<p>So, I'm almost certain that law school is for me. But I'm having a problem with majors for undergrad: I'm not even in college yet, so I know I have time.
So far, I've chosen Political Science or International Relations as majors, but what I really want to do is Philosophy. I know that it's a not a bad choice if I want to go to law school, but what happens if I change my mind? There's not much I could do with a BA in Philosophy, right? This whole thing confuses me.</p>
<p>Based on the common knowledge of superiors on this forum and my research, it does not matter the major you choose. There aren't any preferable majors law schools favor. At the end of the day, choose the subject that you'd like to study. Don't choose a subject that you think law school admission committees would like to see; choose the one in which you have a passion or ecstatic interest.</p>
<p>When selecting a major and deciding on a career direction, it is important to make the most well informed decisions possible. These decisions should be based on facts rather than myths. They should include a variety of factors -- first, your interests, values, skills, and abilities; and second, your knowledge of the career fields and job opportunities. Commonly believed myths, dispelled below, will not help you to decide on a major.</p>
<p>In selecting a college major you are NOT choosing a career.
While it is true that certain majors such as Engineering, Computer Science and Accounting prepare students for fairly specific career fields, a far greater number of majors do not have a direct correlation with given career areas. Liberal Arts majors often find that they have a wide variety of career options because their backgrounds are so broad. A study conducted by the College Placement Council indicated that the majority of college graduates are successfully employed in fields not directly related to their academic majors.</p>
<p>Job market demand should NOT be the primary determinant of academic and career choices.
Selecting a major and pursuing a career just because it's "hot" in the job market can be dangerous. You may enjoy neither the course work nor the job you get later. The careers in demand when you are a freshman or sophomore may not be in demand by the time you graduate. You are on much firmer ground when you select a major or choose a career goal that genuinely interests you. Job market demand moves in cycles. What is hot becomes cold as supply rushes to meet demand. Also, new career fields and jobs emerge every year as a result of changes in technology, public policy, and economic trends. Factors that influence job market demand are often unpredictable.</p>
<p>Liberal Arts majors ARE employable.
Liberal Arts graduates develop skills that are highly valued by employers and that are applicable to a wide variety of professional jobs. In a longitudinal study of AT&T employees, humanities and social science majors were found to be stronger than engineering majors and similar to business majors in administrative skills and motivation for advancement, and in the area of interpersonal skills liberal arts majors were the strongest of all groups. The number of liberal arts students being interviewed by employers through on-campus recruiting at UC Berkeley has increased significantly in recent years.</p>
<p>You do NOT need a specific undergraduate major to gain admission to postgraduate professional schools in such fields as business, law or medicine.
While some postgraduate professional schools require or recommend the completion of certain academic prerequisites, in most cases no specific major is required. In other instances, only broad skills are sought, e.g. the ability to read and write well and to think critically. Students with academic majors in several of the humanities have higher acceptance rates to medical schools than do biology majors.</p>
<p>There is much you can do BEYOND course work in your major to improve your chances of career success.
Supplementary courses and independent study projects can be helpful. Important experience can be gained and skills developed through extracurricular activities such as student organizations, athletic teams, social groups, and student government. Internships, summer and part-time jobs and volunteer activities play an important part in developing greater understanding of yourself and the world of work. Employers consistently place a high value on these extracurricular activities, internships, part-time and summer work experiences.</p>
<p>Choosing a major isn't choosing a job. You can search the web for "what can you do with a xyz major" At the end of the day, most of the humanities/social science majors have pretty similar lists, and the science majors' list isn't that different, either.</p>
<p>Thanks, that helps.</p>
<p>Pick the major that interests you and do well in it. As long as it gives you some reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, it will be effective for law school. If your school has a class in formal logic, you might want to check that out as well.</p>
<p>I'm worried that the major I choose might be looked at as 'fluff'? I'm interested in taking Literature with a creative writing focus, or maybe double majoring in Lit and CW, if available. I wonder if CW would look like too soft of a discipline.</p>
<p>Lit and Creat Writ a "fluff'? don't be silly...your fine</p>
<p>English is a strong major... Admin's like to see english/philo/econ courses.... Things that make you critically think and write</p>
<p>Unless your Matt Leinart, ballroom dancing won't cut it for you</p>