I’m currently finishing my second year at UMass Amherst and am graduating a year early (i.e. next spring) using AP credits. I was accepted into an accelerated masters program for public policy that is a one year program at UMass that I would take the year after graduation.
Will this hurt my chances for T14 law schools? I expect to graduate with slightly over a 3.8 (on the LSAC scale) and am assuming for now that I will perform fairly well on the LSAT. I’ve heard elsewhere that graduating early can hurt chances, but would this be the case if I’m graduating early to pursue another advanced degree? Additionally, I intend to work for a couple years after the masters program, preferably in a field relating to public policy as ideally I want to transition to lobbying at some point.
nope, will not hinder chances of LS. The 3.8 is real solid, but could you raise it to a 3.9 with another year of undergrad A’s? Since admissions is 95% GPA+LSAT, higher is always better. (Grad program/grades are nice, but not factored into USNews ranking, so not used much by law schools for admissions purposes.)
I was initially looking to get it up to a 3.9, but I ended this semester with a B- in one course because I absolutely bombed the final due to extenuating circumstances. My professor is looking into changing my grade, but I’m not too hopeful. Assuming my grade doesn’t change in that course, the best I could do is a 3.87 with another year of straight A’s. I could potentially boost it to over a 3.9 if I wasn’t graduating early, but I’m not willing to spend an extra year on undergrad and forego a masters over a small gpa bump
Harvard’s median was a 3.87 last year…getting over that is HUUUUUUUGE!
I guess specifically I’m shooting for Columbia now. Still in the top 7 and a much lower median. Plus, I kinda feel like I’d enjoy living in New York more than Boston.
fuhgheetibaboutit.
(Living in the Village is even better.) But this is professional school, and HLS can open ‘more doors’ than all by YLS and SLS.
But here’s the thing: if you get above HLS medians, CLS & NYU will likely throw some money at you. And Manhattan at a discount is much better than Manhattan at sticker.
Unless you have a family reason to be in NYC, I would strongly urge you to apply broadly and take the best financial deal.
Grades came back today and I actually did much better in my other classes than I had thought so I could potentially graduate with a 3.9 if I get A’s in all my classes next year. I just finished the hardest two courses in my major with A’s so I think it’s very plausible I can end with a 3.9 now.