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Major Options for Future Fashion Magnate

Written by Sally Rubenstone | May 25, 2017

Question: Hi, I'm about to finish 10th grade, and I want to have a double major in college. I know for sure I want to major in biology ,but for my other major I'm thinking of fashion merchandising or business management and administration. I want to one day own a global fashion business, but I'm not sure what to major in to achieve that and give me the best experience?

It's really early for you to be picking a major (or a career) although it makes sense to at least think about what you might want to do down the road ... as long as you keep your mind open to other options. The majority of college students change their major at least once in four years. In fact, I've read statistics that claim this “majority" to be as high as 85%

But here are a couple suggestions for now:

If you get to college and continue to be convinced that you want to own a global fashion business, you might want to focus your major (or double majors) on pertinent areas like business, marketing, accounting, fashion merchandising, etc. If you love biology, you will still have room in your schedule to take bio classes but you don't necessarily have to major in it. As a bio major, you would probably be required to take 10 to 12 bio classes, including some classes that don't especially interest you but that are mandatory for all bio majors. But as a non-major, you can take “electives" in biology and will be able to hone in on only the ones that intrigue you. Admittedly, as a non-major, you wouldn't have the priority that bio majors will have when it comes to getting into courses. But, at most colleges and universities, biology is a very big department with lots of offerings, so I'm sure you would be able to take classes that appeal to you.

Regardless of your major, you should look for internships in the fashion field. Many colleges have business majors. Not as many have specific programs in fashion design, marketing, merchandising, etc. But even if you end up at a college that doesn't offer those majors, you can learn a lot doing internships if you pick the right ones. If you do an internship early on (i.e., the summer after your freshman year ... and maybe even while you're still in high school), it might help you to decide if you're on a career path that feels right to you.

Meanwhile, since you're just a high school sophomore now, you can look into colleges that offer summer programs or online programs in fashion-related fields. For instance, if you Google “Summer fashion programs for high school students," you will come up with options like this one at Kent State University in Ohio: https://www.kent.edu/fashion/academy which looks like it might be perfect for you. If a pricey on-campus summer program is beyond your budget, check with local community colleges and even technology high schools to see if there are summer offerings this year or next that can help to jump-start your career and give you a stronger sense of what your future major might be.

Good luck to you as you pursue your goals.

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.