History is a huge topic. You can study the history of almost any single thing you could possibly imagine - it could be people, places, or things. All of the nouns! If you’re interested in learning about the background of why things are the way they are, you’re probably interested in history. If you want to be a history major, or at least think you could possibly want to be a history major, you’re in the right place.
It might feel like sophomore year is too early to start thinking about what you want to major in, but we promise this is the exact right time to start. College has gotten crazy competitive, and history is one of the most popular humanities majors, meaning it’s extra competitive to get into a history program at competitive schools.
In order to be a really strong applicant, it’s in your best interest to start exploring history and figuring out what exactly excites you about it. Colleges want to see that you’ve done the work to explore what interests you, and they want to see evidence of your passions.
With that, let’s talk a little bit about what you can do in your sophomore year to strategize for college admissions and discover what you’re excited about.
Identifying the Niche
Unlike the olden days, the days of yore, etc., applying undecided isn’t really an option anymore. We know that it may be a little unfair to ask 18-year-olds to commit to exactly what they want to do the day they step on campus, but that’s why we think it’s important to start exploring what you like right now.
If you come to us with an interest in history, we want to help you build a niche. Like we said, history is a super broad topic with a lot of different applications and themes, so you need to figure out more specifically what you like. Our goal is to create a funnel, taking you from broad topics like history down to an incredibly narrow end topic like “the history of social movements in California in the 70s.” Obviously, identifying your niche takes some time. So how do we do that?
Classes and Books
You gotta hit the books. And also online classes. But hit the online classes doesn’t sound as good. When we work with sophomores, we create a personalized curriculum of books and online classes tailored to each student and their individual interests. We might start out on some very entry-level history content, but as soon as you start connecting with specific things, we will take you levels deeper.
This process not only helps you figure out what your niche is, but it also helps you figure out if you’re truly excited about this topic. This process helps students figure out what their long-term goals are, which helps us figure out what kinds of colleges are best for them.
Extracurriculars
The next big thing you need to figure out is your extracurriculars. It is not enough to just have really good grades, and really good test scores and be in some clubs at school. And it’s also not good to just join every single club at your school, either. We help students build extracurricular profiles that are actually useful to what they want to do, and help them stand out on college applications. A lot of the things that helped our parents get into college (sports, volunteer work, student council) are just not as important these days.
There are extracurriculars you can do in school, and there are extracurriculars you can do out of school. In-school activities might be joining the history club, joining debate, writing for the school paper, etc. But out-of-school extracurriculars are what we think are most important. These can include jobs, internships, independent projects, and research with professors. There is not one slate of extracurriculars that works for every single student — we work closely with each of our students to figure out exactly what it is that will work best for them.
Summer Plans
And perhaps the most important thing: summer. Summer is the largest uninterrupted block of time that you have, and sophomore summer is really your last chance to explore topics before becoming more of a specialist. we know you might not love having to spend your break deep in academic pursuits, but it’s worth it
Summer, just like extracurriculars, is tailored to each student and what they’re interested in. One way we can add meaningful experiences to your summer is through summer programs. A lot of different top-tier schools offer the opportunity to take college level classes, and some independent institutions have really tailored niche programs that allow you to explore your topic deeper.
But you also want to find some experiences that are a little more involved than a summer program. We want your application to reflect that you’ve taken the initiative to explore your passions, so we can help you find things to fill your summer that will do just that. That may look like an independent project, research, an internship, or a summer job.
Sophomore year is the best time to start thinking about college. It gives you enough time to actually figure out what it is you’re interested in, and time to execute your college strategy.
If you want to start strategizing for college, sophomore year is the best time to start. Reach out to us today if you need help with your college prep plans.