<br>
<p>about 1/4 of the entering class at HLS comes from Harvard College</p>
<br>
<p>Point taken, but more like 1/8. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton combined are like 1/4 of the class.</p>
<p>I think it's worth applying with a 3.67/175, but not worth getting your hopes up.</p>
<p>No one really answered if I would have a shot with a ~175 LSAT (that's what I've been getting on the last 10 practice tests I've taken) and a 3.76 from Tufts, where this is a very high GPA (unless you're an English or Art History major) -- especially in my major, international relations. I have incredible ECs in college as well as recommendations and very unique life experiences.</p>
<p>Would I have a shot at:</p>
<ul>
<li>HLS</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Columbia</li>
<li>Penn </li>
</ul>
<p>?</p>
<p>Sorry, just to think of worst-case scenario possibilities, what if I get a ~170 on the LSAT and my GPA falls to a ~3.70 (unlikely as it may be)? Where would I have a shot at then?</p>
<p>You would still have a shot at all of them - if your ECs are incredible. I think most college students tend to overstate the incredibleness of their ECs though.</p>
<p>I'm usually not one for chances threads, but I just want to clarify that law schools admissions officers typically do not evaluate one's extracurricular activities in law school admissions the same way that one's extracurricular activities are used in college admissions. I think that unless your college extracurricular activity is either something that was really the focus of your college career or otherwise something that you are very passionate about and devoted to, it won't make too much of a difference in law school admissions.</p>
<p>There seems to be two POV's here: that ECs matter, that ECs don't matter. My college ECs are really great (I'm one of those above & beyond kids we all love to hate) but what I think will really be a hook is that I'll be spending the next year either on a Pulitzer Crisis Reporting Fellowship in Uganda or working with an HIV/AIDS NGO in Niger... (I'm not applying to law school straight away.. in a year or two, maybe). So anyway, if ECs don't matter, what DOES matter besides GPA and LSATs? They can't be so blind to people's personalities!</p>
<p>lolabelle,
If you look at some of the other threads on this board you'll see that top law schools do indeed consider other factors in law school admissions. First, in your case, they will consider your post-college experience with that really interesting sounding Fellowship. They will certainly look at your extracurricular activities, but they don't carry the weight that they do with college admissions. Somehow, I can't imagine that you're going to have too many problems getting into law school with your grades, projected LSAT scores, extracurricular activities and post-college fellowship.</p>
<p>It's certainly worth a shot, but the odds are always long at schools like Harvard and Yale. There are currently a total of eight graduates of Tufts enrolled at Harvard Law School. That's fewer than three per year:</p>
<p>At Yale Law School, as of last year, there was only one Tufts graduate enrolled in the entire school:</p>
<p>If you don't have a 3.85 or greater, your chances of getting into Yale is slim to none. From what I've seen here is that Yale places a pretty great emphasis on GPA. </p>
<p>175, 3.67 and you're looking at a decent shot for Harvard with your ECs. Everywhere else and you're golden.</p>
<p>LolaBelle,</p>
<p>I'm going to direct you to Dowling Hall and the pre-law advisor. :) The pre-law handbook used to contain a list of students, ranked by LSAT score, with corresponding GPA and their admissions results for each school. So, for example, all of the Jumbos who applied to Harvard are listed by LSAT score and GPA, noting class year, with admissions decision next to it. That, more than anything, will give you a good idea of where you stand.</p>
<p>There are a few Tufts students at HLS now. I know of one who has your major and had a very similar GPA. </p>
<p>I think that Yale is a long shot; I simply do not know enough about Stanford to say anything. </p>
<p>Your LSAT score will make or break you; if you score a 175, you're in good shape for any school not Yale or Stanford. Do not forget that the jump from a 170 to a 175 is about half a standard deviation. About 1,000 students every year score 170 or above; only about 400 break 175+. Do not feel worried about postponing the test until you are ready.</p>
<p>As for ECs... I've given "the list" before, but here it is again. GPA and LSAT account for most of your application and most admissions decisions. Schools will weigh them differently. Beyond that, the following count, in varying degrees to different schools:
-work experience (average age of entering law students is 25)
-major
-school
-graduate experience
-ECs
-Letters of recommendation
-awards such as Fulbrights or Rhodes
-rarely, interviews; only Northwestern interviews all of its applicants</p>
<p>With law school, there is a lot more to evaluate than just GPA and standardized test scores and ECs - so law school admissions tends to be very different from college admissions. Some schools may value ECs more than others; schools may change, from year to year, how much they value ECs. </p>
<p>As for interviews - most law schools do not interview and will not grant interviews. Sometimes you have to ask and they will do it. Sometimes they will ask you. Northwestern strongly recommends interviews. Seek those out, because you will shine in them; often, you may have to wait for a waitlist decision to be granted one.</p>
<p>that average age is probably pulled way up because there are surely older and much older students but young students to counteract that are too rare. a 35 year old does not seem so unreasonable (+10 from mean) but a 15 year old, you get it. besides i read that the average is 24, and this of course is "affected." this doesnt suggest WE to me at all. i think it is a good idea still, though.</p>
<p>Also regarding interviews...harvard interviews candidates its likely to admit. Last year they admitted all but 3 candidates they interviewed. They didn't admit anyone they did not interview.</p>
<p>These were primarily phone interviews though, if I am not mistaken. </p>
<p>John, where did you hear that they didn't admit anyone they did not interview? I heard the opposite from Toby W. Stock's mouth, who is the Assistant Dean for Admissions at HLS, unless my memory fails me.</p>
<p>"Average" can be the median as well as the mean. At a lot of schools, about 2/3 of the class has at least a year of work experience or a graduate degree, or both.</p>
<p>well they didn't admit anyone prior to the late summer w/out an interview.</p>
<p>so you admit your own statement is ambiguous... just kidding, i do agree those are both good things, but i am still unsure if it would affect anything if someone wrote his personal statement after graduating, worked for a year, didnt get a recommendation from the employer, and then applied. if you say it is a good idea to do personally, on the other hand, then you can connect work experience to maturing and maybe getting a good recommendation and other things.</p>
<p>John Galt, congrats on your acceptances. Maybe I should PM you this question, but I was wondering how you dealt with Yale's 250-word essay. Was it on a topic different from your personal statement, did you submit both, etc. Any info would be helpful. Thanks</p>
<p>I don't want to hijack this thread but would like to say hello to TheDad and to Ariesathena! I used to post under Clipper when my DD was applying 3 years ago. She was considering Smith along with your DD. As you can tell from my name she ended up at Georgetown and is graduating a year early and is in the process of applying to law schools!! So now I am back on the board checking out the information that might be useful. Three years have flown by (well, actually just 2 1/2 by now) and going through the application process will be interesting.
Aries - I know you gave a lot of info on applying to law schools so I look forward to reading all your posts. Are you still in Law School?</p>
<p>Just fyi - my DD is in SFS and wants to go into international law.
Just wanted to say hi!</p>
<p>
[quote]
She was considering Smith along with your DD. As you can tell from my name she ended up at Georgetown and is graduating a year early and is in the process of applying to law schools!! So now I am back on the board checking out the information that might be useful. Three years have flown by (well, actually just 2 1/2 by now) and going through the application process will be interesting.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As you can tell from my location, I also attend Georgetown. I am a junior, though, and am definitely not graduating early! I know two others who are applying to HLS. Where is your daughter applying?</p>
<p>Go hoyas:D</p>
<p>CLIPPER!! Omigod, I remember you! Wow, it has been a while. :) </p>
<p>See PM.</p>