<p>Hello,
I have been reading this board for the last few months and have found the info. very helpful. Im a newbie, so please be easy on me.</p>
<p>So, my goal is to get a BA in poly sci. and go to law school with a focus in the entertainment (music) industry. I have been playing music here in LA for 8 years and have some deep roots to the LA music scene so I would really like to stay in LA for college for the internships I can only get in LA( record labels and entertainment firms). </p>
<p>I got rejected from Pepperdine and LMU. I didnt have a chance at Pepperdine but I was sure that I got in to LMU. </p>
<p>The only school that I got in to in LA is CSU Long Beach but I'm afraid that I wont be able to get in to a good law school from Long Beach.</p>
<p>The other school that got in to is USF (University of San Fran) and they are offering me a 17,000 award. The nice thing about USF is that if I keep a 3.25 gpa Im guaranteed admission in to their law school.</p>
<p>My last option is to go to SMC (Santa Monica Community College) this school is a direct feeder to UCLA. I qualify to enter their honors program and in two years I would be in UCLA and the whole time I can be doing internships at labels and entertainment firms here in LA. </p>
<p>So should I go to Long Beach and be able to afford the tuition and stay in the music industry or go to USF and be guaranteed in to law school but pay lots of mula I dont have right now and loose connections or go to SMC grudge through community college and eventually get in to UCLA.</p>
<p>any advice will be greatly appreciated, playing in mind that Im trying to pick the best school that can get me in to a good law school that has ties to the music industry.</p>
<p>The first thing you need to do is find a real major. Poly sci, the study of many sciences, does not exist. Poli sci, the study of politics, is a fine major for many reasons. However, I suggest that if you are going to study something, you at least spell its name correctly.</p>
<p>Yes, it's picky and snarky on my part, but I cannot deal with people calling it "poly sci." It will not escape my wrath!</p>
<p>Oh, and go to the school that will offer you the best education, not the easiest ride to law school. In the end, it doesn't matter what law school you attend if you drop out as a 1L because you were unprepared.</p>
<p>except that everybody calls it poly sci. I seriously thought that was the real abbreviation. I never knew poli sci was real. Wow learn something new every day.</p>
<p>I was a transfer, so I have a bias. Nonetheless, I will attempt to transcend it and offer you a fair opinion (to the extent that an opinion can be fair.)</p>
<p>UCLA is an excellent university, and in my opinion in a different class than USF and CSULB. However, that is not to say that you cannot get an excellent education at the aforementioned schools, but UCLA offers the trappings of a world-class research institution; this is something that USF and CSULB cannot.</p>
<p>Still, transferring is not for everyone. How dedicated are you to your schooling? Can you go into the relatively unstructured environment of a CC and emerge victorious, or will you be swallowed into the maw of indifference and post-high school, pre-university lag? Not everyone can go to a CC and be successful. I was fortunate that I was dedicated to leave ASAP, and a little luck never hurts.</p>
<p>So in short, yes, it is worth the transfer experience- that is if you're willing to put on blinders for a year or two and just ignore the distractions.</p>
<p>Will going to UCLA make a difference in your route to a great law school? Maybe, maybe not. Some argue that the challenges in thought that you experience at a school of its caliber will help you on the LSAT. I don't know. I say you maybe go visit the campus if you haven't, and see if it feels right to you.</p>
<p>connections into the entertainment industry can be a big boost. better to be in the LA area year-round, but if you spend your summers here, that's good too.</p>
<p>i would recommend SMC -> UCLA. only because the entertainment industry is much more present at UCLA (in fact, we had an "entertainment night" last month where many alumni involved in the industry, including 3 entertainment lawyers, came back to talk to students). however, you'll need to maintain a good GPA at UCLA and get a good enough LSAT score to get into a good entertainment law school. i believe some of these are southwestern, pepperdine, UCLA, USC, loyola?, and maybe several others.</p>
<p>pink,
also recommend UCLA if you can get in.
if you can't then take a look at cal poly pomona which also is in the area.
they have a major in music business with tons of ties to the industry.
drj</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. I received a letter stating that I'm getting a 8,000 scholarship where ever I go. The 8,000 will easily pay for SMC or Long Beach. This would also bring my cost at USF down to only 15,000 for a 40,000 education. I am also applying emergency admission to APU( Azusa Pacific University), any comments on this school?</p>
<p>Thanks again for all your help</p>
<p>BTW: If anybody here is the LA area, I'm opening up for Mates of State at the Troubadour on the 16th, if you want to come I could probably put you on my guest list or at least get you a discount.</p>
<p>if the entertainment industry is your goal the smart play is to find a university with deep ties there. based on two decades working with this industry here's a top five list in order of preference:</p>
<ol>
<li> USC hands down...connections galore</li>
<li> UCLA easily second</li>
<li> CP Pomona</li>
<li> tie between Northridge and Fullerton</li>
<li> Chapman and Long Beach</li>
</ol>
<p>of these schools only USC, UCLA and Chapman have law schools. that could be an important element. Pomona is excellent for both entertainment law and music business, has a first rate entertainment industry advisory board and is one of the highest rated in the CSU system. APU would be far below all of the list above unless you want religious entertainment.</p>
<p>In a couple weeks Im going to head up to San Francisco to check out USF one last time, hopefully by then I will have made a decision. Does anyone know if I can get an internship with a label if I'm living in San Francisco? Can anyone comment on the music scene in SF compared to LA? Does anyone know which labels in LA would be the easiest to get an internship with as an undergraduate? </p>
<p>you go to san fran to LISTEN to music, not to work in the industry.</p>
<p>get serious and find a program well connected with the music biz in the so cal basin. go to bay area for weekends. if you can't land at sc or ucla go to cal poly pomona or even northridge as a last gasp. get connected with the pros. all of these programs have tons of internship leads. USF...for what?</p>
<p>I appealed my rejection from LMU and I got in!! So, I'm going to be going to LMU next year majoring in Poli (with an I) Sci. Starting this summer I will be working at LMU's radio station , KXLU, which is one of the best independent radio stations in LA. It turns out that LMU is going to give me a 14,000 grant every year for the next four years, so I should be able to actually afford LMU. Anyways, thanks for all your help!</p>