Starting list for pre-law

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get the highest undergraduate GPA possible. Major is totally irrelevant. In fact, a Theatre major would stand out in a sea of polisci majors applying to law school

Supplement the high GPA with some kind of relevant interest that connects to law school. Like volunteer for a drama program that works with incarcerated people or with at-risk kids. Then write a personal statement about how this experience has been the inspiration for a career using the law to address societal iniquity

Get a 170+ on the LSAT

+1 don't worry about "pre-law" and study what DC is excited about and does well in

Going to a higher ranked college is a huge leg up as well, just in terms of the numbers of who is admitted to the same selective grad programs at those colleges

- HYS undergrad and law school grad here

HLS Class of 2024 has graduates of 171 colleges, many of which are "no name" schools. Yes, higher ranked schools are leg up, but you're overstating how much of a leg up they are.

https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/undergraduate-colleges/

Harvard undergrad and HLS grad. I agree with PP. Yes, Harvard sent a lot to HLS, but they had many applying. At the end of the day, you still need a high gpa and LSAT. A student from a "lower ranked" college with srong grades and scores would get into HLS over a mediocre H grad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get the highest undergraduate GPA possible. Major is totally irrelevant. In fact, a Theatre major would stand out in a sea of polisci majors applying to law school

Supplement the high GPA with some kind of relevant interest that connects to law school. Like volunteer for a drama program that works with incarcerated people or with at-risk kids. Then write a personal statement about how this experience has been the inspiration for a career using the law to address societal iniquity

Get a 170+ on the LSAT

+1 don't worry about "pre-law" and study what DC is excited about and does well in

Going to a higher ranked college is a huge leg up as well, just in terms of the numbers of who is admitted to the same selective grad programs at those colleges

- HYS undergrad and law school grad here

HLS Class of 2024 has graduates of 171 colleges, many of which are "no name" schools. Yes, higher ranked schools are leg up, but you're overstating how much of a leg up they are.

https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/undergraduate-colleges/

Also, every one of those students is the valedictorian of their class, like I was at HYS law

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-law-school
Best law school feeder schools.

This is very interesting. The top feeder list is roughly reflecting usnwr rankings with two exceptions, Yeshiva and Brandeis. What is special about these two t50+?

Feeders are NOT a thing. Correlation is not causation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get the highest undergraduate GPA possible. Major is totally irrelevant. In fact, a Theatre major would stand out in a sea of polisci majors applying to law school

Supplement the high GPA with some kind of relevant interest that connects to law school. Like volunteer for a drama program that works with incarcerated people or with at-risk kids. Then write a personal statement about how this experience has been the inspiration for a career using the law to address societal iniquity

Get a 170+ on the LSAT

+1 don't worry about "pre-law" and study what DC is excited about and does well in

Going to a higher ranked college is a huge leg up as well, just in terms of the numbers of who is admitted to the same selective grad programs at those colleges

- HYS undergrad and law school grad here

HLS Class of 2024 has graduates of 171 colleges, many of which are "no name" schools. Yes, higher ranked schools are leg up, but you're overstating how much of a leg up they are.

https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/undergraduate-colleges/

Harvard undergrad and HLS grad. I agree with PP. Yes, Harvard sent a lot to HLS, but they had many applying. At the end of the day, you still need a high gpa and LSAT. A student from a "lower ranked" college with srong grades and scores would get into HLS over a mediocre H grad.

+1.

"Feeders" are not a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another ancient 50 yo retired from law. I'll be Gram. I agree completely with Gramps.

Also agree with logical thought from CS or math being useful in brief writing. A math proof, in paragraph form. I dislike flowery writing that is not concise.

We have somewhat tried to dissuade our kids from law. Our advice for law school is T14 or bust. Not particular about which undergrad.

What about t15? The difference between GULC #14 and the next few schools is not that significant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get the highest undergraduate GPA possible. Major is totally irrelevant. In fact, a Theatre major would stand out in a sea of polisci majors applying to law school

Supplement the high GPA with some kind of relevant interest that connects to law school. Like volunteer for a drama program that works with incarcerated people or with at-risk kids. Then write a personal statement about how this experience has been the inspiration for a career using the law to address societal iniquity

Get a 170+ on the LSAT

+1 don't worry about "pre-law" and study what DC is excited about and does well in

Going to a higher ranked college is a huge leg up as well, just in terms of the numbers of who is admitted to the same selective grad programs at those colleges

- HYS undergrad and law school grad here

HLS Class of 2024 has graduates of 171 colleges, many of which are "no name" schools. Yes, higher ranked schools are leg up, but you're overstating how much of a leg up they are.

https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/undergraduate-colleges/

Also some notable colleges NOT on the list - Wellesley, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Oberlin, Reed, Kenyon, Grinnell, Haverford, Claremont McKenna,

[Anonymous]

"looking to study poly sci or poly econ in prep for possible law school."

Be aware that those subjects are only "prep" for law school to the extent that they require reading, writing, textual analysis. If I recall correctly, there is nothing in law school at all involving political science or political economics. Lawyer jobs don't have anything to do with political science or political economics, either. I'm sure there are exceptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-law-school
Best law school feeder schools.

Not this again. No. "Feeder" implies causation. Please let go of the feeder myth.

+1. In my Ivy law school class, other than undergrads from the same Ivy, the biggest "feeder" was my high school on Long Island. More graduates from my high school than any other college or university.

