<p>How good are these departments? Do they provide a strong foundation for those who want to go into Investment Banking or Management Consulting? Are these majors popular among the students. Thanks!</p>
<p>History's one of the most popular (#3 or 4 I think), and sociology's pretty popular as well. They're fine departments, but not known for being too rigorous. They don't provide a "strong foundation" for anything, other than to the extent that your graduation from Columbia shows that you're smart and can do well.</p>
<p>I have to dispute this "not known for being too rigorous". History majors have far more work at Columbia than their Poli Sci, Anthropology etc. peers. In fact, the most common reaction when I tell people I'm a history major is something like "wow, all that reading..."</p>
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History majors have far more work at Columbia than their Poli Sci, Anthropology etc. peers.
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<p>In a blind man's world, the one-eyed man is king. :) I'm sure you're right, but history isn't going to be close to the work that science or engineering will require.</p>
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In fact, the most common reaction when I tell people I'm a history major is something like "wow, all that reading..."
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<p>Not everyone does the reading, as you should know!</p>
<p>Oh come, if that's the case you ought to have said none of the liberal arts were rigorous, anywhere.</p>
<p>As for reading: I swear I've coasted by here doing little (academically) but the reading. It's amazing how much that boosts one by one's peers. Nothing like banking on the laziness of others...</p>
<p>I guess, of all the liberal arts, philosophy is probably the closest thing to rigorous.</p>
<p>That's the good thing about Columbia -- you can do absoultely nothing and get a B. And, to get an A, you really just have to make some sort of an effort to get by all the other lazy people.</p>
<p>Crap, the secret's out; watch our reputation plummet now...</p>
<p>Heh. It's that way at any good school. And it should be.</p>