The first comes already turned-on to the subject. But I would say that most students come to the study of history reluctantly. They think one of the things they don't want to do is history. Maybe they discover it through a specific subject like Asian history or American history. Students who like to read a lot.
History is a major that requires sitting and many, many hours of reading.
History is really the study of human beings interacting in specific contexts. The best students are those who are comfortable with the inevitable fact of subjectivity, yet don't bow completely to this and want to gather as much objective material as possible. You will use the skills you develop as a history major every day in whatever environment you decide to work. It has a lot of relevance for today. All I do since I've left Grinnell is to analyze, read, write and discuss things - to argue a point.