Hello College Confidential!
I am a high school sophomore from FL. I have a 4.35 GPA and am on track to receive an IB diploma with multiple AP classes under my belt. I want to go to HLS after attending Harvard for undergraduate school. I am most interested in a political science and english degree. I am asking which I should major in, which I should minor in for the best chances of getting into HLS or another top-tier Law School. (I want to eventually become a senator/representative). What would the best undergraduate degree to pursue?
Thanks!
IvyLeagueQueen
What you major in makes no difference as long as it’s not criminal justice, basketweaving or some joke major. Get some perspective, though: if you set specific goals such as attending Harvard College and then HLS and then becoming a member of Congress, you’ll be disappointed because life happens as we’re making plans and your life most likely will not work out as planned, especially with such specific goals as those. I went to HLS and never planned to go there; I just studied as hard as possible during college and was admitted there.
What you should major in is what you will enjoy spending four years studying and can get good grades in. Otherwise you will have (a) misspent four years and (b) probably not have enjoyed the time. And while you’re spending time in college you might wind up changing your goals.
And by the way, why stop at Congress? You might even run for President, Hillary.
I think it’s a little early for law school plans. Focus on doing what you live in high school, explore and take risks, get good grades, study for the SAT and enjoy high school.
Law School admissions decisions are very different from undergraduate admissions. It is very common for someone to major in political science or English and then to apply to law school but what you major in as an undergraduate prior to law school is not terribly important. What is important is that you do very well academically in college and that you do exceptionally well on the LSAT exam. For 2013 the 25th / 75th percentile GPA for HLS admissions was 3.77 to 3.95 GPA and an LSAT score of 170 to 175. A 175 LSAT score is at the 99.7th percentile and while I’m sure there are marginally qualified applicants who take the LSAT, overall it is a pretty strong group academically. My advice would be for you to have long term goals but to focus on what is right in front of you which is excelling in high school.