<p>Not sure if any thread relative of this were posted. I'm a junior attending an university that's not particularly well known for much other than music education. My sister is going through a more promising path, having a near perfect GPA attending the 7th ranked university in the US, University of Chicago Economics major, and is applying to Harvard Business School. I've recieved some help/advice from her, however the more information recieved, especially from those who's "been there and done that", would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I have a few questions, too many actually. I'll start with, how are public universities looked on in terms of applicants for a law school, my goal is to attend Vanderbilt law school, is that too high of a goal or is it possible?</p>
<p>Another is what about working experience, particularly in the educational field? One of two paths includes me working while attending law school, and the other is to attend grad school then law. Which would you prefer, or maybe there's a different suggestion altogether. Does work experience, although not in a law setting, help?</p>
<p>Which field of law is more suited for the field of work i'm in? </p>
<p>Another is the GPA and LSAT factor, I know there are many questions about this and I should aim as high as humanly possible, but how exactly do I prep for the LSAT, are the prep classes worth it or individual study.</p>
<p>Sorry if something came across unclear, a little rushed at the moment but any PM or replies would be greatly appreciated, thanks.</p>
<p>The LSAT is a teachable test and I would recommend studying as hard as possible for it. </p>
<p>The public v private debate has been raging for some time, and the general consensus is that its really a matter of if you have excelled at your institution. On paper, a 3.3 from U of Chicago (lets just say for the sake of argument) will look worse than a 4.0 from a random public university, despite the massive discrepancy in quality of instruction and difficulty of work between the two institutions. Unfair for some, I know. </p>
<p>If you were to err on the side of caution, GPA could be 40% of an application, soft factors another 10% but the LSAT is going to be the single biggest determinant at 50%. Also, as shocking as this may sound, GPA is GPA no matter what major you are in. </p>
<p>Undergraduate GPA is the only thing used for GPA calculations, grad school GPA/degrees will be a factor but are not going to compensate for a sub-par GPA by any means. All institutions value work experience, especially Northwestern, but it is far from necessary. </p>
<p>If I were in your position, I would calculate my LSAC GPA and take a practice LSAT to get a baseline and then go from there. I would strongly discourage you from applying to law schools based on anything but their raw rankings i.e no one cares how well ranked their programs on "International/Constitutional Law" are relative to their "real" ranking. </p>
<p>You are going to learn "The Law" on a graduate level, only beginning to focus on discrete fields towards the latter part of your 2L/3L year. </p>
<p>While Law is a great field, you need to think long and hard about law school. Is it worth the debt? You are going to need a marketable degree and lower tier law schools (T3-T4) will not cut it in the job market if you have $120,000 of debt right after graduation. </p>
<p>Do not be concerned about your undergrad degree. As a headhunter, I have worked with several attorneys from the top ranked law schools who are in the most prestigious firms who have degrees in music and theater. Some have graduated from music conservatories. Those who know the major recognize that music majors work as hard or harder than those in most other majors. They also may have better people skills and self confidence than many others. That will serve you well in the interviewing process.</p>
<p>Sweet thanks for the advice. So in terms of preparing for the LSAT how would one approach preparing. Is it anything similar to let's say the SAT's or ACT's in terms of prepping. Should I spend months of studying individually or should I attend seminars and then try to do individual study.</p>