<p>I'm a senior in high school right now, and I'll be attending UT-Austin in the fall. I'll be majoring in Government/Political Science, and will go to Law School after graduation.
After researching and reading a few comments on here, i got the idea that it does not matter one single bit where you go for undergrad. A person could attend some dinky little college and have the same chances of getting into Law school as the kid who went to the best public university in Texas. (As long as s/he has a high GPA and LSAT score, of course.)
It's really starting to make me regret accepting my admission to UT. It'll be that much harder to make all As and that much more expensive vs. Cheap&Easy University.</p>
<p>But, I really want to go to one of the T6 Law Schools. So, if I graduate from UT with a, let's say 3.8 GPA and a 170+ on my LSAT, will the fact that I attended UT increase my chances of getting into a T6? As opposed to going to Cheap&Easy University with the same stats?</p>
<p>If you and the other candidate have completely identical applications except for undergraduate institution attended, where you went to undergrad will give you an edge. But that hypothetical situation doesn’t really exist in the real world.</p>
<p>In terms of law school admissions, it doesn’t matter where you go for your undergrad, but just because UT Austin is a prestigious school doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be more difficult than a lower ranked and less prestigious school. You could still take easier classes at Texas and get a high GPA.</p>
<p>If you eventually decide that law school isn’t for you, going to a better school like UT Austin will help you than going to some crappy school. Going to Texas will give you more opportunities than going somewhere small and less prestigious. You also shouldn’t just assume that you will get a 3.8 and a 170+ LSAT. It’s obviously possible, but it shouldn’t be assumed.</p>
<p>But YaleAlumnus is correct, where you go for your bachelor’s degree won’t matter unless your application is otherwise identical to someone else.</p>
<p>I agree with Invictus. </p>
<p>Don’t underestimate how much going to a school with significant challenges and opportunities, like UT, may help you in finding a job, developing subject matter for your personal statement in your law school application, getting to know your professors, who will write you recommendations, and in otherwise helping you learn studying skills, life skills, and more about yourself. In addition, don’t underestimate how much alumni connections may help you in the job search process later on. All of these things will be invaluable to you both in the law school application process, but also later throughout your life. It’s hard to imagine that attending UT could be a bad choice for you.</p>
<p>Never underestimate the value of an open mind. You are saying definitively that you are going to law school. You are short changing yourself when you view undergrad as stepping stone on the path to law school. Open yourself to other possibilities. You may become passionate about something completely different at UT. If that happens, you will be glad you are graduating from UT rather than Cheap & Easy U.</p>