I’m an incoming freshman at CMC. I know it’s kind of early, but my post graduate plans are to go to law school (Yale, Harvard, Columbia, or Stanford, etc.) and I was wondering how difficult it is to receive an A at CMC. Does it have grade inflation? Are there certain majors where A’s are harder to come by?
What kind of GPA at CMC is competitive for the law schools mentioned above?
Thank you
It’s not too early to plan for law school. You’re going to need outstanding grades throughout your 4 years as an undergrad so it’s good that you’re making plans now.
I think a lot of students who want to go to law school aim for a 3.9+, which is equal to one A- every semester. I can tell you from experience that this will require lots of studying and many nights where you’ll be missing out on social events. It’s doable as long as you make the commitment early on.
@Carotid I’m interested in taking Arabic. I understand it’s not the easiest language so would an A- be feasible?
And I read or heard somewhere that professors in some majors, such as economics give out a certain amount of As. Is this true? If so, should I avoid these majors and what other majors would having a 3.9+ be more feasible? I know I can’t escape working hard but I still want some time for fun.
Thanks!:
You need to carefully investigate the crisis that now exists even at the very good law schools. A good friend’s son just graduated from Stanford and while there are jobs for these top grads the atmosphere is very negative. Even from these top schools most attorneys will never make partner. You have plenty of time but look carefully.
Thanks for the advice. I have very ambitious goals ( becoming a federal judge/SCOTUS/or entering politics) and think that law school is the most obvious plan. I want a major that’s not too hard to get a high GPA but also good enough to leave me with good job prospects in case I decide not to go to law school right away or not at all. I’m not sure what to do and I’m trying to settle this soon.
My girlfriend is taking Arabic and she loves it. The main professor chairs the modern languages department. Everyone says that he’s great and likes to teach you about the atmosphere in the Middle East. As long as you show your professor that you genuinely care about doing well in his/her class, it is very possible to get an A.
I haven’t heard of professors who give out certain amount of A’s. That usually only happens at large state schools where grading is done at a curve for classrooms of 100+ students. Major in anything you’re interested in. I would explore the PPE and Gov. programs. The faculty for both are phenomenal.
And go to law school if you want to be a lawyer. If you have any other reasons (ex: politician), then don’t go.
@Carotid I think I actually sat in one of his Arabic classes when I visited.
I’m actually looking into both of those. Psychology and the leadership and human rights sequences sound interesting.
And I’m currently debating that. What other paths are there to high politics?
Well… there are lots of different ways. Just research the backgrounds of current presidential candidates if you’re curious. For example, Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist while Donald Trump is an extremely successful real estate businessman. Nothing is certain, so just pick anything that you’d be interested in. If your focus is 100% politics/government, you could always work as a staffer for a government official post-graduation. Hell, you could even go work for the CIA if you really wanted to (they do recruit on campus).
Now that I think about it that was a stupid question, but thanks. haha I’m still pretty sure I want to be a lawyer, but I’m a very indecisive person.
Donald Trump is not a politician.
Hahaha true @HSAnon1997
The question asked about a path to high politics. Trump is on that path, whether or not he wins the nomination. He’s going to affect the way that everyday Americans view politicians, whether or not you like him.