<p>I've heard that graduating early (after only 3 yrs) from college is frequently frowned upon by law schools for admissions. This may be because applicants who have earned their undergrad. degree that quickly may be lacking the academic/intellectual experience that the senior year brings. Is this true? If it is, will graduating after 3 yrs but spending the 4th year in a law-related internship, etc. be any more favorable in the eyes of law schools?</p>
<p>Sorry, don't have an answer but I'd like to second the question. I'm looking at graduating early as a double-major from UCD. Will that hurt my chances as well?</p>
<p>Doubt it. If you have the stats you have the stats. And if you do badly, you can go get work experience and reapply later.</p>
<p>I doubt it can hurt.</p>
<p>but wouldn't graduating early drastically affect those stats? For example, if you were hoping to go to law school after graduating from undergrad early, you would only have 2 years of grades to show. Would that lead law schools to discount your GPA, which may be affected by "easier," intro-level courses rather than the more demanding courses taken junior/senior years?</p>
<p>How do you plan on graduating early without junior and senior level courses?</p>
<p>Obviously you cannot graduate early without upper-level classes... so if someone GRADUATES in 3 years they were able to take them, just like they took the intro classes.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat. If I major in spanish I could be done in 3 years easy. I am a freshman in 3rd year spanish. There is a 2 year portuguese requirement but I speak portuguese. So, I am already in upper-level classes as a freshman and I will continue to fulfill intro requirements and knock out some intro classes over the summer. </p>
<p>Anyway, I would love to graduate in 3 years but I had the same idea that it wouldn't look good. I am by no means an expert on this so........</p>
<p>if it means anything;</p>
<p>Tucker Max, of <a href="http://www.tuckermax.com%5B/url%5D">www.tuckermax.com</a> graduated from UChicago in 3 years, and then went on to Duke Law. He also posts his essay on the site.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I am in the same boat. If I major in spanish I could be done in 3 years easy. I am a freshman in 3rd year spanish. There is a 2 year portuguese requirement but I speak portuguese. So, I am already in upper-level classes as a freshman and I will continue to fulfill intro requirements and knock out some intro classes over the summer. </p>
<p>Anyway, I would love to graduate in 3 years but I had the same idea that it wouldn't look good. I am by no means an expert on this so........
[/quote]
</p>
<p>...and I am not sure how majoring in Spanish would compare to something more rigorous.</p>
<p>I agree nspeds. Especially considering I either double major in English lit and spanish or just do spanish. The options seem like 2 extremes as far as rigor. I am still trying to find the compelling reasons I should go the 3 year route.</p>
<p>I strongly suggest the double-major. It might not help significantly for law school admissions, but it will help prepare you better for the rigour of law school.</p>
<p>thanks for everyone's input...but can anyone share if/why exactly is graduating early (double major or not) frowned upon by law schools? Thanks.</p>
<p>Maybe they frown upon it because many people apply to law school after working for a few years - and graduating early from college and applying for admission right after graduation may seem to early for them for you to have the experience to be in law school. I myself can graduate in 3 years but I have decided to take some classes that would interest me my senior year to expand my variety of classes.</p>
<p>When speaking of admission to law school we know it is mainly lsat/gpa, but there are other factors (however small they may be) like ECs, work experience, major that can make a difference. I think law schools want to admit students that have proven themselves to be mature and hard-working. So a full 4-year coursload shows the experience they want.</p>
<p>I don't know whether graduating in three years will hinder your application to law school that much, but applying for summer and then permanent jobs at law firms, with judges, etc. when you are only 21 or 22 may definitely hurt you. Legal employers are looking for maturity, stability and dedication -- traits that they may question in someone who is a bit younger than their classmates at law school. I interview and hire law students for my law firm every fall, and I would generally hesitate to hire someone so young and unproven. Even if I really liked a youngish law student, I would have a difficult time convincing my colleagues to bring that student on board. My point is simply that getting into law school may not be the biggest problem raised by graduating early. However, someone who plans to graduate early and then work for a couple of years before applying to law school may not be hindered at all in the job hunt by having graduated early.</p>
<p>thanks again for everyone's help...so would graduating in 3 years and then working/interning/etc during the fourth year be a better alternative? (apply to law school in the fall of that 4th year, when you graduated in the preceding spring--->would it be difficult to have an effective application w/o being on campus to line up recommendations, get input for the essay, etc?)</p>
<p>What if you graduate in 3 years and then go to grad school for another 3?</p>
<p>I would like to know the same thing as post #16... my cumulative GPA will hover around the 3.9 mark by next May and assume I'd take the LSAT that June. Assuming my LSAT is consistent with these grades, will the fact I've had courses at 3 different institutions (35 CR Mich St., 35-38 CR U of Michigan, 8 CC, plus 12 AP which I realize don't go into GPA) diminish my record in any significant way when I apply to law schools in the Fall of 2007? I will be earning my undergrad degree from U of M.</p>
<p>Note that I would be graduating in 3 years and applying in Fall '07 after graduating in '05 from HS.</p>
<p>bump.......</p>
<p>Not to annoy people by bumping this again, but any insight would really be helpful.</p>