Please don't laugh at me... :-/ HONEST OPINION...

Graduate School Law School
1

<p>So yes, here I am, I am that infamous "communications" student that you all love to pick on so much... </p>

<p>Third-year student.</p>

<p>My college: Private, small, respected women's college in Boston...</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 (marketing communications/public relations)- keep in mind that these aren't just "practical" courses... I take things like Media and the First Amendment, Media & Society, etc...</p>

<p>Honors program student (coursework is intensive history, int'l relations, sociology, english, etc.)- I did this to make my transcript more challenging although I really do like public relations...</p>

<p>Many department awards</p>

<p>Non-traditional student (I am 25 and almost graduating)</p>

<p>Not many EC's because I'm a mom- 3 year old boy.</p>

<p>Lots of work experience- I am interning with a Fortune 50 corporation's community relations office this summer and in a senator's office this fall</p>

<p>So... the deal is that I can't get law school out of my head. Even though I have seen friends rip their out going through law school, I don't want to work 100 hours per week because of my son, etc. etc... but at the same time, I am really fascinated with law and government and honestly, my purpose to go to law school would be to 1. become a judge or 2. law academia...</p>

<p>Oh, and the high achiever in me only wants to go to a top law school...</p>

<p>SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? Should I give up on this dream!????? Either tell me to get over it or tell me what I should do in the next year to get into Harvard...haha</p>

2

<p>You should defintely not give up. You seem to have the apptitude and the drive...</p>

<p>I'm speaking of law school in general, though. You'r GPA is (obviously) fantastic, but how is your LSAT score? These ECs are great but they sure won't matter much on paper. </p>

<p>Why Harvard? The prestige? It will be extremely difficult for you to find affordable housing for you and your son around Cambridge, additionally the course work will be astronomical...</p>

<p>Look at other schools to find the perfect fit and that will accomodate your family. Some schools offer housing for graduate students with families. Anyway, that's just my two cents.</p>

3

<p>Becoming a judge is going to take a long time, and will likely never happen. That's probably not a very realistic goal. Neither, honestly, is legal academia, which would not only require that you get into one of the top few law schools, but that you finish in the very top of your class. So if those are the only things you want to do after law school, you might want to reconsider. If you wanted a government job (besides being a judge), you could get one without having to go to a top school. In any event, you'll need to take the LSAT before anybody can tell you where you would have a chance.</p>

4

<p>By the way, one does not need to work 100 hrs/wk after law school. There are many legal jobs that have more flexible hours; but cross corporate law off your list. As far as working during law school, well, I understand you should not work during your first year -- the workload is supposed to be almost unmanageable. So, you may have to take huge loans, considering you have a family.</p>

5

<p>Thank you very much everyone for your insight... I have not yet taken the LSAT... still want to find a vision for myself before investing a lot of time/$ into prep. Living costs are not a major concern because I am in school now and we are managing on one income. I think I will do some practice tests and see where I stand. Thanks. :)</p>

6

<p>I really disagree with A-ski. H has family housing at a reasonable cost. While the child care program there is far from ideal, by law school standards, it's good. More rural law schools have cheaper housing, but usually have far worse child care options. (I'm sure there are exceptions, that's just a general rule. ) Most importantly, H has an excellent loan forgiveness program so if the OP does take a lower paying job she won't have to pay back her loans. Again, as a general rule, the lower down the scale she goes, the worse the loan forgiveness programs tend to be. </p>

<p>Are you a legal resident of Mass? Did you go to high school in Mass? H gives a preference in admissions to state residents. Has done so for many years along with other areas schools. I'm a cynic but it might have something to do with not wanting a public law school in state..</p>

<p>I agree, though, that you've got to get the LSAT score before anyone gives you odds.</p>

7

<p>Actually, I did grow up in Mass and attended high school there, but I now live in Rhode Island (doh)... well, I am going to check out a few lsat prep books and let you know how I do...</p>

<p><em>D</em> :)</p>

8

<p>Agree with Jonri.</p>

<p>Jonri says/implies that H provides child care; I don't know anything about that, so I'll leave it up to him to discuss. My rural law school, as far as I know, does not provide child care; however, the town is a wonderful community and child care can be done through other means. Many law students are happy to help out the parents in the class and watch the kids every so often, which is another benefit. </p>

<p>I have a few guesses as to where you go to school - depending on which school it is, you could have a really good shot at Harvard (given a very solid LSAT) or you could have a lottery ticket. </p>

<p>As for H Law giving preferences to in-state students - I have heard of that - I've also heard that they really like in-state students for transfer. (It's odd, becuase it's so different from the undergrad situtation, in which MA residents aren't at any advantage, unless they are either from Cambridge or went to Boston Latin.) Massachusetts does not have a state law school, although UConn gives reciprocity and reduced tuition to MA residents. That's a good deal; however, MA residents still have to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $100k for law school. In recent years, MA has considered having a state law school... not sure how local law schools are reacting. Generally, though, MA doesn't seem to keen on investing a lot of money into its post-secondary educational system. Shrug.</p>