Getting into Law School
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Anonymous
| My guess is that STEM is valued more highly than perhaps it once was, though posters will say that major doesn't matter. |
Anonymous
| NP: Is going to law school still a good idea given that many people seem to think that AI will significantly impact the legal profession? |
Anonymous
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+ haha so true
they do their two years and go into T5 law schools or else MBB |
Anonymous
+ 1 & waitlists are miles long |
Anonymous
Exactly. My similar kid was waitlisted at every T10 they applied to. |
Anonymous
Have you see the kind of BS AI produces? AI is not as great as tech bros want you to believe. |
Anonymous
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Law school admissions is getting more unpredictable like college admissions.
There was a time it was mainly your GPA and LSAT. This year was extremely competitive. I advise students and having a score in the 170s and a high GPA does not guarantee T14 anymore. The ones who did the best in the process have close to a 4.0, scores in the 170s, at least a year of work experience after college and preferably more, academic prizes or significant leadership or awards in college, recommendations that are outstanding. Strength of undergraduate institution matters more than you think. I have to counsel students that just because they have a high GPA does not mean as much if your degree was online or at a school most people have never heard of. They are more likely to go deep in the class for an Ivy or top 20 than take from a lower tier university outside of top 50 unless you are at the top of your class. Going to a huge undergrad can disadvantage you by not getting to know your professors well and being so big that there are so many applying from your school. |
Anonymous
Very solid reasoning: It doesn't matter where you go to law school because this guy is rich and he didn't go to an elite law school. Obviously this guy didn't get rich through logical reasoning, or anything intellectually demanding. Let me guess, you're a very successful personal injury attorney? |
Anonymous
That's because there are fewer males going to college and therefore fewer going to law school, so it is easier for them to get in especially with a higher LSAT and GPA. |
Anonymous
This isn't true at the very top schools. For example, look at the undergrad colleges of the students at Yale and Stanford. Very, very few non-elite colleges are represented. Elite colleges (mostly) have grad inflation (meaning that a large percentage of those students will have good grades), so a student from a non-elite school really has to do something extraordinary to stand out. Having a high LSAT score isn't enough. |
Anonymous
You're wrong, and your anecdote doesn't prove anything. |
Anonymous
Asians are starting to dominate the T14s but there is a very sharp drop off after T14 of Asians. There’s a perception that if you don’t get T14 it’s not worth your time as you won’t make big money. |
Anonymous
| My best advice for those interested in the selective schools (lawyer and have some insight into ls admissions) is to work a few years between college and law school. If you really want to go straight through you better be spectacular. Law schools ideally hope to attract people who actually want to practice law (in some form) - not just smart students who aren’t sure what to do next. Working a couple years helps develop maturity/perspective etc. hth |
Anonymous
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My DC20 just went through the law school admission cycle. These are my impressions (consistent with many other posters -- I second everything that 12:59 said):
LSAT and GPA are the most important factors by a mile; accordingly, the process felt vastly more predictable than undergrad admissions did. You have the best shot if you're above both LSAT and GPA medians, but "splitters" also have a shot. Look at the 7Sage admission predictor; it gave a good estimate of chances. (Expect the medians to go up for this year's entering class, however.) Minor GPA-related points: - There seems to be some allowance for more challenging majors, but not as much as a STEM major would like. - Undergrads who go to schools that offer A+ grades have a potential advantage. Even if not calculated by the undergrad institution, when the LSAC recalculates GPA from your transcript, these come in at 4.33, which can make a big difference. - Don't forget that every class (study abroad, community college classes taken in HS, etc.) will be included. The undergrad school provides a context, but the "prestige" factor seems to be of limited importance. LSAC provides law schools with data on the grades and LSAT scores of students from each university, so they understand the relative standing of the applicant within that population. Work experience seems to be very helpful; so-called KJDs appeared to have less favorable outcomes in admissions. Post-JD employment is important to schools' rankings and reputations, and prior work experience can make new JDs more competitive for their first jobs. Also, law students are generally apply for their 1L summer positions before any grades are posted, which means they're basically applying with their pre-law school experience. My sense is that ECs matter on the edges; see 12:59 for great examples of ones that impress. I think ECs can be a key part of packaging if they help tell a coherent story. For my DC, the extracurriculars (STEM-related) helped tell the why-law (and what kind of law) story. I think fit really does play a role. Look carefully at each school, do the optional essays, and if it doesn't seem to be a match, pay attention. I believe the why-THIS-law school mattered in my DC's success (great merit aid, multiple T14 offers, no traditional "hooks"); the fit was real, and I believe it came through. This was a historically competitive cycle, with a record number of applications. The impression seems to be that earlier applications were more successful. Consider the timing of the process, but don't rush that LSAT -- the best score you can get will be key. Finally, there are so many excellent resources out there! My kid had a great experience with Spivey consulting for a single-app review and a few later questions (no attorneys in the family, so an expert eye was very reassuring). Fantastic free resources include: - Michigan Law's Dean Z's A2Z Videos (YouTube and TikTok) -- can't express how informative (and often funny!) these are. - r/lsat -- lots of tips and shared experiences. - r/lawschooladmissions -- so many applicants posting so much information! Now is a great time to see the cycle recaps. Lots of current students do "Ask Me Anything" posts, which are very interesting. - LSD.law -- applicants enter their stats, application dates, interview dates, decision dates, financial awards, etc. It's a treasure trove of data (although some portion is likely not accurate). You can see graphs of applicants, scores, admissions decisions stats at every school. This is also where you'll find the description of "tiers" of "softs." - Various consulting organizations (Spivey, 7Sage, etc.) do really informative blogs and podcasts in addition to paid consulting. Good luck! |
Anonymous
Agree - this is not true in my experience. It's all about scores and grades and a good interview for fit in some cases. |