<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>Freshman here. What do I need to do to prepare for a top law school (Top 5)? I'm currently a freshman at Northeastern University, and I plan on doing a double major (Industrial engineering and Finance & Insurance). I know I might sound naive planning and worrying about something a few years from now whilst I still have college to tackle, I have always been a planner and it comforts me to know everything beforehand. I also know that the playing field might change in the future.</p>
<p>I won't apply directly after undergraduate since I have a contract that I have to honor with my financial sponsor (full ride scholarship); so that's a 5 year gap from the date of graduation that I cannot leave the company (a Gulf OPEC member country's national oil company :P guess). Look at it as 5 years of experience at one of the largest companies in the world.</p>
<p>I'm actually interested in earning both a JD and an MBA, so a joint degree is definitely in my plans. I think it will be worth it in the long term. </p>
<p>-Are there any courses I MUST take in undergrad?</p>
<p>-What factors do the tippity top law schools highly value besides GPA and LSAT (i.e. Business schools highly value international experience)? </p>
<p>-Is the rank of the undergraduate institution important?</p>
<p>-Is the GPA viewed in the context of the university (i.e. 3.8/4 GPA from Northeastern vs. 3.2 or 3.3/4 from UC-Berkeley) and/or major (3.1/4 GPA engineering major vs. a 3.7/4 GPA english literature major) in law school admissions?</p>
<p>^I am asking this question since I am considering transferring from Northeastern to a better ranked school (UC-Berkeley, Columbia, etc.) if my GPA is high enough by the end of year.</p>
<p>Thank you</p>