This year, we were lucky to work with some of the most driven, reflective, and self-directed students in the country. Many were admitted to some of the most selective colleges in the U.S.—from Stanford and Yale to UT Austin’s CS and Business Honors programs. These weren’t students who simply checked every box. They were students who built something.  In almost every standout application we read, there was a throughline—a summer capstone project that brought the student’s story into focus.

If your teen is starting to explore college majors, they’re doing so at one of the most uncertain—and opportunity-rich—moments in recent memory. According to LinkedIn’s Grad’s Guide 2025 , the path from college to career is evolving fast. The jobs, industries, and even cities gaining momentum for new grads are not always the ones families expected. For parents, this shift brings both a challenge and an invitation: How can we help our kids choose majors that are both meaningful and market-smart? The answer lies in understanding what’s actually happening in today’s job market—and helping our teens plan ahead with a combination of curiosity, flexibility, and strategy.

In the rush to help our kids succeed, we may be quietly steering them away from the very roles that hold our communities together.  Careers in teaching, social work, counseling, journalism, and the humanities were once seen as noble, purpose-driven paths. But today’s college students are walking away from them in large numbers. And while it’s tempting to celebrate the surge in tech and health degrees, there’s a deeper story beneath the data—one that every parent of a teenager needs to hear.

Let’s cut to the chase: Not every college major leads to a job anymore. And some degrees—still widely offered and enthusiastically chosen—are already out of step with the real world. According to the State of Higher Education 2025 report , 37% of top job skills have changed since 2016, and 1 in 5 of today’s in-demand skills didn’t even exist a decade ago. That means your teen could be pouring time and tuition into a degree that’s training them for... well, nothing. If you’re helping your student choose a major or build a college list, this isn’t just a casual consideration—it’s a crucial one.  Here are five signs your teen’s major might already be behind the curve:

Families often ask, “Is college worth the high cost?” With rising tuition and competitive admissions, it's easy to understand this concern. But maybe this isn't the best question to ask. Instead, families should ask: “What is the real purpose of college?” Answering this question first can help students build a college list that truly fits their goals.