<p>A number of top tiers need well-prepped humanities kids. No, you can’t really fake it. Nor do you do yourself any service if you, say, want stem and think humanities prep is your ticket in- you may be missing some vital stem edge for your own work there. But there are kids who prep and do well in everything, get appropriately engaged, and can express their interest in various directions. Bless 'em.</p>
<p>As for classics, if Harvard is content with x/year and staffed for that (and have the gender balance they want,) then that’s different. Classics isn’t big all around the country, not all high schools even offer Latin, while some history and English are everywhere. </p>
<p><a href=“As Interest Fades in the Humanities, Colleges Worry - The New York Times”>As Interest Fades in the Humanities, Colleges Worry - The New York Times;