<p>Because of the competition to get into WWS as a junior (and the prestige associated with it), I have heard that even if you are not interested in studying foreign affairs or IR specifically but you are majoring in a social science like politics or sociology that when you apply for jobs (specifically in competitive fields like investment banking and management consulting) or top graduate school programs you will be frowned upon or at a disadvantage because it may appear that you didn't get into WWS. WWS students have a big advantage it seems in terms of placement and opportunities and it serves kind of as a de factor honors program at Princeton, which I think hurts students that aren't in it, particularly if they are majoring in subjects like the afformentioned but also history, psychology, political economy, etc. If you really enjoy your experience at Princeton I'm sure you will be inclined to just say that majoring in politics (which is what I want to do) is just fine and that it doesn't matter whether or not you are in WWS, but please be honest and open about this. I have heard that this is in fact a harmful signal to employers if you are not in WWS or at least makes you look like an average student (and average students at Princeton don't get jobs at McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, etc. unless you have something else significant going for you).</p>
<p>I know there are people that get jobs, even at top firms. That is the case at institutions nowhere near the caliber of Princeton as well. My question is whether or not one is at a disadvantage because of not going into the WWS school and whether or not there is pressure to do so because of the competition involved with getting jobs at top firms and getting into top graduate schools. I noticed, doing my own research, that WWS Princeton alumni were overrepresented at the most prestigious law firms and management consulting firms and also at top places like Stanford and Yale Law while I saw very few (if any) Politics majors. When I visited Princeton I was turned off by the WWS school program/idea when discussed by a tour guide because it seems to be like an honors college for social science majors at Princeton (though there are science/engineering people that pursue certificates at WWS). It seems like there is so much unnecessary competition at Princeton once you get there as opposed to everyone being a part of one community of equals whether it be WWS or the whole bicker process. This was not the case at other schools I am consider like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, etc.</p>
<p>Please elaborate. Are you in the social sciences?</p>
<p>I can't really feel for your situation, because I want to apply to WWS and I LOVE its syllabus - particularly politics, policymaking and IR. I want to go into public service next time. If you're interested in WWS just for the prestige, you're gonna have a damn miserable time in dreary policy seminars.</p>
<p>I'm sure all those big employers know that some people (most, in fact - only about 200 sophs apply each year? which means ~1000 do not) just aren't interested in WWS! Surely they'll give you the benefit of the doubt if you're not a WWS major. You can't seriously expecting them to "frown upon" you. For god's sakes, you would have graduated from Princeton. They'd be very interested in you provided you keep a good GPA - a tough thing to do in a major you don't like.</p>
<p>WWS is not a ranking exercise - its a major. Majors are a matter of personal choice.</p>
<p>I'm not interested in WWS just for the prestige. If you read my posts you would see that my concern is that I am not interested in the prestige issue and want to be free to major in Politics as opposed to WWS because I want to focus more on theory/political philosophy than policy/IR. But, the problem is, the admission to the WWS school is a very competitive process which I believe involves GPA, essays, interview, etc. to get into, and it serves as a kind of elite group. My concern is that it may hurt my chances at competitive post-Princeton positions like the ones mentioned if one does not pursue WWS. WWS seems to me to act as a kind of honors college for social science majors at Princeton, which is troubling to me. I want to be a part of a community of equals -- such is the case at Yale, Stanford, Harvard, and other places. There is no major that has such a competitive admissions process like that at other top schools. Are you a student? Are there any Princeton students here that can answer this question?</p>
<p>I've been told on CC that there's no interview for admission to WWS. am i wrong on this?</p>
<p>anyway, there's no community of equals anywhere. Some majors have fewer students and are generally perceived as harder than others. If people want to be fussy, they could always think hmm, its so much tougher to major in Math than Politics. There's no end. </p>
<p>Are you a current student or incoming freshman? i'm the latter. </p>
<p>Anyway, nobody needs to know that you even TRIED for WWS. If you're asked about WWS at interviews, just say and explain why you weren't interested and didn't apply. They might respect you more for that.</p>
<p>I'm a senior here. No, you don't have to do WWS to get a good job. And please don't fall into the mentality that Woody Woo is good <em>only</em> because it's selective. I personally find the politics department to be much more worthwhile than WWS, but many people have different opinions on both departments here. Needless to say, you're fine not applying, and you shouldn't if you don't want to do it. Too many people go for it just because they think it sounds/looks good.</p>
<p>And yes, Yale does have multiple competitive majors like Woody Woo (see Ethics, Politics, and Economics and International Studies).</p>
<p>If you're really interested in political theory/want to maybe be a professor of politics, you should definitely major in Politics. </p>
<p>If you want be involved in practical politcs, like maybe running for some level of government office, then you should apply to WWS. </p>
<p>If you want to do consulting or banking, then you should major in anything and do well, possibly taking some finance courses, and do well. More ChemE majors in the class of 2007 got jobs in finance than as Chemical engineers. Put it this way; every grade at Princeton is curved. Doing well (having a 3.7+) in say, politics, and enjoying your classes and learning something, will look much better to prospective employers than majoring in WWS if you don't care about public policy, as your GPA will reflect that. The WWS majors at Yale and Harvard Law weren't the ones in the bottom half of the major.</p>
<p>Supposedly when you apply for McKinsey, you list either "Princeton University" or "Princeton University- Wilson School" on the drop-down menu where you indicate your college. Just throwing that out there...</p>
<p>Also, McKinsey disproportionately takes WWS candidates (versus say, Bain or BCG). The problem is there's a selection bias- since the WWS major is selective, there is a disproportionate number of high-caliber (and toolish) students in the program. Just like going to Princeton is a signal to employers, being the WWS may also be one too. It's tough to disentangle the two effects, but there's probably a bit of both happening.</p>