<p>Jimmy Carter grad from USNA</p>
<p>well then I don't see a point in paying 50 grand for private school... darnit why did i apply to so many private schools! :(</p>
<p>your logic is flawed firebird.</p>
<p>"how about for medical school? Is a 3.0 gpa at harvard better than a 3.7 at georgetown?"</p>
<p>The type of person that gets a 3.0 at Harvard isn't going to get a 3.7 at G-town.</p>
<p>Due to grade inflation, it's possible to get a great GPA at a top school AND still reap whatever other benefits that comes with being at a top school (prestige, small classes, chances to work with world-class professors, research opps, etc.). High GPA and top school are not mutually exclusive.</p>
<p>I know that the university of minnesota-twin cities isn't super prestigious, but this is what happened with my parents:
dad: stanford undergrad/ u of m - tc law school - has been a lawyer ever since. works on general council of company now.
stepdad: harvard undergrad/ u of m -tc law school. worked as a lawyer for many years. now owns a company with my mom
mom: iowa state/ u of m - tc law school lawyer for some years, then became CEO of several companies. now owns business with stepdad
stepmom: stanford undergrad/ stanford grad. elementary school teacher</p>
<p>uhh your dad, stepdad, and mom went to the same law school? and your dad went to the same undergrad as your stepmom? i wanna hear that story=P.</p>
<p>ahahaha i never thought about how scandalous that sounds before... sadly, it really isn't... my dad didn't meet my stepmom until an undergrad reunion some years ago, and my mom met my stepdad because they ended up working at the same company (he graduated from law school when she was in high school...)<br>
i'll have to think of a story that is funnier for the future...</p>
<p>I've thought about this often.. Would it be better to save money on a public school, or to go to a top 25 private college, do really well in college, and try to make it into an ivy league for grad school?</p>
<p>deai08 ... i'm NOT saying undergrad prestige doesnt matter! All i'm saying is if someone wants to go to grad school and since grad schools MOSTLY look at GPA+LSAT... then whats the point of going to a top school just for the name.. i'd rather go to ucsd/ucla over any midwest/northeast private school because of the weather and competition... i dunno for me I see it better to get a 3.7+ at a UC school than a 3.0-3.5 at a private school. A lot of people I know went to state schools and community colleges--->transferred to a state and went to harvard/penn/columbia law... but they had 3.7+gpa's and 165+ LSATS...they were obviously very smart, but didn't see a point in spending 50K for school or going to school in 10 degree F weather.</p>
<p>So I really don't know why i applied to so many privates haha -_-</p>
<p>but... if your not planning on attending grad school, then obviously shoot for the best.</p>
<p>GPA+LSAT is the core of it all... SOMEONE please correct me if I'm wrong</p>
<p>someone correct me if I am wrong about law school admissions...this matters a lot to me because I'm tired of stressing over college and attending the best school possible. Might as well go to a UC school since I live in Cali anyway..</p>
<p>ok.but if you end up not going to law school or having a bad lsat score, dont expect to get a very good job straight out of a low tier school.</p>
<p>yup... your right... but I'm not talkin low tier like a school that isnt even in the top 100.. i'm talking uc davis,irvine, san diego,LA</p>
<p>these are all schools in the top 50 in the nation out of 3600 colleges in America) so they aren't bad schools. It's just not a top 20 school which may cost 50,000 a year and I may receive the same education...</p>
<p>Uchicago was my top choice for a while, but when I realized this truth about law school admissions... the cold weather, grade deflation kinda scared me...my top three chocies have always been:
columbia
chicago
georgetown</p>
<p>but now dont see a point in them anymore.. i mean if i dont get financial aid...</p>
<p>bump....................</p>
<p>Not 100% on Law specifically, but professor recommendations can help you get into whichever grad school, and better schools will generally be beetter than that. Also, at least for business and most academic grad schools - there is an advantage to applying from a better school, mostly just an equalizer, rather than a bonus one way or another. And public school GPA's are not always easier - No curves for the elite private, vs. weeder courses with harsh curves for publics. Internships and work experience are also a part(at least you can get a recommendation that may boost your law chances), and better schools can get better internships.</p>
<p>And perhaps the easiest to overlook fact - top schools prepare you better for the tests. (also, advising could be better)</p>
<p>Med school is supposed to be nearly 100% GPA+MCAT, yet Williams College and many of the other 'top schools' that I've looked at have 90%+ Med school acceptance rates. Compare that to pretty abysmal rates at most schools.</p>
<p>In the end, despite all of that - cost effectiveness - you are best off at UCLA(then UCSD, then UCD). But your undergraduate experience goes beyond merely 'getting a job'. It really comes down to how prepared you and your parents are for paying for things, and how much aid you get.</p>
<p>i dunno i've seen a lot of kids from schools like iowa state, UCD, western oregon university with 3.6+ gpa's( not even close to a 4.0) but with a 170+ LSAt get into the top 14 law schools. I mean might as well go to a school where you know you can succeed at the top of the school instead of being in the lower 50 percent at a better school? Yes the LSAT scores are higher among private schools, but if you know your smart and can do well by self studying and taking courses, I don't see how a private school can help you MUCH more than what you can already do yourself.</p>
<p>someone I know:</p>
<p>undergrad: university of oregon (88 percent admit rate for undergrad)
3.6 gpa
170 LSAT( public school so he self studied and took no classes)</p>
<p>accepted into:
Upenn law
UCLA law
Duke law
UC berkeley Law
University of Chicago and Ann Arbor law schools</p>
<p>Classes that demand higher level logic improve your logic skills more.</p>
<p>when did this person apply to law school.recently?</p>
<p>yup the year 06-07.. they graduated undergrad in 07...</p>
<p>so pretty much it would make sense for a Californian( or any1 for that matter... but mainly Californians)to go to a UC school.. get a 3.6 gpa+( which really shouldn't be hard at all) and study HARD for the LSAT and hope for 170+?</p>
<p>Firebird, youre making the assumption that you'll get a 170+ LSAT. not to say that youre unintelligent in any way, but gauge the probability of scoring that well on the test before you come to any quick conclusions? also your friend seems to be an anomaly.a 3.6 isnt very impressive</p>