Hi everyone,
I recently graduated cum laude from San Diego State with a 3.51 cumulative GPA with a B.S. in Public Health and Political Science (double major, not double degree). I’m scheduled to take the LSAT in June but have gotten between 168-172 fairly consistently on practice tests in timed environments with minimal studying. I currently run an international nonprofit, work for the County of San Diego, and have received the most prestigious award SDSU offers, the Zahn Spirit of Innovation Prize. I am also enrolled in UCSD’s accelerated paralegal program that will be ending in September. I’m looking to focus on international human rights law with the JD and global health and health policy with the MPH. I feel like these two would pair extremely well, given how involved human rights are with these public health fields. The WHO, CDC, UN, NGOs, Congress, and other governmental organizations would be my ideal employers.
That being said, is the joint degree worth it and would getting the MPH at George Washington help my chances at getting into GW’s Law School? I’m considering doing the online 12-mo MPH this fall and starting law in fall 2019. Thoughts? Recommendations?
Two things:
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LS admissions is nearly all about grades and test scores. With a 17x, you could do much better than GW.
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For international anything, the more prestige the better. Study hard for the LSAT and aim for a T14 with merit money.
btw: I’d look into Hopkins’s online program. The Hop has a lot of international cred.
I guess I just sort of assumed that GPA and LSAT were waited equally, but out of curiosity, would a high LSAT outweigh GPA for schools that are more prestigious? GW was ranked as #6 in international law and #14 for MPH (on US News). Where do you think might be a more prestigious fit? JH looks like I’ll have to wait to apply until after my first year of law school but it would be absolutely worth it to have that on my resume. Thanks for the tip!
“GW is ranked…”
There really isn’t an international law specialty. Even if Harvard or Columbia offered zero classes in ‘international law’, they would beat GW every time for jobs. Ditto Georgetown (most likely).
Law school admissions is two items sure, and a LS would love to receive an app from a 3.8/17x, but those are rare. Instead, they receive a lot more apps from a 3.5/3.6/17x. You will be competitive as long as you have at least one of your numbers above a schools median, i.e., 167 at Georgetown or 171 at Columbia. Even better, get above a school’s top quartile, or 169 at GULC or 173 at Columbia. (Just throwing out two examples in the T14.)
That being said, GW with a huge merit scholarship is likely a better deal than Columbia at sticker.
Apply early in the season.
Awesome. Thank you! Would you say that the MPH/JD is worth it then if I’m going into international human rights law?
I have an MPH (but not a JD). I definitely think it’s worth it. Columbia is very big on dual grad degrees. You can combine the MPH with anything. Look into what your program would be for a dual JD/MPH on site.
If you have specific employers in mind, the best thing you can do is reach out to people working there and ask.