Occasionally, a family will ask us if a student's chances of admission will improve if she selects an odd major. The thinking here is that there are so many "business" and "psychology" and "engineering" majors applying to college, you might have a better chance in a lot less popular major, like "forestry" or "food science" or "viticulture" (it's wine making, and don't laugh–it's a real major).
And yes, this can improve your chances…if you've walked your talk.
A student who's shown a real interest in forestry, who's taken AP Bio and AP chemistry, who's volunteered for the parks service over the summer, who gives tours of the local wilderness park on the weekend, and who has a great answer to the "Why are you applying to this college?" question that includes a good knowledge of the forestry program, that student has an advantage. She's a good fit for a program that's not a popular one, and the standards of admission for her might be less rigorous then they would for someone applying as a more popular major.
I'm sure there are cases where a less qualified student applied under an odd major with no intention of ever actually studying "soil science" and managed to slip in. But is it worth the risk to do that? Do you want to go to any school badly enough to fake your way in? That's like pretending to love The Beatles just because a girl you desperately want to date is a huge fan of them. Sure, it might work, but it's also kind of pathetic. And just like she might expect you to listen to A Hard Days Night non stop once you're together, what if you have to spend a year or two as a "soil science" major before the college will let you switch. Is it worth it? I don't think it is.
Think a lot about what you want to study in college. Be a mature college shopper who understands that what you learn in college is important. Pick colleges that match your interests. And don't try to fake your way in by pretending to be something you're not.