Georgetown vs. UCLA vs. UVa.? Advice please?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Okay...Here are some facts:
1. Applied as a STEM student, biology/chemistry/global health to be exact. Once I was absolutely convinced that I would end up in laboratory, yet quite ironically, I was no longer so sure after having spent a year in a biological research project. I find my interest still lay in social science (which is always my interest, though never considered as a potential career).</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Plan to go to law school.</p></li>
<li><p>Not in-state for neither ucla nor uva. Parent agree to pay for my undergraduate education, but probably will have to take a loan for law school.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>And here are the problems:
1. With such a volatile interest, and considering that I haven't done as much research/study in social science than in natural science, is it a rash decision to major in something relatively new? Also, I'm always under such impression that although GU offers AWESOME IR/government/history courses, its science sucks...</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Everyone keeps telling me when applying for law schools, all they care about are GPA and LSAT score, so which school you are in doesn't matter at all. Is that true? And if it is, in which of the three schools am I more likely to get a high GPA?</p></li>
<li><p>Although my parent can afford the tuition, I know it's still a huge burden for them...So, if I choose a private university over a public one, is the extra tuition actually worth it?</p></li>
<li><p>Which of the three is more prestigious? And which offers a better network/resource?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Really a tough choice to make...HEEEELP!!</p>

2

<p>A few observations/thoughts:</p>

<p>(1) Don’t be overly concerned about the “prestige” (or lack thereof) of your undergraduate school, if indeed you ultimately will be applying to law school (nor would I be concerned about the “prestige” of your law school, either). If networking or resources is something that you are concerned about, direct that concern to the law school that you seek to enter, not your undergraduate college/university.</p>

<p>(2) Majoring in something other than a social science might be an advantage when applying to law schools, which are deluged with history/political science/English major applicants. Further, majoring in a science or engineering would be a benefit if you are interested in patent law down the road. Whatever you major in, the intellectual rigor of the program is the key.</p>

<p>(3) Choose an undergraduate college/university where you will (A) not be overly burdened with debt upon graduation, (B) find a major program that interests and challenges you, and © be able to enjoy your undergraduate experience from a social perspective.</p>

3

<p>If you’re unsure about your major then choose a college which has the breadth and depth of courses that would allow you to defer your “which major” decision for 1-2 years without compromising quality. UCLA and UVa are the better choices from that perspective. In terms of which university grades most leniently, your options are all extraordinarily great universities and I doubt that any of them offer easy courses or grade inflation. From an academic perspective you’ll have to work very hard at any of them.</p>