With scheduling nearing, some regret focusing too early on one career choice

By Shireen Korkzan
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Since she was in the seventh grade, senior Julia Bonnett had always wanted to major in music theater. She would get her degree from either the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the University of Cincinnati or New York University (NYU). Her future had already been planned. That is, until she changed her mind.
During the fall of her junior year, Bonnett started having doubts about her dream school and her future as a music theater major.

“It just wasn’t right for me,” Bonnett said. “(Music theater) was always my dream, but I figured that for my personality, I needed a career that’s more stable and constant.”

But the problem is that Bonnett has only taken one business class so far, accounting. She also said that she wishes she had participated in DECA, but she said she shouldn’t have to worry too much when she’s off to college. And this mindset – that it doesn’t matter what prerequisite classes students take in high school – may or may not be true, according to Beth Terrell, associate director in the office of admissions for Ball State University.

“High school students are better off being more well-rounded with their course work,” Terrell said. “You need to have a good base to go different directions. This can only happen if students have a solid foundation in their core classes, such as math and English.”

At Ball State, according to Terrell, admissions counselors are mainly looking at core classes and the breadth of academic coursework. High school students who don’t have an equal distribution of various classes may struggle more in specific majors.

On the other hand, Bonnett said that when her older sister was a student here, accounting was the only business course she took. Now she is at IU’s Kelley School of Business, one of U.S. News and World Report’s highest-ranked business schools and is doing great while triple majoring with a minor in Spanish.

As for her new major, Bonnett said she decided on business management because there are endless opportunities within the business world.

But most of the electives she has taken in high school pertain to music and music theater. She has taken choir for four years, drama and applied music. She originally planned to take music theory but decided against it because of her change of mind. She decided to take accounting instead.

She said she has no regrets on this decision and enjoys her accounting class. Also, she hopes to have some sort of emphasis on music theater along with her business degree.

“I think other people were more surprised than I was,” Bonnett said. “Some people are still trying to convince me to go back, but I’m content with where I am.”

Bonnett made her decision last year when members of the Broadway production “Young Frankenstein” came to visit this school. One actor told the music theater students that if they could see themselves happy as music theater majors, then they should go for the degree. But if they could see themselves happy with another profession, then they should do that instead. Bonnett said that this was when she started seeing herself as a business management major instead. To accommodate this new change, Bonnett said she would go to IU or NYU to obtain her new prospective degree.

At this school, counselors work to give kids a balanced schedule. According to guidance counselor Rich Allen, this concept is more of the rule than the exception. Because of this, counselors here try and make sure that all students attempt to earn the Core 40 or Academic Honors Diploma for an academically diverse transcript.

“Most of the schools look at overall backgrounds,” Allen said. “Moreover, you’re starting fresh in college and there are very few exceptions (such as performing arts).”

Terrell said that students should always have a second plan for any scenario that would prevent them from pursuing what they thought was a career path, whether it’s a permanent injury that affects any chances for college scholarships or an epiphany.

According to Terrell, the national average for college students changing their majors is three to four times.
However, students should do whatever makes them happy first, whether or not they plan on doing those activities in the future.

Bonnett said, “I have absolutely no regrets because I love (music theater), and it makes me happy. That’s how I should spend my time in high school. Do what works for you and makes you happy first.”

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Direct admission to kelley school of business

Students must…
• be admitted to IU with business indicated as the intended major.
• have an ACT composite score of 29 and an SAT composite of 1270 (critical reading and math only).
• be in the top 10 percent of their class or have a 3.6 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• be an incoming freshmen for the fall semester to be eligible for direct admission.

KELLYEY.IU.EDU / SOURCE