Deciding students should meet with Career Services during SLU 101. The Career Counselors give the student a brief overview of how Career Services works and start building the relationship for the student to continue to access their services throughout the school year. For students who are completely unsure of a major, it can be helpful to meet with Career Services prior to an Advisor.
SLU regularly admits students who did not meet the admission standards for another program as Deciding, usually in the College of Arts & Sciences. Where courses are not restricted by college or major, these students can take classes toward their major of interest. Students must attain the appropriate GPA and demonstrate success in their area of interest to request the new major. (For example, a student admitted with low scores should take math and science in the first semester if they hope to declare a math and science heavy major.)
Courses
Deciding freshmen can enroll in a particular section of CP1 in the fall and AS 1840 Career Decision Making in the spring. There are exceptions:
Student Athletes who took CP1 in the summer take AS 1840 in the fall.
Students who are interested in a specific area that has its own CP1 (ex. Engineering) or where the equivalent class is open to students outside the major (ex. DPT 1111).
Students who have definitively narrowed to 2-5 majors (but are not ready to declare any) should strongly consider AS 1840 in the fall. They may choose to take a general section of CP1, as well.
Students who are in a learning community but cannot fit any of the classes into their schedule except for the LC’s CP1 may take AS 1840 in the fall (as a last resort).
New deciding students, like those with a major, often say that they want to complete core requirements before working toward their major. The student should be advised that this may decrease their ability to graduate on time and lessen their ability to choose a major. For students taking Math, Chemistry, and Biology in their first semester, it is highly recommended that their final class be in a possible major, unless they need ENGL 1500.