<p>Hi everyone..</p>
<p>I'm a little anxious freshmen entering a community college this fall due to the rejection from UC Berkeley. I'm pretty much worried about my undergrad and how it will affect my admssion to the top law schools like Yale, Stanford, and Harvard. My dream has been to go to Yale that I've been studying LSAT after my high school graduation. So please, future lawyers, give me some advices.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>You didnt have any safeties after UC berkeley?</p>
<p>Wow, LSAT after high school graduation? Incredible.</p>
<p>the first piece of advise i would have for you is to calm down.</p>
<p>second, you can't define your aspirations in terms of getting into one extremely difficult to get in to law school - tons of people really really want to go to YLS - most of them don't get to - and most of them who do, do so after doing something else immediately after college (there was an earlier thread that had an article about Yale admissions). start thinking more in terms of why you want to be a lawyer and what you hope to get out of law school.</p>
<p>but even before that - think about what you want to get out of your undergraduate career other than getting into law school. you have 4 years ahead of you that can be some of the best years of your life - but if you spend those 4 years trying to evaluate how everything you do may effect you getting into YLS, you aren't going to get everything you can out of them. And even though you've apparently had law school on the mind for a long time - use the four years ahead of you to really look into what you want - even if it still ends up being law school, the next four years can help shape what you expect from law school and the practice of law.</p>
<p>Excellent advice from UnbelievableM.</p>
<p>Even a merely "above average" Berkeley student cannot get into Harvard Yale Stanford law schools. If Berkeley won't accept you as an undergraduate, I suspect you may have set your goals a little too high. You can have just as successful of a career by being at the top of your class at a regional law school as you would graduating from HYS. There are many good ones in Calif. I would suggest you perform extremely well at community college, transfer to a solid four year undergradute program, perform extremely well there and then go to a good regional law school. If you can accomplish all that, you should consider yourself an amazing person.</p>
<p>Razorsharp, i agree with you, but i would like to point out that above averages students from the top 40 colleges cannot get into the best grad and professional schools. The students who get into these need to be merely fantastic to get into these programs. It's harder than getting into undergrad, that's for sure.</p>
<p>I think Razorsharp is being a bit harsh. Among other things, we know very little about the OP. What if the OP is an immigrant who has been in the US less than 6 years? --what if the OP is a late bloomer who didn't do well until junior year of high school? What if his/her high school performance was affected by family problems like divorce, a parent with substance abuse problems, etc., and these issues have now been resolved? </p>
<p>I do agree though that it's pretty silly to study for the LSAT now. Here's what I would recommend. Check to see what 4 year schools, if any, have articulation agreements with the CC you will attend. Take courses at the CC that you will get credit for at those colleges. Remember that your CC grades will be included in your gpa for purposes of law school admission. Forget about studying for the LSAT and work on your basic skills. If you will be taking classes in any subjects you are weak in, review now. See if you can get a copy of last year's final and take a look at it to get an idea of the material that will be covered. For example, if you have to take a math class and you are weak in math, spend your time reviewing math concepts. If you read slowly, take a course to improve your speed. </p>
<p>I know --or knew--many young people who are students at top law schools . I say knew because I knew many of them when they were in high school. Some of them weren't exactly valedictorians of their high school classes. Not everyone who gets into a top law school got straight As in high school.</p>
<p>I do agree that you shouldn't measure your self-worth by whether or not you get into YHS Law. But I see no reason why right now you should be telling yourself to aim for a regional law school.</p>
<p>I agree with Jonri.</p>
<p>Aim high; very high, if you must. But, also, be realistic.</p>
<p>I hear community colleges in CA tend to be very decent academically speaking. However, I would still try to go to a solid 4-year school right out of high school. You can still transfer from there. I don't know what your rationale is for choosing the community college, but I don't know details -mind to share?</p>
<p>Having said that, I'll repeat myself: </p>
<p>Aim high, very high if you must. But, be realistic. ;)</p>
<p>wf</p>
<p>P.S. Somebody mentioned aiming for top regional schools (<em>whispers</em> tranferring law schools is also possible...so if you really want a top law degree, don't stop dreaming -but you have to work hard ;))</p>
<p>P.P.S. Talk to as many professionals in person as you may -this includes attorneys, professors, and admissions people. Oh yeah, and take what people say here for a grain of salt:D</p>
<p>It's not like you have to go to law school straight out of undergrad. Geez, people. </p>
<p>Mai can certainly transfer into a four-year school, do very well, and take some time off before going to law school. That time off can include LSAT studying - which should not be done now. It can include a master's degree, work experience, an MBA, or whatever - but all of those things would probably make the OP a more attractive candidate for law school than would be coming straight out of undergrad.</p>
<p>Law school admissions also depend on things like the economy. If you want to give yourself a better chance, apply when the economy is booming - because people decide to get jobs then, not go to grad school. Generally speaking, during a good economy, about 100,000 people take the LSAT every year. During a weak economy, about 150,000 people take it every year. </p>
<p>I also agree that high school performance is not indicative of law school. (Yes, this is for all of you people who give us your high school stats and ask your chances at Harvard Law.) Your performance in college, coupled with your LSAT, is what determines which law school you'll go to. </p>
<p>Could be wrong, but if the OP transfers to a very solid undergraduate programme and does extremely well, that, coupled with a high LSAT score, could be the ticket to a top law school.</p>
<p>great advice...IMO</p>
