What do you do with a humanities degree from an ivy, if you are not going to grad school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A humanities major CAN do anything but the chance for success is low. Yes, there will be anecdotal success stories but a small % of the total. A STEM major not only CAN do anything but DOES do anything. Almost guarantee of success. STEM majors communicate beautifully and now with AI, can write anything. STEM majors are way more creative, have better problem-solving skills, critical thinking, can relate to people better because they are designing solutions to make human life better. Managers will not be needed so much as people can use AI to do the stuff managers were doing.

Do something that is useful and needed in society, so when the next pandemic hits, you have no worries about your job security. Any other interests - make that a hobby or retirement project or side gig.

STEM majors are good at STEM and all things non-STEM. non-STEM majors are only good at non-STEM.

For the types of students who are at Ivy League schools, I just don't think this is true. I say this as the parent of two kids planning to major in engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For context, both DH and I are immigrants and have advanced degrees in STEM and have done well financially. We have a middle schooler and a freshman in high school so we are starting to look into the whole college admission process.
I am really surprised how families make such a huge deal about their kid getting into an Ivy, only to realize that their child is doing some obscure major like Native American and Indigenous studies, or Medieval and Renaissance Studies (an actual major at Dartmouth)
I am truly asking a genuine question, because, in our country of origin, similar degrees that don't lead to a job either do not exist or are not taken seriously at all, even at the best universities. I also can't imagine anyone spending $400K+ on a degree that does not yield much of an ROI unless they are very wealthy (which I am assuming a lot of ivy kids are, but not all)

I am truly asking a genuine question here: is this a strategy that kids do just for admissions, and then switch majors to something like economics or applied math? If not, what job opportunities exist for someone with a Bachelors degree in those humanities majors?

I haven’t read the comments yet.

One thing people often miss is that the students with humanities majors can double major in math, economics or even business and suddenly make themselves look more marketable. They can learn what they love and simply not mention the women’s studies part on their resumes.

Another thing people miss is that supposedly impractical majors can be very practical. Many philosophy majors, for example, are really theoretical computer science majors. They’re the people inventing AI.

Good women’s studies majors might be on a good track to run marketing programs, public health programs or content production operations, or to go to a great law school.

A third thing people miss is that humanities classes tend to be less time-consuming than some other majors and tend to give students room to run fraternities, school papers, school radio stations and other campus organizations.

If students major in English and doomscrolling, that’s bad for job hunting.

If a student majors in English and also runs a fraternity or school newspaper with $1 million in annual revenue, that’s good for job hunting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. All the tech overlords that people seem to think are hot stuff were all humanities majors, or social science majors. The third-world thinking that you need STEM degrees to be valuable are the reason that India continues to produce zero innovation. Also the reason that China is finally able to innovate without just stealing IP from America--they have western educated elites now, so they are moving away from the test robot STEM zombie system.

1000000000%

There has been and continues to be plenty of innovation in both China and India...which you would be able to see if you weren't a provincial idiot. Try setting foot in those countries--there are many aspects of their infrastructure that makes the US looks backwards.

For example? Don't say high speed trains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For context, both DH and I are immigrants and have advanced degrees in STEM and have done well financially. We have a middle schooler and a freshman in high school so we are starting to look into the whole college admission process.
I am really surprised how families make such a huge deal about their kid getting into an Ivy, only to realize that their child is doing some obscure major like Native American and Indigenous studies, or Medieval and Renaissance Studies (an actual major at Dartmouth)
I am truly asking a genuine question, because, in our country of origin, similar degrees that don't lead to a job either do not exist or are not taken seriously at all, even at the best universities. I also can't imagine anyone spending $400K+ on a degree that does not yield much of an ROI unless they are very wealthy (which I am assuming a lot of ivy kids are, but not all)

I am truly asking a genuine question here: is this a strategy that kids do just for admissions, and then switch majors to something like economics or applied math? If not, what job opportunities exist for someone with a Bachelors degree in those humanities majors?

I haven’t read the comments yet.

One thing people often miss is that the students with humanities majors can double major in math, economics or even business and suddenly make themselves look more marketable. They can learn what they love and simply not mention the women’s studies part on their resumes.

Another thing people miss is that supposedly impractical majors can be very practical. Many philosophy majors, for example, are really theoretical computer science majors. They’re the people inventing AI.

Good women’s studies majors might be on a good track to run marketing programs, public health programs or content production operations, or to go to a great law school.

A third thing people miss is that humanities classes tend to be less time-consuming than some other majors and tend to give students room to run fraternities, school papers, school radio stations and other campus organizations.

If students major in English and doomscrolling, that’s bad for job hunting.

If a student majors in English and also runs a fraternity or school newspaper with $1 million in annual revenue, that’s good for job hunting.

English majors ---> Law School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A humanities major CAN do anything but the chance for success is low. Yes, there will be anecdotal success stories but a small % of the total. A STEM major not only CAN do anything but DOES do anything. Almost guarantee of success. STEM majors communicate beautifully and now with AI, can write anything. STEM majors are way more creative, have better problem-solving skills, critical thinking, can relate to people better because they are designing solutions to make human life better. Managers will not be needed so much as people can use AI to do the stuff managers were doing.

Do something that is useful and needed in society, so when the next pandemic hits, you have no worries about your job security. Any other interests - make that a hobby or retirement project or side gig.

STEM majors are good at STEM and all things non-STEM. non-STEM majors are only good at non-STEM.

🙄 troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A humanities major CAN do anything but the chance for success is low. Yes, there will be anecdotal success stories but a small % of the total. A STEM major not only CAN do anything but DOES do anything. Almost guarantee of success. STEM majors communicate beautifully and now with AI, can write anything. STEM majors are way more creative, have better problem-solving skills, critical thinking, can relate to people better because they are designing solutions to make human life better. Managers will not be needed so much as people can use AI to do the stuff managers were doing.

