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Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 10:17 am
by HarvardHopeful93
Cue the "Schools only care about GPA" crap. But part of me feels that picking up a second major next year in Communications would be a bad idea only from the standpoint of perception. Sure, I'm interested in the subject matter and will dominate the classes, but I can't shake the feeling that schools like the T6 will say: "This kid only got a good GPA because of the Comm major. Trash."

FWIW, I should end up with a ~3.8 GPA and am gunning for a 170+ LSAT. So I'm shooting for Top 10 schools

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 10:20 am
by manillabay
You've picked the two most useless majors. Congratulations.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 10:25 am
by HarvardHopeful93
Thank you. I pride myself on strength of schedule. Just like Jameis Winston and FSU this past season

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 10:49 am
by Mack.Hambleton
If law is your goal then why do a double major at all? Graduate early or just take them as electives

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 11:27 am
by HarvardHopeful93
Yeah, you're probably right. I guess I just kind wanted to get "more bang for my buck", you know? If I'm gonna be taking all these electives, why not just make it a major. But I'll probably just end up sticking with this single major

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 11:43 am
by A. Nony Mouse
It really doesn't matter. If you want to do the major, do the major. People here go on and on about "trash" majors but schools don't care. At the vast majority of schools chasing medians, a high GPA in a "trash" major will always trump a lower GPA in a "serious/hard" major. At the few select schools who can take their pick of candidates, where they do care about things like softs and the overall package, it's not what you major in that matters, it's what you do with the major and how it fits into the picture of yourself that you're presenting to the adcomms. So yes, for HYS, say, if you have a 4.0 in part because spent your summers taking "basketweaving for dummies" and graded gym classes at a local community college, they will consider that in evaluating you. But if you have a double major in two established majors at the school where you're earning your BA, they're not going to care. They're going to care about whether you have a convincing, interesting, even compelling story about what you've done and why it makes you who you are.

I don't think doing a double major is at all necessary, and it will only enhance your application to the extent it does tie into a compelling story about yourself as an applicant (I suspect most of the time it won't make the tiniest bit of difference). But if you want to do the major, it's not going to hurt you.

(I'm also willing to bet plenty of adcomms even at top schools majored in perfectly ordinary liberal arts-y kinds of things themselves. Despite all the naysayers about polisci, for instance, Jessica Soban majored in Government.)

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 12:12 pm
by alpha kenny body
Mouse is a super credited mod, I would listen to their advice. FWIW, I was both of these majors and it gave me an extra year of frat life, internships, and boosting my overall GPA, which is all that matters anyways. Additionally, you'll get another year of easy classes, and the opportunity to study for the LSAT.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:17 pm
by withoutapaddle
I always thought Communications was for the socially retarded students who didn't know how to communicate--- Why else would you need to learn how to do something we've been doing for the last 18-22 years

I could see it in a job interview:

Interviewer: So tell me about your major
Candidate: Well I have GREAT communication skills
Interviewer: You and every other normal person that graduated high school

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:53 pm
by manillabay
withoutapaddle wrote:I always thought Communications was for the socially retarded students who didn't know how to communicate--- Why else would you need to learn how to do something we've been doing for the last 18-22 years

I could see it in a job interview:

Interviewer: So tell me about your major
Candidate: Well I have GREAT communication skills
Interviewer: You and every other normal person that graduated high school
Communications prepares you for a career where communicating with lots of people frequently, such as the media, is essential. It's not teaching how to talk to people--that's what student organizations are for.

Don't get me wrong, it's stupid. It's seems to be primarily for girls who are getting their real MRS degree.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:55 pm
by xylocarp
manillabay wrote:
withoutapaddle wrote:I always thought Communications was for the socially retarded students who didn't know how to communicate--- Why else would you need to learn how to do something we've been doing for the last 18-22 years

I could see it in a job interview:

Interviewer: So tell me about your major
Candidate: Well I have GREAT communication skills
Interviewer: You and every other normal person that graduated high school
Communications prepares you for a career where communicating with lots of people frequently, such as the media, is essential. It's not teaching how to talk to people--that's what student organizations are for.

Don't get me wrong, it's stupid. It's seems to be primarily for girls who are getting their real MRS degree.
Yeah at my undergrad the communications school includes stuff like journalism, advertising, PR, etc.
There is a straight "communications studies" major, but that's mostly research type stuff as opposed to "this is how you communicate"

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:03 pm
by SFrost
You should add criminal justice.

That way everyone can be absolutely certain you wasted 4 years of your life.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:15 pm
by withoutapaddle
Not to be a dick but those Media jobs go to former miss america's

That's why all the fox news anchors are hot- The over weight girl that's trying to get a media job unless it's in production is shit out of luck

That's just the honest truth

My senior year I switched from political science to economics- I had one of those oh shit what the fuck am I going to do with this degree moments

I'm not saying economics is a great major but at least it tells my employer I can do math

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:38 pm
by phillywc
Have a shitty GPA in a useless major and money at a T6. Don't fret, they really just care about gpa/LSAT.


Also, try to not be a sexist assholes Manilla and Paddle.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:50 pm
by manillabay
phillywc wrote:Have a shitty GPA in a useless major and money at a T6. Don't fret, they really just care about gpa/LSAT.


Also, try to not be a sexist assholes Manilla and Paddle.
How is stating the fact that more women are communication majors than are men sexist?

Thanks. Eager for your reply.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 5:30 pm
by BillPackets
manillabay wrote:
phillywc wrote:Have a shitty GPA in a useless major and money at a T6. Don't fret, they really just care about gpa/LSAT.


Also, try to not be a sexist assholes Manilla and Paddle.
How is stating the fact that more women are communication majors than are men sexist?

Thanks. Eager for your reply.
Your post says a little more than "more women are communication majors than men."

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:30 pm
by withoutapaddle
How is saying over weight girls won't be in front of a camera on the news?

Go turn on the news and you'll see the guests and anchors are hot if they're female - That's not sexist it's a fact

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:32 pm
by manillabay
BillPackets wrote:
manillabay wrote:
phillywc wrote:Have a shitty GPA in a useless major and money at a T6. Don't fret, they really just care about gpa/LSAT.


Also, try to not be a sexist assholes Manilla and Paddle.
How is stating the fact that more women are communication majors than are men sexist?

Thanks. Eager for your reply.
Your post says a little more than "more women are communication majors than men."
Dude a lot of girls still goto college just to get married... I'm sorry but it's the truth. If you can't deal with it, then it's really not my problem.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:37 pm
by Total Litigator
I'll hold it against you for boosting your GPA by taking enough easy classes to major in it.

Law schools, however, won't.

Re: Double major in Poly Sci and Communication

Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:38 pm
by manillabay
Does she wanna do a threesome at my place by chance?