Why not double major? Forum

[DoubleChecks]

how is double majoring in the humanities even remotely similar to triple majoring in chem, engineering, and philosophy? not to mention my hypo guy has a high GPA lol

Double majoring in humanities is similar to triple majoring in chem, eng and phil, if both guys/gals have a 4.0 GPA. And this is my point, no matter how high a GPA your hypo guy has, he will be just as competitive as the one who has the same GPA and is single majored.

It may help a triple major guy when adcom compares his 3.0 with a different guy who has a 3.0 in basket weaving. But other than that, I doubt that there is any distinguishable advantage. Although, if anyone who can link basket weaving and law school may have enough BSing skills to get accepted.

first off, let me disclaimer again as people just keep derailing my original point in this thread and missing it completely lol. i DO agree that law school is primarily a numbers game and adcomms do not really care about double majors. double or even triple majoring is NOT a license to get a lower GPA and have it not work against you.

that being said, i never said a 4.0 GPA. i said a high GPA, but not necessarily one that is capped at max, so let's say 3.9. you honestly believe that a single major 3.9 (or even a double humanities major) would be the exact same as a 3.9 triple major in chem/eng/phil? seriously? im not saying a 3.9 single < 3.7 triple, im just saying that as an adcomm, i personally (which is funny that all of you are arguing against my personal opinion on what i would do if i were an adcomm lol, but ill pretend i said what i think an adcomm would do) would see that as a bump, like having a cool soft. not olympics gold medalist soft, but better than your average soft because triple majoring in those 3 with a 3.9 is pretty badass and shows the rigor of the curriculum. i think it would help, albeit not some 0.2 GPA boost or anything, esp. at the elite law schools.

[holdencaulfield]

first off, let me disclaimer again as people just keep derailing my original point in this thread and missing it completely lol. i DO agree that law school is primarily a numbers game and adcomms do not really care about double majors. double or even triple majoring is NOT a license to get a lower GPA and have it not work against you.

that being said, i never said a 4.0 GPA. i said a high GPA, but not necessarily one that is capped at max, so let's say 3.9. you honestly believe that a single major 3.9 (or even a double humanities major) would be the exact same as a 3.9 triple major in chem/eng/phil? seriously? im not saying a 3.9 single < 3.7 triple, im just saying that as an adcomm, i personally (which is funny that all of you are arguing against my personal opinion on what i would do if i were an adcomm lol, but ill pretend i said what i think an adcomm would do) would see that as a bump, like having a cool soft. not olympics gold medalist soft, but better than your average soft because triple majoring in those 3 with a 3.9 is pretty badass and shows the rigor of the curriculum. i think it would help, albeit not some 0.2 GPA boost or anything, esp. at the elite law schools.

I get your point; it's valid. I don't know why but I feel compelled to suggest you not add "lol" or "haha" at the end of any sentence. It really bugs me...I'm not sure why.

[DoubleChecks]

first off, let me disclaimer again as people just keep derailing my original point in this thread and missing it completely lol. i DO agree that law school is primarily a numbers game and adcomms do not really care about double majors. double or even triple majoring is NOT a license to get a lower GPA and have it not work against you.

that being said, i never said a 4.0 GPA. i said a high GPA, but not necessarily one that is capped at max, so let's say 3.9. you honestly believe that a single major 3.9 (or even a double humanities major) would be the exact same as a 3.9 triple major in chem/eng/phil? seriously? im not saying a 3.9 single < 3.7 triple, im just saying that as an adcomm, i personally (which is funny that all of you are arguing against my personal opinion on what i would do if i were an adcomm lol, but ill pretend i said what i think an adcomm would do) would see that as a bump, like having a cool soft. not olympics gold medalist soft, but better than your average soft because triple majoring in those 3 with a 3.9 is pretty badass and shows the rigor of the curriculum. i think it would help, albeit not some 0.2 GPA boost or anything, esp. at the elite law schools.

I get your point; it's valid. I don't know why but I feel compelled to suggest you not add "lol" or "haha" at the end of any sentence. It really bugs me...I'm not sure why.

i do it for a reason. it is because online, people can never hear intonation. a lot of readers like to read sarcasm, rudeness, or animosity into online postings. i put lol and haha at the end of all my sentences almost all the time to convey that i generally dont mean it in a db way (and i dont). see, didnt this post seem a bit more stern than my other ones? lol

[northwood]

It doesnt help your cycle at all- because there are so many different majors out there, and each of the required classes are very different in regards to difficulty. However, if you find it easy and enjoyable to double major- then do it. As long as you keep your gpa up it doesnt matter. Most of the time to go from a minor to a major, you just need to take a few more upper level courses. If you like the material and enjoy it- then its no big deal. Just know going into it that it wont help you at all in getting into law school.

