Don’t listen to the haters; getting an undergraduate degree in the humanities is a valuable pursuit. There are so many great humanities majors at elite schools. However, if you are eyeing a top school, you need to make sure you are a top candidate, which means building a great extracurricular resume in the humanities. It's never too early to get involved in the humanities outside of class. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry: we have you covered.
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Join a Club
School clubs are a great first step in getting more involved. You should seek out clubs that relate to what you want to study. For example, if you want to study Art History, join the Art Appreciation Club. If you love French, join the French club. Are you thinking of studying English? A book club should be in your future. If your school doesn’t have a related club, you can even think about starting your own. Generally, popular clubs for humanities majors include those that build skills often associated with humanities, such as Model UN, Debate, Academic Decathlon, etc. Find the right club for you and your academic passions.
Joining a club is only the first step. Ideally, you stick with that club and take on more responsibility in it. A history of commitment and effort is much more valuable than just signing up for a bunch of random clubs.
Volunteer
Sometimes, students feel like they need to volunteer just to say they did it. This is the wrong vibe to bring. Trust us; colleges will not care if you clean up a beach once. If you decide to do volunteer work, you need to be passionate about it or, at the very least, interested in it. It should be something you are excited to commit your time to. You should also choose the right volunteer work. Volunteering is a great way to explore the humanities, and your volunteer work should connect with what you hope to study.
For example, if you want to study Spanish, volunteer as a Spanish tutor or translator. If you want to study history, volunteer at a local historical society or landmark. Poli Sci students can work on a local campaign, while theater majors can teach after-school drama at their old middle school.
Volunteering is a great way to give back and connect with your community, and it's also an opportunity to show that you are interested in your intended major outside of the classroom.
Research
Research can sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be. You can sign up for a project or event like a History Day Team, or you can do a personal project on your own. Many of the students we work with have written papers or completed other independent research projects. If your research is especially good, you might even be able to get it published. There are several journals that specifically publish research from high schoolers. If you don’t know where to start, we can help. Teachers can also be a great resource, and they will likely be able to point you in the right direction.
Our biggest advice for freshmen is to not drag your feet! Get involved and active as soon as you can. Pair these steps with a great summer plan (luckily, we have a whole blog on how to do that), and you will set yourself on the right path for success!
And we can help! Talk to one of our counselors today!