History Major Looking for College

collegemom3717
Sat, 15 May 2021 14:12:35 +0000

The answer varies a bit, depending on whether you are a real history buff who doesn’t plan on becoming an historian or a pragmatist who figures that history is a subject you are good at and is seen as a typical UG major for people who go into law/public policy, but they both start at the same place: if grad school in law or public policy is your longer term goal, can and will your family pay for both UG & G w/o debt to you?

If the answer is yes- happy days! we can get on to the more nuanced conversation. If the answer is no- then your college search is grounded in what you can afford without debt: both a JD & and MPP are ferociously expensive. Note that the top programs in both cases increasingly want 1-3 years work experience before you start- and that the ones who come through without that experience are almost always truly dazzlingly able people who have already achieved a remarkable amount even as an UG.

If history as a major is more of a pragmatic choice, then be aware that the coin of the realm for getting legal/public policy-type jobs is internships- which are typically effectively unpaid (you may get college credit or a stipend, but they rarely pay enough to cover the cost of doing it).

If history is a real love, then look at the history departments of your favorite affordable colleges- look at the professors, what their students (UG & G) are doing, where the areas of interest are.