surprising that many students arrive at the end of high school feeling burnt out. A gap year gives students the chance to reset, gain real-world experience, and build the independence they'll need to succeed in college.

That can look very different depending on the student. Some stay close to home and work, save money, or take a class, while others pursue internships, volunteer, or explore interests that weren't possible during the school year. Not every student is ready for the demands of college life immediately after high school, and that's okay. A well-structured gap year can help build confidence, resilience, and self-awareness before stepping onto campus.

Students who take a gap year are more likely to graduate on time and have higher GPAs than those who do not, and report feeling more confident and better prepared for college and their future careers. Research also shows that gap year students are perceived as more mature, more self-reliant, and more independent, and that the positive effect on GPA tends to last across all four years of college. Students who returned to higher education after a gap year were found to be more motivated and to outperform peers who did not take one. 

The key is to have a plan in place. A gap year is not about taking a year off; it's about taking a year with purpose. Without clear goals and structure, the year can slip by without much to show for it. Students should think intentionally about what they hope to gain, whether that's an internship, community service, language immersion, travel, or work experience. The Gap Year Association is an excellent starting point for exploring options. A gap year doesn't have to mean going overseas. Programs like  City Year place young adults in schools across the U.S., providing academic support while building leadership and professional skills. For students navigating anxiety, burnout, or other challenges, therapeutic gap year programs offer structured support for mental health and personal growth as a meaningful bridge to college readiness.

How do colleges view all of this? Generally, quite favorably. Students should not include gap year plans in their applications, as it can complicate the process. A stronger strategy is to apply to college during senior year as usual, secure admission, and then request a deferral from the school you plan to attend. Deadlines for deferral requests are typically in the summer after graduation. Colleges tend to look favorably on students who use their gap year for meaningful, intentional activities. One important limitation: students usually cannot take college-level coursework during a gap year without affecting their freshman status. Always confirm each college’s deferral policy, as it can vary. For the right student with the right plan, a gap year isn't a detour. It's a head start.

Note that University of California colleges seldom allow students to defer their admission for any purpose, including a gap year.

The Value of Community Service

In a time when college admissions can feel like a competition, it’s easy to think every activity needs to “look good” on your applications. Community service often falls into that trap, reduced to logging hours or checking a requirement. The truth is, most colleges don’t require community service. The true value of service is its impact on your community and on yourself.

     During adolescence, your ability to understand other people’s perspectives is growing, along with your desire to find a place where you feel valued and connected. It’s one of the most vital times to begin looking outside of yourself and contributing to others. As you move from childhood into adulthood, you’re not just building a résumé; you’re figuring out who you are and how you want to show up in the world. Research shows that helping others plays a direct role in your development. The parts of your brain involved in social connection are maturing, and you’re more sensitive to the positive feelings that come from doing something meaningful. The psychology-based research on this is often connected to the concept of "mattering": the feeling of being valued and having value to add, which is a fundamental human need, essential for well-being.

     The most meaningful service starts with genuine interest. A student who loves art might bring creativity into a children’s hospital. Someone involved in a youth group might organize a project like mentoring younger students. One student refurbished donated computers for foster youth. Another created a reading program at a shelter. Try out community service not because it looks impressive, but because it matters to you.

     If you’re not sure where to start, think about your involvement through three simple lenses: initiative, impact, and insight. Initiative means you took action, whether starting something new or stepping into a larger role. Impact is whether your efforts helped others in a meaningful way. Insight is what you gained and how the experience shaped your perspective and confidence.

     Real service begins with awareness. What brings you joy? What genuinely interests you? Once you identify that, use what you’re good at to help meet that need. A strong writer might help someone tell their story. A student who loves animals, sports, or music can find ways to give back through those interests.

     There is no “best” type of community service. What matters is that it feels important to you. When you’re connected to what you’re doing, you’re more likely to stay involved, take initiative, and grow from the experience.
   A consistent contribution to a meaningful service activity will help admissions officers better understand how you show up in the world and what you value. But more importantly, it helps you develop initiative, create impact, and gain insight. It builds a sense of purpose and direction, something that will carry you far beyond the college process and into whatever comes next.

