English as a major

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nephew English major from a top 3 liberal arts college. Worked for 2 years at a strategy consulting firm, went to top mba program and starts next year at tier 1 investment bank. So there are lot of great opportunities as long as your driven.

This. An intelligent, motivated english major will blow a lazy business major out of the water.

lol. They needed a graduate degree to "blow them out of the water". So, get an undergrad degree in English, then shell out more for a graduate degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was an English major, and it served me very well. Strong writing and textual analysis is part of the reason I did well in law school, got a coveted clerkship, and got offers from top law firms. Incidentally, being a strong writer also requires being a strong thinker. While it's a fairly generalized skill, it's one that many employers covet. Also, I enjoyed being an English major. It was a lot of work--so much reading--but it was usually a labor of love. I'm still an avid reader to this day.

Anyhow, I don't know where the world is going with AI. Nobody does. But I certainly wouldn't assume that CS, engineering, and other STEM fields are somehow safe from our future AI overlords.

so once again, an undergrad in English requires a graduate degree.

Do you really think your kid is going to get this great job out of undergrad and that’s that? I think of undergrad as a stepping stone.

of course, but getting onto that first stepping stone is easier for some majors compared to others.

This doesn’t really answer the question on stepping stones, just a generic graphic on majors/enployment.

It does. It shows that English majors have a higher level of unemployment, which means it's not a great stepping stone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it undersubscribed at private T25?

For a kid who likes creative writing, has awards, published book. But also literary mag at school and newspaper. Also interested in publishing, media, and journalism.

Uncertain about major choice.

Thoughts?

You just want general thoughts?

I was an English major. This did not stop me from working in software testing, fundraising, marketing/business, and more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it undersubscribed at private T25?

For a kid who likes creative writing, has awards, published book. But also literary mag at school and newspaper. Also interested in publishing, media, and journalism.

Uncertain about major choice.

Thoughts?

Why in the world do you think there will be jobs in those areas?

English major tech writing, or lawyer that's it. The other is not happening after 2026.

Do you not understand what the Mad King has instore for the US?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was an English major, and it served me very well. Strong writing and textual analysis is part of the reason I did well in law school, got a coveted clerkship, and got offers from top law firms. Incidentally, being a strong writer also requires being a strong thinker. While it's a fairly generalized skill, it's one that many employers covet. Also, I enjoyed being an English major. It was a lot of work--so much reading--but it was usually a labor of love. I'm still an avid reader to this day.

Anyhow, I don't know where the world is going with AI. Nobody does. But I certainly wouldn't assume that CS, engineering, and other STEM fields are somehow safe from our future AI overlords.

so once again, an undergrad in English requires a graduate degree.

Do you really think your kid is going to get this great job out of undergrad and that’s that? I think of undergrad as a stepping stone.

of course, but getting onto that first stepping stone is easier for some majors compared to others.

This doesn’t really answer the question on stepping stones, just a generic graphic on majors/enployment.

The chart doesn't appear to take motivation or ambition into account.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nephew English major from a top 3 liberal arts college. Worked for 2 years at a strategy consulting firm, went to top mba program and starts next year at tier 1 investment bank. So there are lot of great opportunities as long as your driven.

This. An intelligent, motivated english major will blow a lazy business major out of the water.

lol. They needed a graduate degree to "blow them out of the water". So, get an undergrad degree in English, then shell out more for a graduate degree.

A neighbor of ours was an English major. Went into the military. Officer in charge saw they were an English major. Told them "nothing leaves my desk without you seeing it first."

We NEED English majors. Even journalists can't write anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it undersubscribed at private T25?

For a kid who likes creative writing, has awards, published book. But also literary mag at school and newspaper. Also interested in publishing, media, and journalism.

Uncertain about major choice.

Thoughts?

My niece graduated from NYU as an English major. She has had great jobs since graduation. She has been mostly recruited by tech companies. There seems to be a pretty big demand for English majors.

The family has all been surprised at how well she has done and we were particularly surprised at the good pay. She received from her first job after graduation.

