College Major Exploration

If you are not sure how to decide on a college major, you are not alone. It can be extremely difficult for high school students to choose a course of study and narrow their career path options. After all, most high school students have a limited work history and have not had the opportunity to explore their options effectively through high school career assessments. Some students end up choosing a major simply because it is a field with which they have some familiarity, only to later decide they are not interested in that career path after all.

Structured Help with Choosing a Major

Career placement tests for high school students—sometimes offered and administered by guidance counselors—can be a good start in helping students with college major exploration. Unfortunately, in most schools, counselors lack the resources and time to help each college-bound student dive into the results of his or her high school career assessments and take the critical next steps.

HelloCollege’s process does not tell students what major to choose. Instead, it is designed to equip college-bound young adults with information, showing them how to decide on a college major for themselves. Individuals begin with a comprehensive career aptitude test for high school students. From there, a certified career coach works closely with the student to help him or her understand and evaluate the results, discussing potential college majors and career choices that are aligned with the student’s aptitude and interests. The result is a tailored list of options students can use to find the right fit.

College Exploration Services Help Students Make the Most of College

Nationally, 80% of college students change their major at least once before graduation, and just 21% graduate within four years with a job in their major field of study. At HelloCollege, we believe that taking a proactive approach to choosing a college major, beginning with our career aptitude test for high school students, can change those statistics. In fact, of the more than 1,200 students with whom we have worked, just 14% changed their majors and 82% graduated within four years with a job in their major fields!

We are committed to helping college-bound students with every aspect of the process, including college major exploration. To learn more, contact us today!

Explore Majors

Hello Team

We’re passionate about your college success

We don’t treat you like a number. We know each student has their own important needs. We used that passion to create a personal approach that helps all students with their unique college admissions journey.

Kevin Krebs

Founder and Managing Director

Inspired by his parents, Kevin’s journey from a first-gen, diverse, low-income background to Northwestern University shaped him. After experiencing challenges, including student loan debt, he founded HelloCollege and has spent the last 25 years helping students successfully navigate college admissions.

Allison Dahleen

VP of Client Services

As an MSA holder, Allison brings a wealth of experience supporting students in higher education. As the respected Service Leader at HelloCollege, she leads her team in expertly navigating admissions and academic advising, empowering students to achieve their goals with confidence and success.

Amanda Yoder

Director of Counseling

Amanda leads our counseling team with over 10 years of high school counseling experience. She holds a Master's in Education with a counseling concentration and graduate certificates in Military & Family Education and Administration & Supervision (Educational Leadership).

Don Keller

College Counselor

Don is a highly skilled College Admissions Counselor, boasting a 20-year background in college admissions. Don's expertise includes admissions at UC-Berkeley, Northeastern University and the prestigious Questbridge Scholars program, as well as 10 years as a high school counselor.

Raymond Gonzales

College Counselor

Raymond, a first-generation college graduate from the Bay Area, holds a Master's in Education from Harvard, a Master's in Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's in Social Work from University of Southern California. His diverse experience includes roles at Assist America and the UN, reflecting a commitment to global youth advocacy.

Miracle Husband

College Counselor

Miracle received her B.A. from the University of California - Berkeley and a M.Ed. from the University of Vermont. She has a rich background in higher education, founding her own college advising company and roles in academic counseling at Tulane University and Admissions Advisor at UC-Berkeley.

Kimberly Shipman

College Counselor

Kim holds an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and has over 10 years of experience in college and career counseling. She has a passion for helping students discover their career passions and connect them to the perfect college experience.

Brooke Kent

College Counselor & Essay Coach

Brooke Kent, a summa cum laude graduate of Rice University, a researcher for the White House Transition Project, and the former executive writer for the director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, has spent two decades helping students tell their stories in a personalized, persuasive, and achievement-focused way. Her philosophy is simple: Your Story. Our Support. Your Solution.

Leslie Riccio

College Counselor

Leslie has nearly 20 years of high school counseling experience and is licensed in FL and VA. She holds a B.S. and a M.S. in Education from Old Dominion University and an Educational Leadership Endorsement from Longwood University.

Keira Vollandt

College Counselor

Keira has spent the majority of her career working in college admissions and college counseling as well as corporate recruiting. She previously held roles as an admissions reader at UW-Madison, Tufts, U-Mass Amherst, Columbia School of Social Work, and Dominican University. Keira received a B.S. in Communications from the University of Miami and holds a M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Columbia University.

Brigid Johnson

College Counselor

Brigid Johnson earned a B.A. in Classical Languages and History from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in Classical Studies from Tufts University. She worked in higher education for decades as a tutor, professor, and TRiO English and Writing Specialist. Brigid is dedicated to helping the future generations succeed.

Adam Salazar

College Counselor & Essay Coach

Adam earned a BA in English Literature and an MA in English–Technical Writing from the University of Central Florida. He went on to work as an Admissions Advisor, Admissions Committee Reader, Graduate Advisor, and financial aid specialist at UCF, in addition to teaching English at both the high school and university levels.

Claire Kirchoff

College Counselor

Claire Kirchoff, MEd is a school counselor with 10 years of experience supporting student well-being and guiding thoughtful, fit-focused college planning—especially for students with dyslexia and learning differences.