AP Exams

During early May, high school students across the country sit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams. For students carrying a heavy AP load, that can mean four or five exams in two weeks, an intense stretch at the end of an already demanding year.

The AP program, run by the College Board, provides curriculum frameworks so teachers can align their courses with exam expectations. At some schools, students in AP classes are required to take the exam. Even when it’s optional, it usually makes sense to sit for it. After a year of rigorous work, the exam is an opportunity to potentially earn college credit, and many students perform better than they expect.

Most AP exams include both multiple-choice questions and a free-response section, which may involve essays or problem-solving. Studio Art is the exception; it is assessed through a portfolio review.

Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Colleges set their own policies for awarding credit. Many grant credit for scores of 4 or 5, and some award credit for a 3. Some colleges use the scores as a method to place students in appropriate-level classes. Policies vary not only by college but also by subject, and more selective institutions often have stricter guidelines. Students can review each college’s AP credit policy on its website or through the College Board’s AP Credit Policy Search.

Some applications, including the Common Application, allow students to self-report AP scores. Official score reports should be sent once a student has chosen where to enroll, so that the college can determine credit and placement.

Students who earn AP Scholar distinctions can include the award in their applications. The basic AP Scholar award is granted to students who score 3 or higher on at least three exams. Higher distinctions require stronger performance across more exams, with the most competitive level reflecting consistent scores of 4 or 5 on numerous tests.

AP exams cost $99 each, though fee reductions are available for students with financial need, and some high schools subsidize the cost. While the fee may feel significant, it is modest compared to the cost of a college course.

Students who take multiple AP exams and earn qualifying scores may enter college with a semester or more of credit. Some graduate early, reducing tuition costs. Others use the flexibility to pursue a double major, study abroad, or take on internships while maintaining a manageable course load.

Financial Matters: The Reality Behind the College Dream

If you're the parent of a high school senior navigating college costs, welcome to an expensive reality. Today's world of college financing breaks down into two categories: "Great money" and "Not-so-Great money."

Free Money - Free money includes grants and scholarships that never need repayment. Two types exist: need-based aid and merit-based aid. Need-based aid amounts are determined by the FAFSA and, in some cases, the CSS Profile.

Merit-aid tuition reductions, grants, and scholarships remain a recruitment tool for many private colleges and many public universities seeking top students. Students can earn scholarships for athletic, artistic, or debate talents, as well as academic achievement through strong grades and test scores. 

Many public universities offer prestigious Honors Colleges with perks including early class registration, smaller classes, honors housing, and substantial scholarships.

Most highly selective institutions like Stanford, MIT, and Georgetown don't offer merit aid but typically provide generous need-based assistance, many meeting 100% demonstrated financial need. If your student gains acceptance and the financial aid office determines that your family cannot afford the full cost, which can often be $80,000 to $90,000+ annually, they will cover the determined need-based aid using their own institutional methodology, sometimes with a combination of grant money, loans, and Federal Work Study. 

The challenge hits families in the "gray zone," earning too much for need-based aid but insufficient to cover sticker prices.

Loans - Many parents, desperate not to disappoint their children, pledge to "do whatever we need to make it happen." This often means taking loans in both student and parent names, cashing life insurance policies early, or paying penalties for early withdrawals on retirement accounts. Attending a high-priced institution while borrowing substantially is financially unwise. A college education should not disrupt normal family spending patterns or force parents to abandon their financial security.

Smart Strategies for 2026 - Consider the following approaches:

• Start early with the FAFSA, now available October 1st of senior year. Be aware of deadlines for aid applications to file on time. 

• Explore test-optional policies. Many schools now admit students without SAT/ACT scores, though submitting strong scores can still unlock merit aid.

• Consider community college pathways. Starting at a community college and transferring saves substantially while achieving the same degree.

• Research employer tuition benefits. Many companies now offer education assistance as employee benefits.

• Remember: no single "perfect" college exists. Most students can thrive at various institutions. Parents must be responsible decision-makers, protecting against significant debt burdens. A child's education matters, but not at the expense of current or future financial stability for parents or students.