Because tech and science people more often than not are not good writers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:English is a solid major if you are a creative thinker. You will have to do something to position yourself in the work force, but there are a lot of jobs where you just need a degree, need to be able to think coherently, and need good organizational skills. If your kid is a person who can think strategically, he or she will be fine. And, lots of jobs need a graduate degree, so there is time to specialize later.

Assuming OP's DC graduates in 2026 to 2028, what job would they be able to get with just an undergrad degree in English? Most people who majored in English in undergrad do end up getting a graduate degree to get a good paying job. So, OP is shelling out $$$ for undergrad, and then even more for graduate because of the degree choice.

The exact same jobs that everyone graduating with a bachelors in business administration would be eligible for.

Really? When I look at "business" related jobs in linkedin (and I have looked at a lot), they all seems to want a business degree, not an English degree.

Those rules don't apply if you are at private T20.....plus get the minor/double major in econ etc and you are good (or HOD at Vanderbilt or LOC at Northwestern).

Yes they do. All the consulting jobs at my Ivy went to Econ majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you rich?

Rich with fulfillment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:English is a solid major if you are a creative thinker. You will have to do something to position yourself in the work force, but there are a lot of jobs where you just need a degree, need to be able to think coherently, and need good organizational skills. If your kid is a person who can think strategically, he or she will be fine. And, lots of jobs need a graduate degree, so there is time to specialize later.

Assuming OP's DC graduates in 2026 to 2028, what job would they be able to get with just an undergrad degree in English? Most people who majored in English in undergrad do end up getting a graduate degree to get a good paying job. So, OP is shelling out $$$ for undergrad, and then even more for graduate because of the degree choice.

The exact same jobs that everyone graduating with a bachelors in business administration would be eligible for.

Really? When I look at "business" related jobs in linkedin (and I have looked at a lot), they all seems to want a business degree, not an English degree.

Those rules don't apply if you are at private T20.....plus get the minor/double major in econ etc and you are good (or HOD at Vanderbilt or LOC at Northwestern).

Yes they do. All the consulting jobs at my Ivy went to Econ majors.

Hmm. Not true at my kids school. Maybe you just weren’t as connected to know what everyone was doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nephew English major from a top 3 liberal arts college. Worked for 2 years at a strategy consulting firm, went to top mba program and starts next year at tier 1 investment bank. So there are lot of great opportunities as long as your driven.

This. An intelligent, motivated english major will blow a lazy business major out of the water.

lol. They needed a graduate degree to "blow them out of the water". So, get an undergrad degree in English, then shell out more for a graduate degree.

A neighbor of ours was an English major. Went into the military. Officer in charge saw they were an English major. Told them "nothing leaves my desk without you seeing it first."

We NEED English majors. Even journalists can't write anymore.

Journalism will be taken over by AI.

So, an English major has to either go into the military or get a grad degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was an English major, and it served me very well. Strong writing and textual analysis is part of the reason I did well in law school, got a coveted clerkship, and got offers from top law firms. Incidentally, being a strong writer also requires being a strong thinker. While it's a fairly generalized skill, it's one that many employers covet. Also, I enjoyed being an English major. It was a lot of work--so much reading--but it was usually a labor of love. I'm still an avid reader to this day.

Anyhow, I don't know where the world is going with AI. Nobody does. But I certainly wouldn't assume that CS, engineering, and other STEM fields are somehow safe from our future AI overlords.

so once again, an undergrad in English requires a graduate degree.

Do you really think your kid is going to get this great job out of undergrad and that’s that? I think of undergrad as a stepping stone.

of course, but getting onto that first stepping stone is easier for some majors compared to others.

This doesn’t really answer the question on stepping stones, just a generic graphic on majors/enployment.

The chart doesn't appear to take motivation or ambition into account.

? Even a janitor can make it if they are motivated enough.

[Anonymous]

I started out as an English major and I didn’t enjoy it. It’s not practical.

Go for Communications instead.

[Anonymous]

English majors will be fine. Consider a data science/analytics minor too. Anything that helps with visual storytelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:English majors will be fine. Consider a data science/analytics minor too. Anything that helps with visual storytelling.

So, you have to either double major, get a minor, or go to grad school with an undergrad English major.