Double major or just add a minor?

<p>I want to major under Political Science. That is a given. I don't know quite yet what kind of law I would like to practice. If I were to pick the top three types of law I'd love to work in they'd be: corporate law, human rights law, or international law. That said, my primary goal is getting into an awesome law school. LSAT is very important in order to get into a respectable school. I have been pondering the thought of minoring in philosophy because many students vow that it'll give me an edge when I choose to take the LSAT. In the back of my mind, I also want to be seen as appealing to law schools as well as have something extra under my belt when I apply for jobs. In short, I am very stuck.</p>

<p>My options are:
1.Major in poly sci and minor in philosophy
2.Major in poly sci and minor in International relations
3.Major in poly sci and major in international relations
4.Major in poly sci and minor in philosophy and international relations</p>

<p>What are the pros and cons of these choices. All input is very much appreciated.</p>

<p>No major will help you much on the LSAT. Even if one would, it would be silly to choose a major for that purpose when you can just take a 3 month prep course and get all the training you need. Consequently, you should only major or minor in philosophy if it’s something that interests you. Pick your major based on it being something you like and can do well in. You want a GPA of 3.6 or better when graduating undergrad.</p>

<p>I generally recommend double majoring or minoring in something that provides you skills you can sell employers. Law does not work out for most of the people who try it. If you had a backup major, you have backup employment possibilities. There’s little worse than gearing your whole undergrad towards law school and then law school not working out. </p>

<p>I also highly recommend you get some internships in various law offices. It’s clear from your post you haven’t had much personal experience with law. That’s quite normal for someone starting undergrad but it’s also something you should remedy as soon as possible. Your local DA/PD is usually happy to take on interns. Many private firms do so as well. Intern with as many as you can to learn what the practice of law is actually like before deciding that it’s for you.</p>

<p>Oh, and don’t feel locked into polisci. Many people change their majors during college. I changed mine twice. You may be surprised at what interests you.</p>

<p>law schools don’t care about major/minors or even double/triple majors. So, as demo says, major in something you like (and can get A’s in).</p>

<p>Personally, I’m a fan of philosophy bcos it does help you improve your reasoning skills. But beware, Phil may not be an easy major. At Cal Berkeley, for example, Phil has a lower mean GPA than one of the top majors for premeds (which includes all of the curved STEM courses). </p>