[tea_drinker]

first off, let me disclaimer again as people just keep derailing my original point in this thread and missing it completely lol. i DO agree that law school is primarily a numbers game and adcomms do not really care about double majors. double or even triple majoring is NOT a license to get a lower GPA and have it not work against you.

that being said, i never said a 4.0 GPA. i said a high GPA, but not necessarily one that is capped at max, so let's say 3.9. you honestly believe that a single major 3.9 (or even a double humanities major) would be the exact same as a 3.9 triple major in chem/eng/phil? seriously? im not saying a 3.9 single < 3.7 triple, im just saying that as an adcomm, i personally (which is funny that all of you are arguing against my personal opinion on what i would do if i were an adcomm lol, but ill pretend i said what i think an adcomm would do) would see that as a bump, like having a cool soft. not olympics gold medalist soft, but better than your average soft because triple majoring in those 3 with a 3.9 is pretty badass and shows the rigor of the curriculum. i think it would help, albeit not some 0.2 GPA boost or anything, esp. at the elite law schools.

Ok, so I think we don't disagree on this matter. What make me confused was your broad usage of the term badass soft, and maybe you and I should have defined it more clearly.

lol i swear none of you are actually reading the other posts in this thread before commenting on mine. at least read my original one on this haha. im not saying people SHOULD do this, i was just saying that IF i were an adcomm and saw a student with a high GPA and a triple major in things like that, i would definitely give him a bump (like a really badass soft). it was also subtly pointing out the fact that double majoring doesnt really matter to adcomms.

A badass soft in my opinion (e.g. Rhode, Truman, fulbright, Peace Corps arguably) may give you a 1 point LSAT pump of .3 GPA pump.

[DoubleChecks]

first off, let me disclaimer again as people just keep derailing my original point in this thread and missing it completely lol. i DO agree that law school is primarily a numbers game and adcomms do not really care about double majors. double or even triple majoring is NOT a license to get a lower GPA and have it not work against you.

that being said, i never said a 4.0 GPA. i said a high GPA, but not necessarily one that is capped at max, so let's say 3.9. you honestly believe that a single major 3.9 (or even a double humanities major) would be the exact same as a 3.9 triple major in chem/eng/phil? seriously? im not saying a 3.9 single < 3.7 triple, im just saying that as an adcomm, i personally (which is funny that all of you are arguing against my personal opinion on what i would do if i were an adcomm lol, but ill pretend i said what i think an adcomm would do) would see that as a bump, like having a cool soft. not olympics gold medalist soft, but better than your average soft because triple majoring in those 3 with a 3.9 is pretty badass and shows the rigor of the curriculum. i think it would help, albeit not some 0.2 GPA boost or anything, esp. at the elite law schools.

Ok, so I think we don't disagree on this matter. What make me confused was your broad usage of the term badass soft, and maybe you and I should have defined it more clearly.

lol i swear none of you are actually reading the other posts in this thread before commenting on mine. at least read my original one on this haha. im not saying people SHOULD do this, i was just saying that IF i were an adcomm and saw a student with a high GPA and a triple major in things like that, i would definitely give him a bump (like a really badass soft). it was also subtly pointing out the fact that double majoring doesnt really matter to adcomms.

A badass soft in my opinion (e.g. Rhode, Truman, fulbright, Peace Corps arguably) may give you a 1 point LSAT pump of .3 GPA pump.

agreed on all your post, except im a bit skeptical that a rhode, truman, fulbright, etc. would give you a 0.3 GPA bump

[tea_drinker]

A badass soft in my opinion (e.g. Rhode, Truman, fulbright, Peace Corps arguably) may give you a 1 point LSAT pump of .3 GPA pump.

agreed on all your post, except im a bit skeptical that a rhode, truman, fulbright, etc. would give you a 0.3 GPA bump

Yeah, it's arbitrary.

[AlanShoreDisciple]

Does anyone think a double major could be a differentiating factor between two students with near identical GPA/LSATs but from schools of different prestige? I feel like a double major from a less prestigious UG could be somewhat of an equalizing factor when compared against a student with only one major from a more prestigious institution. Then again, I could be completely wrong...

[DoubleChecks]

Does anyone think a double major could be a differentiating factor between two students with near identical GPA/LSATs but from schools of different prestige? I feel like a double major from a less prestigious UG could be somewhat of an equalizing factor when compared against a student with only one major from a more prestigious institution. Then again, I could be completely wrong...

in your scenario, my best guess is...luck -- depends on the adcomm on that given day and what they personally believe is better than the other.

[Lingon]

Well, a big reason for why I wanted to double major was that I assumed it would "look good" on my transcript. I kinda thought that the adcomms would take it as proof that I am able to work hard and willing to challenge myself. When I read the interviews with the deans that's all they seem to talk about. Why can't they just be honest and say; "honestly, we only care about your numbers. We couldn't care less whether you are a double major or spend 30 hours a week doing volunteer work for NGO xyz." Oh, I know, because that would reduce their number of applicants = less money. See, I'm new to this but I already have the cynicism required to get in to a good school. As I type this the ups guy actually came and knocked on the door. My lsat books are here. Time to drop all of my extra-curricular activities, give up my thoughts about declaring a second major and start studying for the all mighty lsat. Wish me good luck.

