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What are good colleges if I only want to study History section?

#history #colleges #becominghistoryteacher #experienced

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Paul’s Answer

Here is an updated list:

*Princeton
*MIT
*Harvard
*Stanford
*Yale
*University of Chicago
*Johns Hopkins
*University of Pennsylvania
*Cal Tech
*Duke
*Vanderbilt
*Columbia
*Georgetown
*Northwestern
*NYU
*University of Michigan
*University of Virginia
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Jerry’s Answer

Hi Jennifer !

Choosing the right college is a challenge for each student. History is considered a Liberal Arts or general major at the college level. And, thus, most colleges have a program for students who want to major in History. That is an advantage and a disadvantage ! It is an advantage because most of the colleges that you might like will have that major. It is a disadvantage in that it will not help you to narrow your choices of possible colleges very much.

My suggestion is that you focus your research of colleges on more specific majors. In other words, think about the areas of History that most interest you. Are you most interested in Medieval History, American History, Anthropology, the history and workings of Government or Political Science ? Perhaps, Modern European History, World History, Chinese or Russian History or Ancient Civilization sounds good to you !
If you plan to become a teacher, investigate which colleges have good programs in Elementary, Secondary or Post-secondary Education ? Are their education programs going to prepare you to become certified to teach in any state or just in the state where the college is located ?

Other questions to research are: Which colleges will allow you to "double major" ? I think that the best thing a student can do is to major in 2 areas during the same 4 years in college !! Talk about getting the most for your (or your family's) money !! A double major is the way to go !! However, some colleges will not allow you to take a double major. They may offer you a major and a minor, or a major and another "area of concentration".

In your case, you may want to double major in Education and History. Or, double major in History and Political Science with a minor or concentration in Secondary Education. Write to at least 30 colleges and ask them for a list of their Major Programs and Minor Programs and Areas of Concentration. Also, ask them if they permit a student to "double major". Getting this information will help you start to narrow your choices of colleges to which you want to apply. Apply to at least 4 colleges and probably 8 to 10. Visit as many colleges that you have time to see. Try to bring at least one other person with you, as they will see things and think of questions to ask that you might miss.

When visiting a college, ask questions such as: Do they guarantee housing on campus for 4 years ? What percentage of their education majors actually get a teaching job immediately after graduation ? Does their dining hall serve 3 meals per day for all 7 days of the week ?
What is the number of undergraduate students at the school ? What percentage of them live on campus ? And, if they have a Graduate School, what is the number of graduate students at the school ?

An important consideration is the size of the school. Will you be most comfortable at a large school (such as a state university), a medium-size school or a smaller school of 4000 students or fewer ?

Good luck !!
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Robin F.’s Answer

One thing to keep in mind is that most schools will ask you to study more than just one subject. You will be able to major in history, but you may also have to fulfill distribution requirements in other subjects like math, science, or languages. While students sometimes are frustrated by this, especially classes in areas that they don't enjoy or feel strong in, it is designed to diversify your education and expose you to other subjects which you may not even know existed. I suggest that you dive into those classes also. If they don't seem as interesting to you, perhaps you can figure out how to relate them to history, which you are interested in. For example, if you have to do a project in a science course, you might think about investigating the history of the science you're studying.

I ended up majoring in Art History, which I didn't even know was a subject until I got to college. This was many years ago before there were things like AP Art History. So, while it's wonderful that you already have a passion, I suggest that you be open-minded and explore other suby to maximize the educational aspects of your college experience.
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Justin’s Answer

Hi Jerry,

Great question! It is great to see you are interested in History. The good thing about this major is that almost every college that has a Liberal Arts program has History as a major. History is a good, broad major that allows for you to either double-major, or take to higher degree programs. For example, History is a great major to have if you are looking to go to Law School. Another great double-major is History and Political Science, both of which look good when applying to Law School. History also pairs well with Anthropology and Forensic Anthropology is an evolving science with many practical applications in law enforcement agencies. Also, if you were thinking about a potential path into Law Enforcement, History is a major that you can take with you when applying for jobs as a Local Police Officer or when attempting to get into the State Police Academies or even Federal branches of law enforcement.

I hope this helps and best of luck with your future academic and career endeavors!!!
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