Law is an extremely exciting and diverse field, but before you can begin practicing law or even take on a legal internship, you need to get into law school. Getting admitted to law school depends on several different factors, from standardized test scores to grades. Law schools also want to know what interests you as a person, which can be demonstrated through your individual activities, as well as what you choose to study.

Pre-law students can study virtually anything as an undergraduate, which can make choosing a major daunting. You should think about what interests you but also what provides you with the skills necessary to excel in law. While the decision of what to major in is a very personal one, the following are some great options for people intending to go to law school. If you are undecided, consider one of these majors.

1. Classics

You may be surprised to learn that about 90 percent of classics majors who apply to law school end up securing a position. Law schools are particularly interested in these students for several reasons. Classics often involves the study of ancient languages and philosophy that serve as the basis of modern law. This foundation makes it easy for classics students to understand the sometimes-archaic language of law and have a sense of how the concepts developed over the centuries. Classics itself is a huge field covering Latin and Greek literature, philosophy, history, and more, so it is a major that touches on many of the other subjects on this list.

2. Literature

People who major in literature, whether English or otherwise, develop the critical thinking skills that are so important to law. Admissions boards understand this, so they value students who have chosen this major.

Writing literary papers requires a strong command of grammar, critical thinking, and persuasive skills. Literature is a great major to help you prepare for the LSAT since logical reasoning and reading comprehension are major components of the exam.

English majors have an admission rate of about 80 percent to law schools because of the value of the skills they develop in the major. However, studying literature in other languages also develops similar skills while demonstrating cultural competency.

3. Public policy

Studying public policy as an undergraduate means diving into public affairs and thinking about how laws affect the public and vice versa. People interested in running for public office or working for the government after law school may have the most to gain from majoring in public policy since it directly applies to those career paths. However, the major itself puts an incredible emphasis on critical thinking and challenges students to think about why humans behave the way they do. All this information will be very valuable when developing arguments in law school and beyond.

4. Mathematics

You may think math is an unlikely major for law school students, but the top-tier schools admit many people with mathematics degrees. As a discipline, math emphasizes logical reasoning, which can help when it comes to the LSAT. Math majors tend to score very high on this exam, which is part of the reason why they are good candidates for law school.

Furthermore, many law students have only a rudimentary understanding of financial math, which becomes an important topic when studying law. With math competency, statistical analyses and quick processing of objective data can come easy. These skills can give law students a competitive edge even after they graduate and launch their careers.

5. Psychology

There are numerous real-world applications for a psychology degree in law. Having insight into the human mind, including motivations, is important for constructing persuasive arguments. In addition, psychology majors tend to have a good understanding of human behavior and how certain experiences will influence people. This skill helps individuals predict how an argument will go over in court and, perhaps even more importantly, given them fodder for countering the arguments they are likely to hear from the other side. Furthermore, psychology majors generally have great communication skills and can tailor their language to appeal to people in a variety of situations.

6. History

Learning about history necessarily means diving into how political systems and societies develop. This can provide a great understanding of how modern societies operate and provide a unique perspective for creating arguments. History majors learn how to develop theories and do the research necessary to support them, which is an important skill for law school.

Also, it is important to recognize that history majors will learn about many important trials, decisions, and precedents that have influenced the development of law. For this reason, many history majors already know a lot about the important cases that are studied in law school and, importantly, have a strong understanding of the social and political pressures around them that other students may not.