It doesnt help your cycle at all- because there are so many different majors out there, and each of the required classes are very different in regards to difficulty. However, if you find it easy and enjoyable to double major- then do it. As long as you keep your gpa up it doesnt matter. Most of the time to go from a minor to a major, you just need to take a few more upper level courses. If you like the material and enjoy it- then its no big deal. Just know going into it that it wont help you at all in getting into law school.

[dpase22]

I have read a couple of threads regarding whether or not it's wise to declare a second major. The consensus seems to be that all that matters is a high GPA. Why is that? Shouldn't the kid who is double majoring in Economics and Psychology and gets a 3.8 GPA get in to school X just as easily as the kid who is majoring in Criminology and gets a 4.0? What is it that I am not understanding here? I was originally thinking about declaring a second major + write a senior thesis but both seem worthless for the purpose of law school. I guess I'll just get my 4.0 in underwater basket weaving and spend my time studying the LSAT.

I double majored in financial mathematics (BS) and philosophy (BA) with a minor in pure math. Also I was two classes away from turning my math minor into an Econ-Math (BA). My major GPAs were each around 3.80. When I met with the Dean of Admissions for Duke in Oct 2010 in an informational interview, he told me than one of the strongest points of my application was my double major.

For him, success in a highly formal and technical field (such as applied math), as well as a traditional humanities curriculum (such as philosophy) shows that you are capable of analysis from more than one perspective/framework. He said that this kind of academic resume is rare enough to merit special attention from the admissions committee. He said that this aspect of your application even deserves at least a little attention in your personal statement to highlight how this relates to your general intellectual approach.

That being said, I do not think that a double major in mathematics and physics would have that same implication, regardless of how difficult and substantial it is. If the two majors are similar enough, then it does not imply that you have a multidimensional/interdisciplinary approach.

However, regardless of the nature of the two majors, I do not think that it would be a good idea to sacrifice GPA to take on a second major. I took it on only because I was genuinely interested in the subject matter and it was a pleasure working hard in those classes. You must keep in mind how critically important GPA is, and that double majoring, writing a thesis, etc., are purely soft factors.

[DoubleChecks]

I have read a couple of threads regarding whether or not it's wise to declare a second major. The consensus seems to be that all that matters is a high GPA. Why is that? Shouldn't the kid who is double majoring in Economics and Psychology and gets a 3.8 GPA get in to school X just as easily as the kid who is majoring in Criminology and gets a 4.0? What is it that I am not understanding here? I was originally thinking about declaring a second major + write a senior thesis but both seem worthless for the purpose of law school. I guess I'll just get my 4.0 in underwater basket weaving and spend my time studying the LSAT.

I double majored in financial mathematics (BS) and philosophy (BA) with a minor in pure math. My major GPAs were each around 3.80. When I met with the Dean of Admissions for Duke in Oct 2010 in an informational interview, he told me than one of the strongest points of my application was my double major.

For him, success in a highly formal and technical field (such as applied math), as well as a traditional humanities curriculum (such as philosophy) shows that you are capable of analysis from more than one perspective/framework. He said that this kind of academic resume is rare enough to merit special attention from the admissions committee. He said that this aspect of your application even deserves at least a little attention in your personal statement to highlight how this relates to your general intellectual approach.

That being said, I do not think that a double major in mathematics and physics would have that same implication, regardless of how difficult and substantial it is. If the two majors are similar enough, then it does not imply that you have a multidimensional/interdisciplinary approach.

However, regardless of the nature of the two majors, I do not think that it would be a good idea to sacrifice GPA to take on a second major. I took it on only because I was genuinely interested in the subject matter and it was a pleasure working hard in those classes. You must keep in mind how critically important GPA is, and that double majoring, writing a thesis, etc., are purely soft factors.

+1

[HeavenWood]

Add a second major if you're interested in the subject and are confident it won't bring your GPA down. As others have pointed out, this is a lot easier in the liberal arts than engineering and the hard sciences. But remember: even soft liberal arts majors require work. They may not be intellectually taxing, but if you take them for granted as easy and slack off, you'll probably to be in for a rude awakening.

[firemed]

Well, a big reason for why I wanted to double major was that I assumed it would "look good" on my transcript. I kinda thought that the adcomms would take it as proof that I am able to work hard and willing to challenge myself. When I read the interviews with the deans that's all they seem to talk about. Why can't they just be honest and say; "honestly, we only care about your numbers. We couldn't care less whether you are a double major or spend 30 hours a week doing volunteer work for NGO xyz." Oh, I know, because that would reduce their number of applicants = less money. See, I'm new to this but I already have the cynicism required to get in to a good school. As I type this the ups guy actually came and knocked on the door. My lsat books are here. Time to drop all of my extra-curricular activities, give up my thoughts about declaring a second major and start studying for the all mighty lsat. Wish me good luck.

Good luck with your LSAT! Focusing on that is the best thing you can do for your application right now.