Which college, for a student with lofty law school plans?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm a student in Virginia. I don't post much, but I have lurked around these forums for a long time and gotten plenty of useful information.</p>

<p>My plans for law school are, like I said, lofty: I'd like to attend Harvard or Yale - at least a top 5 law school.</p>

<p>I am currently considering Duke (I have a legacy there), Brown, Georgetown, University of Virginia, Boston College, William and Mary, and University of Richmond.</p>

<p>According to general knowledge here, GPA and LSAT scores are the most important factor for law school admissions. Apparently extra curriculars helps, too. So by that alone, I should attend University of Richmond. Judging by their SATs, the school is a low-match, border-safety for me. I could do well there.</p>

<p>But I read that the highest degree of graduates to go to Harvard out of undergraduate studies (that are on my list) are Brown, Duke, and University of Virginia. Yet these are some of the toughest schools on my list and I doubt I could maintain as high a GPA as I could at University of Richmond.</p>

<p>I also read that the grade deflation at W&M doesn't effect law school admission, because the deflation is factored in.</p>

<p>I wouldn't mind attending University of Richmond, but I am obviously still considering other higher-ranked schools. I am hard working and competitive, but not in a hyperactive tier. If I could maintain the same GPA with the same amount of work (theoretically), I would like to consider the other schools. Which school would give me the best chance for attending a top-5 law school? Would the competition and grading me marginally different between, say, University of Richmond or Georgetown or University of Virginia?</p>

2

<p>You could go to Harvard Law School, or a similar excellent law school, from any of these schools. Attend the one you can get into, and that you like best, and then study hard in a major in which you have some natural ability. It’s not a good idea to try to find some “easy” route; a less-than-rigorous education won’t prepare you as well for the demands of law school.</p>

<p>Law school is expensive, so unless you come from a wealthy family you should also think about the cost of your undergraduate degree. For Virginia residents who are not eligible for much financial aid, UVA and W & M are unbeatable deals. Those who qualify for significant financial or merit aid may find the private schools more generous.</p>

3

<p>Some advice from someone in college currently looking at law school admissions.</p>

<p>Pretty much across the board, law schools only care about numbers. Your LSAT will count for about 40-50% of the admissions and your GPA will make up about 40%. 10-20% is determined by your softs. Yale cares about the softs a bit more than Harvard but not enough that you should change your admissions game plan.</p>

<p>If you are 100% positive you want to go just for law school, pick the school where you have the best chances of getting a high GPA and then major in something you enjoy (so long as it’s not business or pre-law/crime) and that will not hurt your GPA too much.</p>

<p>I notice that you are interested in Brown. IIRC, Brown lets you opt for P/NP grading. I don’t know how law schools look at that but if your peers do opt for it, it makes your life a lot easier since you’re the only one gunning.</p>