<p>i was in the same situation as some of the aforementioned where my High School performance was not my full potential to say the least</p>
<p>i did my best at the local Community College and will be attending USC undergrad</p>
<p>guess i'm evidence that the above can happen and hopefully keep striving for even better, bigger dreams</p>
<p>
[quote]
If Berkeley won't accept you as an undergraduate, I suspect you may have set your goals a little too high.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I was rejected from Berkeley UG (although it was EECS out of state) and now attend Stanford's EE PhD program.</p>
<p>Young people should aim high. I aimed higher than the targets I ended up hitting. I entered high school dreaming of being president of the US, entered law school dreaming of being an associate justice of the Supreme Court, and entered the "real world" wanting to get a decent job. </p>
<p>Growing up is usually a process of scaling back your ambitions. Scale them back prematurely, though, and you're in danger of not achieving your real potential.</p>
<p>The George Bush who graduated from high school in the mid-60's would not have made it into U.C. Berkeley this year. He wanted to get into the University of Texas law school when he graduated from Yale, and likewise failed.</p>
<p>Mai, as a once-famous song much older than you says, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. There are plenty of people who started off at community colleges who have proven in the long run to be very successful.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post, IM_blue..I guess you still show me that I have chances anyway..The reason why I picked a cc, whoever this may concern, is because my parents and I were in financial ruin even though I got in UC SB and other UCs.</p>
<p>mai:</p>
<p>I strongly suggest that if you qualify for financial aid, you go to a UC instead. I really mean it. Loans are not always a bad thing. Transferring from a UC school will be far easier than from a CC (read:academic reputation/ credibility.) Ultimately, it is up to you. However, that is my advice, and I really mean it -that's if you are really aiming/hoping to go to a top 10 law schools.</p>
<p>Best of luck,</p>
<p>wf</p>
<p>I frequently hear people say you should set your goals very high and aim for those goals/dreams. To support this thesis, the proponent offers examples of people who with big dreams who obtained those dreams. There are certainly examples of such success. Success always draws attention, failure, on the other hand, does not. For every "follow your dream" success story, there are thousands of stories of people with bloted expectations who have crashed and burned and find themselves unhappy or depressed. For example, I know of hundreds of young students whose only dream is to be a professional football player. We all know how that ends. </p>
<p>Anyway, for the majority of people, there is a realistic and reasonable path to success and happiness. It starts with setting reasonable, simple, and attainable goals. As one achieves a specified goal, he or she should add another goal, possibly a higher, more difficult goal. As one achieves a series of smaller attainable goals on a consistent basis, he or she will obtain a level of confidence that will propel him or her to the next level. For example, rather than saying I am going to commuity college but my goal is to get into HYS law school, a better approach is to say my goal is to get into the best law school I can and in order to accomplish that goal I will set a goal of excelling in community college and using my success to transfer into a solid undergrad program where my goal will be to excell academically to make me attractive to law schools. Following this path is more likely to get you into HYS law school than simply clicking your heals and wishing you were back in Kansas.</p>
<p>I have to disagree completely with you, Razorsharp...</p>
<p>First, you say: "I know of hundreds of young students whose only dream is to be a professional football player.We all know how that ends." </p>
<p>Let's not compare apples to oranges...we are talking "academic" success here, not athletics. Nobody told mai to simply "wish and hope"...she should aim high, AND work hard. Wishful thinking won't get anyone anywhere. But, hard work may. </p>
<p>Moreover, I also happen to know a few athletes that aimed high, worked hard and made it high -may be not NFL, but full athletic scholarships and other professional leagues are still major accomplishments. If they would have followed your advice, well, they probably wouldn't achieved what they did. There is a difference between: "I want to be a pro athlete" and "I'll work my hardest and see how far I get." If one stops aiming high because one doesn't think one will make it far, well, the battle is already lost. </p>
<p>As I said before: "Aim high; very high, if you must. But, be realistic." Aiming high will keep one motivated and goal oriented. Being realistic will prevent the "crash and burn" razorsharp mentions; it will also help one adjust one's goals accordingly.</p>
<p>Aim high, but have a back-up plan. Law school, unlike football, has really viable back-up options. I know someone who didn't get into Harvard... but got merit aid at top 10 schools. There really isn't much holding the OP back... he can take time off, build a resume, be an interesting person for law schools, and take the LSAT. Combine that with a very solid UGPA from a good (although not Harvard/Yale-type) school, and you have a very viable law school applicant.</p>
<p>I know people who were rejected from Harvard undergrad... and are at HLS now. Very different ballgame, but some people really blossom once they hit college.</p>
<p>Enough ranting. Time for a baseball game. :) (We can now play "Guess which city Aries is in," which, IMO, is a lot more fun than the other guessing games.)</p>
<p>comparing football or any other athletic activity to academics is a bit different. even the worst pro-basketball or football player was probably the best player on their high-school, and a very good player in their college years. in addition sports is largely based upon uncontrollable aspects of one's life. you cannot just 'work hard' and become a professional athlete, whereas in academics even a student with just mediocre talent who works hard and definitely go places.</p>
<p>Well, I didn't read most replies but I agree studying for LSAT now is pretty silly. Take that time and study for your community college classes, get a 4.0 and transfer into a good university, get 4.0's there. Then study for a few months for the LSAT before you take it. it's not a substance test anyway, all the studying you do i believe merely makes you better at taking the test, it doesn't improve your underlying intelligence.</p>