Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 21:08     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:Why not go to the best of the best? Berkeley. Definition of opportunity- best scholars in the world, most funded public institution for research, best history program for a school that isn’t named Yale, best English department. People here are going to give you the boring UVA or VT, but Berkeley is an amazing launchpad.


Boring? My DC is having a fantastic experience studying history at VT and has been exposed to a wealth of opportunities, internships, study abroad, etc.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 21:05     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:UVA has fantastic English and History programs. VT had Nikki Giovanni as a professor before she passed. University of Iowa has one of the best creative writing programs in the country. I don’t think you can go wrong with any flagship for history or English.



DP. My kid was a PPL (Politics, Philosophy, and Law) major at UVA, but also took history and econ courses. DC had Ken Elzinga (econ), Dean Groves, Larry Sabato and law faculty who taught undergrad courses, like James Caesar, Paul Mahoney, and Rise Goluboff. Since I had been a poly-sci/history double major, I read my kid's syllabi. My kid had a far better education (more in-depth, more demanding) at UVA than I did at my SLAC. These interests led to a UVA semester at oxford. DC came back excited about returning for grad work, which he did with the help of the UVA faculty who wrote letters of recommendation. Some of those professorsx recently wrote letters for law school. Kid got into Harvard Law. We are very happy with the UVA experience.


Good grief. At this point, we could all recite your posts verbatim. So very tiresome.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 20:20     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy? My DS would love to go to (like tons of others it seems!) a school bigger than an LAC that has lots of spirit and fun sports. Any suggestions? I have been trying to research online but for some reason am not coming up with much. Thank you!


Duke. UVA. Stanford. Wake Forest. Notre Dame.

Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 20:20     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why not go to the best of the best? Berkeley. Definition of opportunity- best scholars in the world, most funded public institution for research, best history program for a school that isn’t named Yale, best English department. People here are going to give you the boring UVA or VT, but Berkeley is an amazing launchpad.


I was a history major at Cal! Some of the best historians in the world. It was the best!


Yeah, but very difficult to get into OOS
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 19:55     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:100% UVA for English/history + school spirit. After that:

Duke
UNC
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
Rice
Texas
Iowa (for English)
Wisconsin
Boston College
Maryland
Pitt





I agree with this. These are all good for English and History - plus they have school spirit. Texas and UNC are very difficult admits for OOS, however. And obviously Duke, Vandy, Rice, and Notre Dame all have single digit admission rates. But if you have the stats for Ivies and Williams/Amherst, I'd look there.



Yes, sort of a loose descending order of selectivity. Maybe flip Rice and ND.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 19:51     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:100% UVA for English/history + school spirit. After that:

Duke
UNC
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
Rice
Texas
Iowa (for English)
Wisconsin
Boston College
Maryland
Pitt





I agree with this. These are all good for English and History - plus they have school spirit. Texas and UNC are very difficult admits for OOS, however. And obviously Duke, Vandy, Rice, and Notre Dame all have single digit admission rates. But if you have the stats for Ivies and Williams/Amherst, I'd look there.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 19:18     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
UGA
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 19:04     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
100% UVA for English/history + school spirit. After that:

Duke
UNC
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
Rice
Texas
Iowa (for English)
Wisconsin
Boston College
Maryland
Pitt



Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 19:01     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:Why not go to the best of the best? Berkeley. Definition of opportunity- best scholars in the world, most funded public institution for research, best history program for a school that isn’t named Yale, best English department. People here are going to give you the boring UVA or VT, but Berkeley is an amazing launchpad.


I was a history major at Cal! Some of the best historians in the world. It was the best!
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 19:00     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:Sounds like state flagship to me.

Exactly. Maybe i don't understand the question.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 18:54     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why not go to the best of the best? Berkeley. Definition of opportunity- best scholars in the world, most funded public institution for research, best history program for a school that isn’t named Yale, best English department. People here are going to give you the boring UVA or VT, but Berkeley is an amazing launchpad.

+1, Berkeley is an amazing place for the humanities.


Agree with this. For history, the students love the proseminars.


BUT - to OP - Berkeley is VERY difficult to get into Out of state, which it sounds like you are. Fewer than 10% slots are allocated for OOS so your kid has to be a super applicant
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 18:49     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why not go to the best of the best? Berkeley. Definition of opportunity- best scholars in the world, most funded public institution for research, best history program for a school that isn’t named Yale, best English department. People here are going to give you the boring UVA or VT, but Berkeley is an amazing launchpad.

+1, Berkeley is an amazing place for the humanities.


Agree with this. For history, the students love the proseminars.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 18:24     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
OP here - thank you for all of these great suggestions!
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 18:19     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Anonymous wrote:Why not go to the best of the best? Berkeley. Definition of opportunity- best scholars in the world, most funded public institution for research, best history program for a school that isn’t named Yale, best English department. People here are going to give you the boring UVA or VT, but Berkeley is an amazing launchpad.

+1, Berkeley is an amazing place for the humanities.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 17:38     Subject: Where to look for History/English major that's not a LAC or Ivy
Why not go to the best of the best? Berkeley. Definition of opportunity- best scholars in the world, most funded public institution for research, best history program for a school that isn’t named Yale, best English department. People here are going to give you the boring UVA or VT, but Berkeley is an amazing launchpad.