“They get ahold of this idea in high school that there needs to be something unique about them,” she says, “and they mistake what makes them unique in high school for what makes them unique in adult life.”
In other words, a student whose hours in the library brought him a 4.0 GPA and glittering prizes at Central High assumes the same overachieving tactics are the keys to success in college and beyond.
Another high-school souvenir that over-achieving students bring with them to college are Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Passing these subject-specific exams while still in high school allows ambitious students to bypass some introductory college courses, which in turn makes it easier for them to jump into multiple majors because they have more free-credit time. Ironically, in the same way that these tests help students get more majors, the measure of success in the AP world is also defined in terms of quantity not quality. The top level of AP scholardom is established more by how many AP exams a student takes than by his actual scores.
Yet the skills that allow students to succeed on AP exams and thrive in triple majors may not translate to success after graduation. “It’s proven that people who get straight A’s are not necessarily successful in the work world,” Trunk says. In fact, Trunk argues that employers may even hesitate to hire a triple major.
“It’s a red flag that the person didn’t do anything that they had to structure themselves,” she says. While a student pursuing a single major is left with time to explore African dance and wine tasting, the triple major is confined to a strict set of required courses.
Clare Dunsford, an associate dean at Boston College, explains that some of the most meaningful undergraduate experiences may not be rewarded by a credit. “I try to encourage [students] to think beyond credentials,” she says. “It’s less creative to follow the rules.”
Moreover, following the rules may indicate to an employer that you aren’t ready for the independence of a world where a list won’t tell you: “take Bio 101 . . . take French 4 . . . now, graduate.” “It conveys that you’re desperate for a structure of school system around you,” Trunk says.
Eric Lowery North, director of campus recruiting for BearingPoint, a major management-consulting firm, on the other hand, sees listing a double or triple major on a résumé as a positive. “It definitely gives them a little bit of an advantage. It attracts attention in a positive way. There’s so many different angles from which to look at an applicant, that we’re really looking to see how well-rounded the person is. If the person brings more to the table with degree specializations, they’re more competitive,” he says.
“For students who pursue a major in theater or a foreign language, the double major can make a lot of sense. Often, they like the security of another major,” says Dunsford. When you realize you don’t have the jaw line to become the next Brad Pitt, it may be nice to have a business degree to fall back on.
Yet for the typical student, according to Trunk, the way to stand out is through such avenues as internships, jobs, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work. In fact, Trunk advises that the trick to becoming a competitive job applicant may not even be found in the classroom.
