Hello, I was interested in going to Law School after my bachelors. I was interested/admitted to the business programs at UNT, UTD and Baylor in Texas (interested in streams such as logistics and supply chain, economics, business analytics etc.). I like business and feel it will assist me in Law School, and will be a more marketable skill in the work force should i change my mind in attending law school. Political Science was the other major i was considering, but worried about due to the low marketability if one doesn’t go the Law route. Due to my interest in both these majors, I was wondering what would see more success in helping me get into a good Law School, and which one out of the two majors would be recommended overall. Thanks for any advice/assistance.
Honestly, neither in and of themselves. If you are likely to get better grades in one or the other, choose that one- just try to take some courses with heavy reading and writing, to keep those skills sharp. GPA and GMAT are the keys; law internships aren’t essential but don’t hurt & can be helpful.
LSAT, not GMAT, is the test for law school application.
oh #@$&*@#$(&.
Thanks, @ucbalumnus- I did know that! Was distracted…
I think if you like both equally, it would make sense to take the business major, because, as you suggest, it will probably be more helpful to you if you don’t end up going to Law School. In terms of preparation for law school, it doesn’t matter. I agree with the comment above that in terms of getting into law school, take the one that you’re likely to do better in (which is probably the one you like better).
Yes, and keep your reading, writing, and logic skills sharp with practice (in and out of class).
Major in one, minor in the other. It really doesn’t matter. My BS is in Political Science, but I have an ‘unofficial’ minor in business. I work in financial services and I often use my legal research and law classes in my daily work.
If I could look at myself the mirror afterward, I would consider going to law school. Of course, at my age the ROI is not really there. LOL
In terms of getting into politics, both majors seem to be equally useful. Im thinking i’ll get a BS in logistics and supply chain, MS in Public Administration and a JD in Law School. After that I’ll work myself into a political position or one involving the gov’t.
I would actually modify slightly and say that it does matter, in terms of preparation for the LSAT and law school. The LSAT is a test of critical and logical thinking, and law school is big on those skills plus a lot of writing. Traditional liberal arts and sciences majors tend to have those more heavily in their curricula than professional majors like business do.
The solution, though, is simply to ensure that you take courses that will improve your writing ability and your ability to think critically and logically. Even if you major in business, minoring in political science and seeking out writing-intensive classes can do the trick.
thanks for the tips. I’ll look at the minor.
“In terms of getting into politics, both majors seem to be equally useful. Im thinking i’ll get a BS in logistics and supply chain, MS in Public Administration and a JD in Law School. After that I’ll work myself into a political position or one involving the gov’t.”
While education is a good thing-and this is just a general suggestion-have you planned for the expense of obtaining the three degrees you mention above? Debt for education has long been a reality, but the cost at a private school, such as Baylor, for BS/MS/JD would be significant. Even at a well-funded public university the cost would be substantial.
I second the suggestion of majoring in SCM and minoring in political science (or, for law school, philosophy or English - business majors get less exposure to reading/writing so you need to compensate for that with a reading/writing heavy minor).
What’s the net cost at each of the three universities?
(To figure out net cost, add tuition+fees+r&b, and subtract grants/scholarships you got. Do not subtract any loan).
Cost is something im cognizant of. I’d go to a university that offers me scholarships in terms of Bachelors, UNT is very affordable after this, its like half off normal cost. Masters is something im unsure if I want to do. I’ll explore that option when i get there. Law school is something that i plan on doing. I think i’ll work in the private sector after undergrad to build up some funds, then go the law school route.
Business majors are a dime a dozen. PolySci majors are a dime a dozen. Law school grads are a dime a dozen. A law school grad w a STEM background, especially engineering, are in higher demand.
I have no interest or aptitude for engineering. I appreciate the advice though. SCM isnt a run of the mill business degree. I think i’ll be fine.
Supply chain management is more technical than most business majors, and I think has relatively good job prospects. I think you’ll be fine with that major. Not everyone can major in engineering (for aptitude, but also if everyone does we’ll have a glut and salaries will go down anyway).
I had a lawyer tell my daughter this past weekend that if he had to do it over again he wouldn’t major in political science. He recommended business as a practical degree or English to hone the writing skills necessary for law school.
In many ways, Law School admissions is more straightforward than undergraduate admissions. You need a strong LSAT score and a good undergraduate GPA. My D plans on attending Law School and she’s double majoring in political science and math. If she doesn’t go to law school, the math is probably more marketable. If you do go to Law School go to a top Law School if you can. Career outcomes for attorneys graduating from top Law Schools are much, much better than those attending less prestigious Law Schools.Starting salaries from the top 14 Law Schools today average something like $160K/year while those who graduate from less prestigious Law Schools are lucky to find gainful employment where they use their law degree. To get into a top Law School you will need an LSAT above 170 and a solid undergraduate GPA, 3.7 or higher
Is your daughter able to maintain that 3.7 while double majoring? I imagine it wouldnt be an easy feat to accomplish. Lots of burning the midnight oil.
How good of a law school would it have to be to gain success? Harvard and yale will be extremely difficult, What about the tier of Baylor law and UT austin law ?