It's roughly the same in my world, though there are some fairly notable differences. Specialties aren't really just about what you're good at --- it's what your family was good at, as well. Granted, they're usually the same thing, though I've always felt it was better to dabble in every discipline than to overspecialize. You hear some rather unfortunate things about once-powerful old families who spent so much time focusing on one discipline that they can barely do anything else... it's sad, really.

...and, well, I'll admit I'm curious, but I tend to err on the side of caution. If I could be guaranteed sanctuary, I'd at least love to visit their library... but that's seeming less and less likely.