<p>How tough is it to get in?</p>
<p>Should I take time off to work after I finish my bachelors or not?</p>
<p>Are you still in high school, or are you in college? You need a good LSAT and undergrad GPA. I'm sure you can find the current medians online. Law schools, for the most part, don't care about much else. If you want to take time off to do something interesting or that you want to do, you should. If you think time off would help you get into a law school that you wouldn't ordinarily get into, you're mistaken.</p>
<p>I am currently studying at UC Berkeley, in my second year.</p>
<p>I see. Supposedly 2/3 of the accepted applicants to Columbia Law took time off to work.</p>
<p>It's just I have to finance my entire graduate education by myself, and I can't pull 150,000 from nowhere.</p>
<p>I might have to work just to earn some money, but wouldn't work experience also improve my chances?</p>
<p>Edit: I'm kind of worried. I kept a 3.8 GPA my first year at university, but this semester is definitely not going as well...</p>
<p>I figure I have to do extremely well for the next 3 semesters. Also, do they see the first semester grades of your senior year when considering your application?</p>
<p>I think the 2/3 number is too high. I'd say closer to 1/2 is more accurate. But it is true that many students take time off before law school. That does not mean that taking time off helps you in any way. The numbers of applicants accepted right out of college resemble those of applicants who have taken time off. So no, it wouldn't improve your chances (but it won't hurt either). It just doesn't matter.</p>
<p>Most people finance law school on their own. That is a huge amount of debt, but you're essentially guaranteed a job paying $155,000 (including bonus) if you go to a top law school and choose to work at a firm.</p>
<p>Is working for a couple years at a post-college job really going to pay for law school? Someone with a bachelor's degree isn't going to make more than 55-60K right out of college, which means you won't be able to save very much of anything if you live in a major city.</p>
<p>They probably won't see your senior grades since you apply in September or October. If they're good and you don't hear from schools by January, you can send them your senior grades if they're good.</p>
<p>I actually got the number off Columbia Law's website. Approximately 30% of the accepted applicants applied straight from undergrad and it seems many people are freaking old when they apply. By old, I mean older than 21 which is when most people graduate from college.</p>
<p>I heard from a person who is applying to graduate school that work experience does help, especially if you work as a paralegal or some other job related to law. I mean, how else are you supposed to stand out from applicants who all have great GPAs/great LSAT scores? Or is it purely number-crunching?</p>
<p>Is there any advice that you can give to me regarding ECs?</p>
<p>Also, I am currently a double major in economics & English. Does being a double major help at all or not really? Does the admissions office take this into account when considering the apps? </p>
<p>In other words, is it better to do half the amount of work and do well, or do the full amount of work of two majors and do well, but not as well?</p>
<p>Yes, it is essentially number crunching. The LSAT is skewed pretty low, so it isn't as if there are all that many people getting 180's. So, they can definitely separate people on the basis of a couple LSAT points.</p>
<p>As I've said, ECs don't really matter. It is all LSAT and GPA. The double major isn't going to help you either, since you won't get any "bonus points." You should do it if you want to, not because you think it will help you get into law school.</p>
<p>Well the reasons I am double majoring are:
1) I like English, but let's face it, it's not useful. If I had to choose a major, I'd probably pick this one.
2) Economics is something to fall back on, in case law does not work out. Nevertheless, I intend on being a lawyer.
3) While economics gives me logical skills, English enhances my writing and ability to analyze.
4) My father would disown me if I chose to do a liberal art without anything else.</p>
<p>Despite all this, it seems easier to have one major, and I wonder if I am doing the right thing. The double major gives me more skills to use as a lawyer, but having one major would probably raise my GPA.</p>
<p>As for the LSAT, I haven't started preparing yet. Would you recommend just looking at the prep books and practicing the examples? Would that suffice?</p>
<p>Who said you'll necessarily get a lower GPA as a double major? Do you have to overload on classes? You do have good reasons for choosing a double major. Go for it. Econ is a liberal art, by the way.</p>
<p>Get ahold of actual past LSATs (they're all released) and do them. That's the best practice.</p>
<p>Yes I do have to overload actually. My father is only paying for 4 years, and hence I must graduate within 4 years.</p>
<p>That bastard.</p>
<p>Economics is a social science, not a liberal art. It actually requires some mathematics/statistics, not merely addition either.</p>
<p>Where can I get some released LSATs?</p>
<p>Edit: Are/were you a science major? It seems that engineering/science majors believe everything else is a liberal art, like my father for example. ;)</p>
<p>I would say that the social sciences are within the liberal arts category. Yes, I'm a tech person. You are right that econ has a ton of math, particularly at the PhD level.</p>
<p>The LSAT people sell released tests. There are probably better ways to get them. I don't remember. Check with people who are going through the process now.</p>