<p>Ok, since not one post really answered the OP, I will take a stab:</p>
<h2>Tier one</h2>
<p>-Rhodes/Marshall scholarship
-Publishing a book
-Running a succesful company
-Accomplished artist/musician/athlete
-Student Body President</p>
<h2>Tier 2</h2>
<p>-At least 2 years work experience
-Fulbright/other scholarship
-Student government (non-president)
-Intership at a fed gov’t office
-Staff position at school newspaper
-President/head of club on campus</p>
<h2>Tier 3</h2>
<p>-Member of random clubs
-Internural sports
-RA
-Semi-interesting summer work
-Part-time job during school</p>
<p>That said, these will only make a difference when crappy numbers are in play. A 160 and 3.2 with a marshall scholarship will not get you into Yale.</p>
<p>Clarifications: MW’s post is not meant to be comprehensive, I’m sure. That would be an impossible task.</p>
<p>These only make a difference when average numbers by that school’s standards are in play. You can disqualify yourself with numbers, and you can (at most places) default-to-admit with numbers. But the majority of candidates who get admitted are ultimately pushed over the edge by their softs.</p>
<p>Divide the schools into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. Also about science majors? Does a GPA of 3.6 in chemistry with a 175 LSATs? Don’t forget the fact that science majors have less opportunities to be involved in research.</p>
<p>This is a very informative thread. I do, however, have a slight disagreement with a prior post suggesting that schools be divided into multiple opportunity categories of the Top 3, Top 6, Top 14 & Top 100. I do not agree that there is a Top 3 (Yale, Stanford & Harvard) that offers any more opportunities than the Top 6 (Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, NYU & Chicago). I do agree that the Top 6 and the Top 14 are important segments regarding placement opportunities. Also, I agree that there is a Top 28, but not a Top 100. When one graduates from a law school that is beyond the Top 28 or so, the opportunities become more regional, geographically speaking. Once beyond the Top 28 or so, opportunities also tend to be much more limited for those not graduating in the top 20% of their law school class.</p>
<p>sefago, a chem major with a 3.6/175 would have a great shot at just about every good law school, but Yale, Stanford and maybe even Harvard would be a stretch. Since when do science majors have fewer opportunities for research? Are you joking?</p>
<p>It depends on what you want to go into. For academia and clerkships, I don’t think there’s any question that the top 3 place a good deal better than any other school out there. If you’re just looking for industry jobs (“just”), then of course the top 6 really max out the opportunities anyway.</p>
<p>And I don’t even understand the first sentence in post #23.</p>