A great guide to choosing a major

It's easy to have mixed feelings about the College Board, which comes across as so Big Brother-ish. But it provides some really accessible services.

We get regular College Board e-mails addressed to high school juniors and parents of juniors — we've been on that e-mail list since the junior in question was in eighth grade, and needless to say the student's grade is automatically and accurately updated on the mailing list.

The e-mail that just arrived addressed choosing a major, and sent us to the College Board's guide to majors. As always I tested it with my son's interest, which is a good gauge because it's so distinct and specific. Up pops a very good guide to jazz studies majors (as a field, not a list of specific schools). (Start with Arts, Visual and Performing.) You gotta be impressed.