<p>^^I disagree with much of this, but it is not surprising that the admissions counselor (how is she also working at a law firm?) would say this since it is the path she took. Also, while UVA is a top law school, it is also a STATE school and she had in-state tuition at least by second year. I think it is valuable (not always possible due to financial issues etc.) to go to an undergraduate school where you will be with your “tribe”, even if you don’t get the highest GPA. It simply isn’t all about grades. There is NO unwritten rule that you must go to a top flight law school if you go to a highly selective undergrad school. I know a number of top partners in Phila law firms who graduated from Penn or other Ivies and went to Temple law school. Same with Atlanta/Nashville- Ivy and LAC kids coming back to UGA, UTN or UAlabama with merit money for law school. Hiring partners at law firms totally get the financial issues.</p>
<p>Not sure, but I think many of us are actually saying the same things:</p>
<p>When picking a college, there are lots of considerations, but it probably doesn’t make sense to focus too much on whether the “brand” will help admission to law school. </p>
<p>On the other hand, where you went to law school can be very important when it comes time to get a job, but there are other important variables, too, like how well you did in law school, where you want to work and what other life experiences you bring to bear. Not so important would be the college you went to, since your law school and law school record will trump that. </p>
<p>Now for something we probably don’t all agree on. I think the OP should guide his son to schools that are a good fit for him personally, academically and financially, in some respects forgetting about what’s going to come later. I know you can’t be blind to that, but I really believe that if you find a place you like, you’ve got a better chance to do well, and that’s likely to make more difference than anything else in opening doors when you’re done.</p>
<p>And there is no evidence that attending a top-flight school depresses GPA.</p>
<p>anxiousmom - not so sure of your point when it comes to undergrad. At my own top 10 USNWR, the hardest part was getting in. </p>
<p>What really made it difficult was if a student chose the most challenging courses and/or a very challenging undergrad thesis topic. This was so because the quality of the students engaged in these activities was really high, and competition, even if friendly, was intense. But make no mistake, there were easy majors and paths to graduation at these schools which made the GPA game relatively easy as compared, to let’s say, a Big 10 public university, where a student typically has to earn and earn hard the good grades. </p>
<p>I also like your point about regional law schools. But if a student goes that route, today, which is a different market than in the past, they ought to assiduously pay attention to debt, and have a keen idea earlier than in the past of what kind of law they want to practice and begin to take steps in that direction early on. </p>
<p>By the way, I have recently engaged a firm in the mid-South lately to handle a mid-South legal matter. Most of their lawyers come from the flagship state law school. They without a doubt are excellent lawyers and a great value, and while they work hard, they don’t have the challenging lifestyle of a BigLaw New York firm. You really have to ask what you want out of a legal career.</p>
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<p>I don’t believe this for one minute. Certainly people get that financial considerations also dictate where people go to law school.</p>