<p>I know some schools do offer a bachelors in Pre-Law, for example American University <a href=“BigFuture College Search”>BigFuture College Search;
Under legal professions and studies.</p>
<p>I thin when someone says he/she is pre-law, it doesn’t mean he/she is majoring in pre-law, and most people know that. D2 is going to be pre-law, her focus will be taking courses which would help her get into a law school. She is thinking about majoring in philosophy and economics. There maybe a lot of attorneys, but graduates from top law schools are still getting jobs. D1’s best friend already has an internship in DC as a first year law student, but she is going to a top law school. If you have great stats, there are next tier law schools, like Berkeley, which would give you full ride to attend.</p>
<p>Don’t we have a glut of everything right now that aren’t making much money. From what i see in my area, we have a lot of lawyers who are very well off. A matter of fact, all of the lawyers my family knows, which is an adequate amount, are making a lot of money. I was just thinking i would have a better chance of making a high salary after graduating. I am aware i would have to go to Law School and that would be additional debt added onto my undergraduate debt, but as oldfort said, i can get scholarships to law schools as long as i work hard in college. I am not saying i am going to do this, but i think it could be a possibility.</p>
<p>Bre…I don’t think American has a bachelor’s degree called “pre law”. </p>
<p>[Degrees:</a> Majors, Minors & Certificates | American University](<a href=“Program Finder | American University, Washington, DC”>Program Finder | American University, Washington, DC)</p>
<p>Oldfort…I know that most people know that pre-law (and usually pre-med) aren’t majors. But Bre’s post suggested that she and/or her parents think it’s a major. </p>
<p>A pre-law student can select a major (or minor) that may be stereotypical of pre-law students (poly sci, philosophy, English, history, or whatever) and may include courses that would be helpful to a law career (such as courses in speech, writing, critical thinking, ethics, etc), but that’s not req’d. </p>
<p>Bree, there isn’t a glut in all majors.</p>
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<p>M2K is correct that there is really no such thing as pre-law. Major in pretty much whatever you want (barring criminal studies, leisure studies, etc). the exception would probably be the Law Jurisprudence and Social Thought major at Amherst. Even this is not a “pre-law” major as LJST</p>
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<p>At the end of the day it is all going to be about LSAT and GPA. Bre, if it is you intention to attend law school, you should be finishing undergrad with the least amount of debt since most of the law school FA comes in the form of loans; yes, there are scholarships at top schools, (not HYS) but even then the curve to keep the $$ could be brutal.</p>
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<p>The short answer is that you can major in anything you want because the main thing is to study what you are passionate about to increase your chances of doing well. At the same time there is a general concensus to stay away fro “pre-law” and “pre-law related” programs.</p>
<p>Anna Ivey- former Dean of Admissions at U of Chicago Law school and now private consultant, and author of The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions: Straight Advice on Essays, Resumes, Interviews, and More
has an Ask Anna Column on Vault.com. </p>
<p>In her column, she answered the question this way:</p>
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<p>I would suggest purchasing 2 books:</p>
<p>Anna Ivey - THe Ivey guide to law school admissions
Richard Montauk- How to get in a top law school</p>
<p>The Montauk book the book is approximately 500 pages and gives a very comprehensive overview of the college process and discusses applications, essays, LSATs, majors, etc.</p>
<p>Oldfort, your D2 would be best served by going to the career services office and looking at the grids to see the GPA/LSAT combinations from her school that get into top law schools. She should only major in philosophy and econ if that is what she is genuinely interested in studying (parent of a religion/english major).</p>
<p>We have quite a few lawyers in my family, and D2 is working with her other extended sister (D1’s best friend) on what to take and what ECs to have. She is carefully choosing her courses. She has been advised to stop in the career center as soon as she arrives on campus. Philosophy seem to be a good major to have at her school for pre-law. She was at a selective summer program on that topic and enjoyed it very much. If she doesn’t like it after one or two courses, it would be easy for her switch. Econ is a good hedge major for her. Philosophy can be very analytical, and I think there is strong relationship between philosophy and economics. If she takes the right courses, those 2 majors could be very interesting.</p>
<p>OP, </p>
<ol>
<li>Don’t become a lawyer because you think you will make lots of money. Become a lawyer because it is what you want to do. Talk to lawyers, shadow one or two at work. See what it is that they do. It is NOT at all like TV, trust me. </li>
<li>Lawyers have many different undergrad degrees. In my office there is a wide range of majors: business, public administration, history, English. But there are a wide range of attorneys- attorneys who specialize in entertainment law, for example, who might have an arts or liberal studies background. I have an attorney friend who has an undergrad in French. Your best bet for undergrad is a degree that you are interested in, can get great grades in, and that you don’t go into debt for. There are attorneys I know who are still paying student loans after working for 15 years. </li>
<li>It is true that the legal market is changing, and jobs are hard to come by. That is true in many industries right now, but it is particularly risky to devote 7+ years of study and potentially 200K+ in tuition and at least not be aware that the market is tight and is expected to remain that way for years to come. </li>
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<p>Good luck to you, you are on the right track to start thinking about all of this now rather than later. Good for you!</p>
<p>My ex boyfriend who i am still best friends with, is paying for his college education by himself, with money he has saved but mostly federal and private loans co-signed by his parents. He was awarded some money in scholarships and aid but not a huge amount. He is attending St. Josephs University in Philadelphia.</p>
<p>Thanks CaliMomof5!!!</p>
<p>Hopefully you are reading the advice that the posters here are giving you. The answer to your question, is that “yes, it is possible” for some people. Not for others, and not necessarily at the schools you want to attend. If you want money, you have to cast a very wide net, and even with good stats, it’s not a given that you will be accepted and then get enough money to pay the costs. The more selective and well known the school, the harder to get accepted there and get money for it,</p>
<p>Be aware that getting loans is not the same as getting grants. It’s a matter of when you pay. If you are contemplating law school, that can be an issue. I know many lawyers who are under and un employed, and loans hanging over the head makes it even more stressful.</p>