<p>Hi I'm a junior and was wondering what schools offer the toughest and most sought after pre-law curriculums
GPA: 3.6 unweighted (So far)
Weighted (3.8)</p>
<p>New York University, Cornell University, Fordham University, Loyola University of Chicago (I heard it is pretty decent), and Syracuse University. However, I would not advise to only focus on pre-law as a major. Explore your options. I do however recommend that you consult with a pre-law advisor when you are in college. Just so that he or she can advise you properly and effectively; no matter your major.</p>
<p>University of Chicago is undoubtedly one of the toughest schools out there, but Loyola (unfortunately) doesn't have the same reputation. I'm not bashing Loyola, because I'm going there.
:)</p>
<p>To answer the original poster's question, I will provide an excerpt from the Harvard Law School website: </p>
<p>"The Harvard Law School faculty prescribes no fixed requirements with respect to the content of pre-legal education. The nature of candidates' college work, as well as the quality of academic performance, is taken into account in the selection process. As preparation for law school, a broad college education is usually preferable to one that is narrowly specialized. The Admissions Committee looks for a showing of thorough learning in a field of your choice, such as history, economics, government, philosophy, mathematics, science, literature or the classics, rather than a concentration in courses given primarily as vocational training. The Admissions Committee considers that those programs approaching their subjects on a more theoretical level, with attention to educational breadth, are better preparatory training for the legal profession than those emphasizing the practical."</p>
<p>Does this mean that Harvard doesn't look favorably on engineers whose education might be considered more "practical" or "vocational"?</p>
<p>NYU does not have a set pre-law curriculum.</p>
<p>Oh yeah they don't; they used to have it as a major. Sorry for the misinformation. I didn't know U Chicago had a distinctive Pre-law program, is this true? But zag21, I would want for you to find a school that can properly prepare you for law; however, I don't want you to only focus on "Pre-law" as a field of study. Study something that also interests you so that if law fails then you have something to fall back on. Besides, law schools do not have restrictions on any major.</p>
<p>Top feeder schools into top grad programs (including top law schools and top business schools), according to a Wall Street Journal survey, are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Williams, Princeton, Amherst, Dartmouth, Duke, and Columbia in some order.</p>
<p>Of course thats not just pre-law, and its probably not the best source. </p>
<p>By the way, pre-law could mean any major basically (econ, polisci, natural sciences, math, engineering, english)</p>
<p>I think "pre-law" is what law schools consider "practical" or "vocational" training, because it's strictly pre-professional. Some colleges offer it as a major, but law schools like Harvard would rather have students major in the liberal arts/sciences.</p>
<p>For pre-law, you want a place that's prestigious and offers grade inflation, so schools like the Ivies and Stanford are the best.</p>
<p>
[quote]
By the way, pre-law could mean any major basically (econ, polisci, natural sciences, math, engineering, english)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No. 'Pre-law' is a specific major with a specific curriculum.</p>
<p>One would do well to eschew pre-law programs, for they can be detrimental to admissions at top law schools.</p>
<p>Wait, there's actually a "pre-law" major?</p>
<p>Yeah, there is.</p>
<p>As a practicing lawyer who hires lawyers as part of my job, consider taking courses that force you to think logically and critically; write as much as you can and find opportunities to engage in public speaking. Use a couple of your summers to work in a law-related job. Also, think about whether you are a detail oriented person who can tolerate working long hours. If not, you may have saved yourself some precious time. While not all law jobs require you to work long hours, doing an excellent job at most complex legal tasks requires a level of preparation that most people are not used to. Good luck!</p>
<p>You can be "pre-law" in any major of your choosing. You can decide, years after graduation, to go to law school. All that happens is that you are preparing to go to law school, considering your options, etc - very informal.</p>
<p>Some schools have "pre-law" majors, but those are considered to be undesirable by top admissions committees.</p>
<p>Many schools try to prepare their students for law school, and/or have a lot of students who go to good law schools. Those would be good "pre-law" schools.</p>
<p>So when you are asking about "pre-law," try to make sure you know what you are asking about. Do you want to fulfill requirements (and recommendations) for law school, a specific major, or a good school?</p>
<p>Isn't it true that law schools prefer students who do not major in legal studies/pre-law?</p>
<p>Ariesathena: If you don't mind me asking, when you mention letters of recommendation and getting to know your professors well, would GSIs' letters of recommendation act well as substitutes? It's rather difficult at Berkeley to know the professors well, and many discourage office visits. It seems many professors here focus on research.</p>
<p>When I said "recommendations," I meant something other than LORs. Basically, for law school, you need a bachelor's degree and an LSAT score (well, you also need $99 to sign up for LSDAS, but details). Now, there's a lot of things that someone considering law school should do, like taking classes with intensive reading, writing instruction, and research. Technical writing classes can be useful; spending some time to figure out what kinds of law interest you is probably good before you commit thousands of dollars and three years of your life to law school.</p>
<p>Now, I'll actually answer your question. ;) Read Law School Confidential by Robert Miller. Pick up the 2000 edition if you can find it online (the 2004 is the new one), because the Penn admisisons dean discussed that issue. Sure, that applies only to applications that she sees, but her advice is that, if you go to a huge school, to get recommendations from the people who know you and can evaluate your work. Teaching assistants often fit that bill better than highly regarded professors. The only caveat is that law schools want students who have gotten to know their professors and stood out in class: law school, after all, is based on intensive class discussion. That might be something to discuss with admisisons people at the LSAC fairs.</p>
<p>ariesathena, do you go to UPenn law school, if so or not, where did u do ur underground work</p>
<p>No, I just read the interview with the Penn admissions dean.</p>
<p>There's so such thing as a pre-law major, just like there's no pre-med major. Some mediocre schools may offer something bogus like "pre-law studies" but everyone including law schools know those are jokes.</p>