Top Pre-Law programs

<p>I know the first thing somebody is going to type is "there is no such thing." I know. But, they are without a doubt programs at certain schools that can prepare better than others. Can someone name these schools/programs? I know HYPS are going to be at the top, but these aren't really matches for anyone, so can someone name as many programs as possible? Location and size and those things are not important right now, just the top programs. Thnaks and Happy New yEar!</p>

<p>In terms of preparing for law school, that is a difficult question to answer. </p>

<p>But in terms of getting into law school...
<a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/admissions/jd/colleges.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.law.harvard.edu/admissions/jd/colleges.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>That list should then be normalized based on the size of the student body.</p>

<p>actually, it should be normalized for how many students apply</p>

<p>at a school like MIT, how many students are applying to Harvard Law
same at Cal Tech</p>

<p>in addition, in a liberal arts school such as Amherst or Williams, virtually everyone is applying to a grad program</p>

<p>in large universities such as Cornell with many undergrad pre-professional programs such as Engineering, many of these students aren't applying to law school</p>

<p>it should be normalized for the Arts/Sciences or Liberal Arts program at every school, that is the only fair way in my mind.</p>

<p>First, you dont want an overly easy major, you want one that shows you put some effort. You want a liberal art major that is high in theory, you dont want something practical like finance. Otherwise it doesnt matter. Just get good grades study for your lsat, that is all.</p>

<p>is political science considered an easy major? That is what i intend to be my major.</p>

<p>Why wouldn't you want finance? Your logic makes no sense. There is no required major for law school. Say I wish to become a corporate lawyer; finance would be a superb choice--especially if I am interested in finance.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
In terms of preparing for law school, that is a difficult question to answer. </p>

<p>But in terms of getting into law school...
<a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/admissions/jd/colleges.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.law.harvard.edu/admissions/jd/colleges.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>That list should then be normalized based on the size of the student body.

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>Well damn, Princeton won that competition by a long shot :D Would you have expeceted otherwise ;)</p>

<p>I notice Dickinson isn't on that list, but Drew is. Is that to say Dickinson dosen't qualify, or just that ,aybe that year nobody apllied/got in? Drew even had some kids which is very similar to Dickinson from what I know.</p>

<p>Yes you can study any major you want, including poli science, but that is the norm for those wanting to go into law, and adcoms like seeing a variety of majors. It is also seen as being an easier major at most schools, while some it is extremely difficult. Ask anyone, most pre professional programs arent recommended if you want to go into law, obviously you do well in it, in the end it probably wont matter. But law involves lots of thinking, analyzing and theory, which majors such as economics will help you with. Say you want to become a corporate finance lawyer, it is best to do finance, pre professional programs are to focused, they dont let you see the wider aspects, such as finance vs econ. If you so badly want corporate finance, you start specializing in that in your 2nd year of law school, not to mention that lots of big law offices dont even give you a choice of what department you want, some rotate and some place you were they want.</p>

<p>check out jd2b.com, it will have links to a law school forum witha college forum, and links to relevant links to law school information, law school stats showing stats for students getting into certain schools, stats for deferals etc etc, and another forum the is only about law schools</p>

<p>Good pre-law?
The Ivy League, Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, Georgetown...judging from admissions to top law schools</p>

<p>
[quote]
actually, it should be normalized for how many students apply</p>

<p>at a school like MIT, how many students are applying to Harvard Law
same at Cal Tech</p>

<p>in addition, in a liberal arts school such as Amherst or Williams, virtually everyone is applying to a grad program</p>

<p>in large universities such as Cornell with many undergrad pre-professional programs such as Engineering, many of these students aren't applying to law school</p>

<p>it should be normalized for the Arts/Sciences or Liberal Arts program at every school, that is the only fair way in my mind.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Actually, I would argue that it should not be normalized for the number of students who are applying. Rather, normalization should be predicated on the number of students who want to go, which is always a larger number than those who apply, usually a significantly larger number. Plenty of people don't apply not because they don't want to go but because they know they won't get in.</p>

<p>So take your example of the Cornell engineers. I'm sure that plenty of them would absolutely LOVE going to Harvard law. Not all, but a lot. But they don't apply. Why not? Because they know they won't get in. Let's face it. If you have less than a 3.0, you know you're not going to get into Harvard Law. There are a lot of Cornell engineering students with less than 3.0's. </p>

<p>In fact, I would say that it is those students who want to go to Harvard Law are precisely and paradoxically the students who never apply. Again, let's take the example of the Cornell engineering students. If you're a Cornell engineering student who is getting top grades, then you know you'll get into a top engineering graduate school or you can line up a nice engineering job. But if you're just barely making it - or even worse, if you're flunking out - , then you know that you probably don't have a bright future in engineering. Therefore, if any engineering student REALLY wants to get into Harvard Law, it's not really the one who is doing well, rather it's the one who's flunking out. After all, it would let him reset the clock on his career. Going to Harvard Law is a lot better than facing the engineering job market with failing grades. However, obviously nobody who is flunking out is actually going to apply to Harvard Law. </p>

<p>Just as a thought exercise, think what would happen if we went to every Cornell engineering senior and offered them guaranteed admission to Harvard Law, if they agreed to matriculate. How many would take it? I would venture to say that a lot would. Not all. But a lot. In particular, those who are graduating with bad GPA's would almost certainly take it.</p>

<p>bball87, virtually everyone? That's a lot of people. Per capita, the top liberal arts colleges have great placement to graduate programs, but virtually everyone is applying? Perhaps you could provide some statistics, or define how much "virtuatlly everyone" is. I'll grant you a large portion, but about 15% of schools such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, MIT, and Caltech get PhDs. That's a large portion, too. </p>

<p>As to great pre-law, if you want academically intense, check out St. Johns College. Maybe the top liberal arts colleges, such as Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Haverford. One thing to think about all these schools, the people who get in and attend are the type that are hardworking and/or intelligent in the first place. Is their going to Harvard or whatever school making it a great prelaw school, or is it their being a great student what matters? I would wager, in general, on the latter.</p>

<p>if you have ever heard of occidental, they have a program that is connected with columbia law school. You can be garunteed admission and start a year early</p>

<p>Rice has a similar program as Occidental does for Columbia Law. Both are highly competitive programs. U Penn has some internal matriculation to its own law school, although information about requirements for it are ambiguous.</p>