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I applied to colleges and chose Harvard with the idea all along that I was going to major in chemistry and conduct research for the rest of my life.
Yet I've come to consider foreign service or diplomacy (I speak french & chinese now and can always add more) - which made me kind of think: should I've gone to Princeton or Amherst instead? But, I know I can't go wrong with Harvard. At the same time, I see that they don't have a Int'l Affairs concentration per se, and so I'm really unsure of what path to take as an incoming freshman in the fall.
What do you advise as to the courses I may take to help me decide between the natural science and poli sci? Any thoughts on a diplomacy career in general?
A million years ago my father majored in history and then went on to get a masters in African studies. There are plenty of fields that would be fine preparations, among them: African Studies, Anthropology, East Asian Studies, Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Government, History, Sociology, any of the languages and I'm sure there more.
You're not likely to fashion a career solely on the content of your undergraduate degree. You need to use the nest four years to build the full scope of your skills and perspectives, and Harvard's as good a place to do that as there is.
Be sure to look into Harvard's grants (up the road) that may fund you to spend time in different countries and work in different disciplines. Lots of kids do this the summer after freshman year.
Good point. The center of European studies gave me a grant that allowed me to spend the summer before my senior year doing research for my undergrad thesis.
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