Do something that is useful and needed in society, so when the next pandemic hits, you have no worries about your job security. Any other interests - make that a hobby or retirement project or side gig.

STEM majors are good at STEM and all things non-STEM. non-STEM majors are only good at non-STEM.

Another insecure STEM post. Embarrassing. As a physician and a parent of STEM kids, this post is 100% untrue.

[Anonymous]

First, the odd are against most kids probably getting in anyway, so never mind. Second, people with non-stem degrees have careers too.

[Anonymous]

Why am I alwasy shocked at how narrow minded people are? Utterly lacking in imagination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For context, both DH and I are immigrants and have advanced degrees in STEM and have done well financially. We have a middle schooler and a freshman in high school so we are starting to look into the whole college admission process.
I am really surprised how families make such a huge deal about their kid getting into an Ivy, only to realize that their child is doing some obscure major like Native American and Indigenous studies, or Medieval and Renaissance Studies (an actual major at Dartmouth)
I am truly asking a genuine question, because, in our country of origin, similar degrees that don't lead to a job either do not exist or are not taken seriously at all, even at the best universities. I also can't imagine anyone spending $400K+ on a degree that does not yield much of an ROI unless they are very wealthy (which I am assuming a lot of ivy kids are, but not all)

I am truly asking a genuine question here: is this a strategy that kids do just for admissions, and then switch majors to something like economics or applied math? If not, what job opportunities exist for someone with a Bachelors degree in those humanities majors?

I haven’t read the comments yet.

One thing people often miss is that the students with humanities majors can double major in math, economics or even business and suddenly make themselves look more marketable. They can learn what they love and simply not mention the women’s studies part on their resumes.

Another thing people miss is that supposedly impractical majors can be very practical. Many philosophy majors, for example, are really theoretical computer science majors. They’re the people inventing AI.

Good women’s studies majors might be on a good track to run marketing programs, public health programs or content production operations, or to go to a great law school.

A third thing people miss is that humanities classes tend to be less time-consuming than some other majors and tend to give students room to run fraternities, school papers, school radio stations and other campus organizations.

If students major in English and doomscrolling, that’s bad for job hunting.

If a student majors in English and also runs a fraternity or school newspaper with $1 million in annual revenue, that’s good for job hunting.

English majors ---> Law School

My daughter only has a Princeton undergrad humanities degree and is successful working for an investment bank in Northern Europe. She is fluent in four languages (very fluent) and is a versatile performer What she majored in is largely irrelevant. She had perfect PSAT’s and SAT’s and all A’s at TJ - advanced college math at George Mason with about 10 other TJ guys at George Mason. I never bothered her about her major. She was never going to lack for opportunities. Married to a large animal vet with a sophisticated practice for horses (racing) and a deep STEM guy. He knows she is a force of nature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why am I alwasy shocked at how narrow minded people are? Utterly lacking in imagination.

They’re trolls trying to get a reaction. Or utter idiots who think STEM is god or is totally devoid of reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For context, both DH and I are immigrants and have advanced degrees in STEM and have done well financially. We have a middle schooler and a freshman in high school so we are starting to look into the whole college admission process.
I am really surprised how families make such a huge deal about their kid getting into an Ivy, only to realize that their child is doing some obscure major like Native American and Indigenous studies, or Medieval and Renaissance Studies (an actual major at Dartmouth)
I am truly asking a genuine question, because, in our country of origin, similar degrees that don't lead to a job either do not exist or are not taken seriously at all, even at the best universities. I also can't imagine anyone spending $400K+ on a degree that does not yield much of an ROI unless they are very wealthy (which I am assuming a lot of ivy kids are, but not all)

I am truly asking a genuine question here: is this a strategy that kids do just for admissions, and then switch majors to something like economics or applied math? If not, what job opportunities exist for someone with a Bachelors degree in those humanities majors?

I haven’t read the comments yet.

One thing people often miss is that the students with humanities majors can double major in math, economics or even business and suddenly make themselves look more marketable. They can learn what they love and simply not mention the women’s studies part on their resumes.

Another thing people miss is that supposedly impractical majors can be very practical. Many philosophy majors, for example, are really theoretical computer science majors. They’re the people inventing AI.

Good women’s studies majors might be on a good track to run marketing programs, public health programs or content production operations, or to go to a great law school.

A third thing people miss is that humanities classes tend to be less time-consuming than some other majors and tend to give students room to run fraternities, school papers, school radio stations and other campus organizations.

If students major in English and doomscrolling, that’s bad for job hunting.

If a student majors in English and also runs a fraternity or school newspaper with $1 million in annual revenue, that’s good for job hunting.

English majors ---> Law School

My daughter only has a Princeton undergrad humanities degree and is successful working for an investment bank in Northern Europe. She is fluent in four languages (very fluent) and is a versatile performer What she majored in is largely irrelevant. She had perfect PSAT’s and SAT’s and all A’s at TJ - advanced college math at George Mason with about 10 other TJ guys at George Mason. I never bothered her about her major. She was never going to lack for opportunities. Married to a large animal vet with a sophisticated practice for horses (racing) and a deep STEM guy. He knows she is a force of nature.

Same. Daughter graduated from a DMV HS with all As in AP Calc BC, Multivariable Calc (George Mason), AP Physics C, AIME finalist … also As in APUSH, AP Lit, Lang, etc. Graduated from Harvard as a history major and is working currently at a major investment bank in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people do become professors.

"Studies" majors go pre-med, into public policy, and non-profit work.

People with unusual majors often end up in a not exactly matching career. For example, foreign language majors from my era tended to go into computer science type jobs.

Story of my life