[Anonymous]

Major in something where your kid can get a near perfect GPA. Also make sure they learn to write. Have them download a logic game app in their phone and take a practice lsat in HS and the first three yrs of college. Take a prep class for lsat. GPA and LSAT score matter most of applying from undergrad. You’re better off as a sociology major with a 4.0 then a Econ major with a 3.5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Strong writing ability is the most important criteria. He can major in anything. He has to be able to write a decent sentence, paragraph, and essay.

Law grad here. Pretty much agree with this. In my experience engineers struggled in law school, but math, econ, and hard science majors did not, for whatever reason. I’m not sure why that is really. Just anecdotal. Of the ones in my class who were Law Review (top 10% of class), we came from a mix. Private top 100(Usc, Vanderbilt, Gtown, Syracuse that I can remember), state schools like Wisconsin, UMass, W&M, and SLACS like Bowdoin, Holy Cross, Grinnell, Haverford, F&M. Those are the ones I can remember. There were 25-30 of us. PoliSci offered no real advantage. No major did that I can recall.

We are very analytical. I loved English and Bio in HS. My dad suggested the science major since I dabbled in thinking of medicine.

My highest part of the SAT was the analytical section which didn't even count, near perfect score.

I loved critical analysis and creative writing. I always knew the underlying theme of a novel and to this day watching movies and series I am telling everyone what something meant or was inferred long before they see it.

I stayed in science, but write and analyze for a living. I am not in a lab. So many of my friends have a science degree and a law degree and found law school a cake walk.

I do have one friend that was an English major at UVA and went to Med school and is now a doctor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-law-school
Best law school feeder schools.

This is very interesting. The top feeder list is roughly reflecting usnwr rankings with two exceptions, Yeshiva and Brandeis. What is special about these two t50+?

Feeders are NOT a thing. Correlation is not causation.

What are you talking about, what causation. Obviously if you go to these feeder schools they prepare you well for top law schools, so you have a better chance of being accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a T-14 law professor and have served on our admissions committee. OP, major really does not matter. GPA and test scores matter.

Does anything other than GPA/LSAT matter? Like references, personal statements, ECs

Yes, there are things that matter for applicants on the bubble, but only those in the narrow "maybe" range. More than 90% get in on GPA and LSAT alone. On the bubble schools may care about things that show maturity or improved employment prospects. For example, having a PhD in the hard sciences, being a Rhodes Scholar, having done Peace Corps, having done Teach for America, having been a foster child, having overcome extreme personal adversity, etc. None of these are a substitute for a good GPA and LSAT, but can help if your scores are on the cusp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get the highest undergraduate GPA possible. Major is totally irrelevant. In fact, a Theatre major would stand out in a sea of polisci majors applying to law school

Supplement the high GPA with some kind of relevant interest that connects to law school. Like volunteer for a drama program that works with incarcerated people or with at-risk kids. Then write a personal statement about how this experience has been the inspiration for a career using the law to address societal iniquity

Get a 170+ on the LSAT

+1 don't worry about "pre-law" and study what DC is excited about and does well in

Going to a higher ranked college is a huge leg up as well, just in terms of the numbers of who is admitted to the same selective grad programs at those colleges

- HYS undergrad and law school grad here

HLS Class of 2024 has graduates of 171 colleges, many of which are "no name" schools. Yes, higher ranked schools are leg up, but you're overstating how much of a leg up they are.

https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/undergraduate-colleges/

The common thread is most of these students will have high LSAT scores and high GPAs. The school doesn't matter that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get the highest undergraduate GPA possible. Major is totally irrelevant. In fact, a Theatre major would stand out in a sea of polisci majors applying to law school

Supplement the high GPA with some kind of relevant interest that connects to law school. Like volunteer for a drama program that works with incarcerated people or with at-risk kids. Then write a personal statement about how this experience has been the inspiration for a career using the law to address societal iniquity

Get a 170+ on the LSAT

+1 don't worry about "pre-law" and study what DC is excited about and does well in

Going to a higher ranked college is a huge leg up as well, just in terms of the numbers of who is admitted to the same selective grad programs at those colleges

- HYS undergrad and law school grad here

HLS Class of 2024 has graduates of 171 colleges, many of which are "no name" schools. Yes, higher ranked schools are leg up, but you're overstating how much of a leg up they are.

https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/undergraduate-colleges/

Harvard undergrad and HLS grad. I agree with PP. Yes, Harvard sent a lot to HLS, but they had many applying. At the end of the day, you still need a high gpa and LSAT. A student from a "lower ranked" college with srong grades and scores would get into HLS over a mediocre H grad.

Harvard probably has a lot of students with interest in Harvard Law, but because Harvard College is so selective, the school is also producing a higher percentage of graduates that have high LSAT scores and high GPAs than the average undergraduate school. It is as simple as that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-law-school
Best law school feeder schools.

This is very interesting. The top feeder list is roughly reflecting usnwr rankings with two exceptions, Yeshiva and Brandeis. What is special about these two t50+?

Feeders are NOT a thing. Correlation is not causation.

What are you talking about, what causation. Obviously if you go to these feeder schools they prepare you well for top law schools, so you have a better chance of being accepted.

No. Going to a top college does not increase an individual's chances of admission to a top law school.

GPA + LSAT are what matter for T14 law school admission. There is no special "preparation" for law school. Yes, thinking logically and being able to write are helpful, but that preparation can be done anywhere, and are unrelated to law school admission. LSAT: take a prep course. College does not prepare you for the LSAT.

Time and time again, these threads about "feeders" for law schools devolve into lawyers saying that feeders are not a thing and nonlawyer parents and, more often, high school students claiming that feeders are a thing. Sorry, this is a pet peeve. There is no need to attend a "feeder" to increase one's chances of admission to a top law school.