<p>is it a lot harder to get into law school if you apply right out of college instead of taking a year or two off to go do something else? let's say a kid from a third tier uni graduates with a 3.7 GPA and a 165 LSAT... would he be able to get into much better law schools if he/she took 2 years off to work as a teacher or volunteer in the peace corps or something?</p>
<p>Those ECs will help you, but not majorly.</p>
<p>There is definitely a trend where the top law schools increasingly favor admitting candidates with work experience. I think that working in the real world for a year or two or three can only help your law school application, regardless of the school to which you are applying. That said, is it necessary? No.</p>
<p>Just at Northwestern.</p>
<p>Work experience is not necessary at Northwestern Law either -- but I imagine that it would be tough to get in without it as 90% of the entering classes in recent years have full time post-college work experience under their belts.</p>
<p>It's not going to help much, especially if you do something unexceptional like Teach for America.</p>
<p>What's wrong with Teach for America?</p>
<p>A lot of people do it and then apply to law school.</p>
<p>Bear in mind that ECs are viewed relatively. What might appear run-of-the-mill at one school will really make an applicant stand out at another. I know that these are of limited importance in law school admissions, but it's still a fair point.</p>
<p>What if you come out of UG with 4 years of experience under your belt?</p>
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A lot of people do it and then apply to law school.
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<p>...and that is supposed to mean... what?</p>
<p>Dean Stock wrote an encouraging note:</p>
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One organization which has consistently stood out for us as being emblematic of the best of the public service opportunities for recent college graduates is Teach For America. This past year, for example, we admitted 10 Teach For America alumni, recognizing their talent and their dedication to the public service mission of the Law School.
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<p>I think the point is that it won't make you stand out. Its obviously not a bad thing to do, but if you're looking for an edge, it might not be your best choice</p>
<p>But the dean of Harvard Law school went out of his way to point out that it's "emblematic of the best". I'd call that pretty stand-out.</p>
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But the dean of Harvard Law school
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<p>He is the dean of admissions. The dean of the law school is still, I think, Dean Kegan.</p>
<p>My fault -- mistyped. Yes, the dean of admissions, who is, for our intents and purposes, the relevant dean.</p>
<p>If you really want to believe that statement is anything more than meaningless puffery about their "commitment to public service," then fine. You can almost never take anything an admissions officer says at face value.</p>
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You can almost never take anything an admissions officer says at face value.
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<p>Knowing Toby pretty well, I believe him.</p>