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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I double majored at a top school in history and Econ. Attended on athletic scholarship as it was the only way to pay for the school. Econ helped me get my first job, history was far more valuable. I was in the honors program for history and it was rigorous. It was not difficult to double major at the school so it is an option worth considering. If asked, I consider myself a history major.[/quote]
People fail to understand how rigorous a history major is, even more so at T10, T15 schools. The endless number of written papers, thesis, reading, etc.  I had an easier time memorizing facts for my biochemistry major, dropped the history minor. [/quote]

I wrote a 125 page thesis on French economics at my school - already having finished my Econ major. I finished typing the thesis in a Philadelphus  hotel after finishing well at the Penn Relays. Finished at 4 in the morning, thankfully away from the trouble you could get in at the parties that night. And you could get in trouble! Ten people in the honors program. Two high honors - I received one of them although I wondered if they were overly generous to a scholarship athlete willing to complete the program. Most went to law school - 5 Harvards - one Duke - and one mediocre guy bringing up the rear (Georgetown - me). I did really well in law school after two years working trading futures - as in couldn’t do any better - law review and so on - and it was not anywhere near as rigorous as the history program. Don’t get me wrong - I liked the law school education and had great mentors. It was just not nearly as difficult as the history experience.

One of the benefits of the major is that in my adulthood I had hundreds and hundreds of books, really thousands.My brother - a well known PhD in institutional finance - used to, like me, work in NYC often. We would spend evenings buying books and shipping them home from the Coliseum Bookstore. Our spouses thought we were a little crazy, but again as guys from poverty we wanted to learn. And again staying out of trouble!  My kids went to Princeton (and I did nothing to further that other than spoil them and leave countless books strewn about the house). My first adult daughter jokingly says I am responsible for her only reading non-fiction! The books were not only history books and reflected a wide spectrum of political views. I enjoy being comfortable at being uncomfortable - another benefit of the liberal arts.

I remember receiving notice of the history high honors award. I have never been so excited in my life. I had no parents in my life whatsoever - my brother who supported me in all things was traveling to accept a fellowship - no one to call - so I irrationally sprinted to Duke Gardens and sat in front of a waterfall and met an elderly couple who was willing to listen to me jabber on. I thank the history program for the best moment of my young life. I no longer felt I was an outcasted dumb athlete. [/quote]

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