Hey guys, im current an undergrad student at Miami University (Ohio). (no. 17th business school in the nation) Majoring in Finance and having a Minor in Chinese/ Business Law.
Im only a sophmore now and have been working my *** off. My freshman year Gpa was only 2.55. But this year should be easily over a 3 with alot more credits. I also have been working throughout college, (im a project manager at my fraternitys executive offices),(10 hours a week). I also teach chinese at the local high school. (i’m a fluent chinese speaker), even though i was born and raised in the U.S.
If i raise up my gpa to at least above a 3, before i graduate and get a decent score on my sats. do i have a shot at a top tier law( http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/ra… school? Also does being a minority help getting in law school?
thanks
You seem very dedicated and determined, which is good. I think you have a chance of getting in. Being a minority does help, so you’re lucky! Anyway, good luck!
Comment by k j — December 31, 2007 @ 8:43 pm
Check the link I put as source, a lot of information there for prospective law students. From what I read GPA is somewhat important but the entrance exam is much important. Also, law schools look at the individual to see if he/she would make it. It also helps if you have been through any hardships in your life and have overcome them.
Comment by st_al_xii — January 1, 2008 @ 10:18 pm
To attend an ABA-accredited (American Bar Association) law school, you seem to have the numbers. Your current university may not garner the fame of Harvard but should be more than enough to ensure that your undergraduate education wasn’t spent at a questionable school.
A high LSAT score would be a big boost and will probably factor more than your GPA. While your GPA will meet the minimum requirements, the top law schools will usually want at least a 3.5 and really no lower than a 3.3.
Write a really good essay and focus on how you’ve improved and mature during your undergraduate years (you’ve made mistakes but you’ve found successful ways to fix them). Get a couple of really close professors (those who’ve seen your improvement, particularly) to write some awesome recommendation letters.
And, yes, being a minority helps (female and/or anything but Caucasian for law schools).
It’s going to be hard to hide the fact that your freshman year was rough so don’t try it. Focus on how you’ve improved and turn it into a positive experience which you learned from with elaborations of the specifics you provided here. You don’t have a guaranteed ride at any law schools but you won’t find any doors locked either.
Best of luck.
Comment by Revolution — January 3, 2008 @ 6:24 am
Diversity helps when you are applying for admission to a law school.
As far as determining your chances of getting in, you should check out this website, published by the administering body of the LSAT. You can input your GPA and LSAT score and see what your chances are of getting in various schools.
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As far as “top tier” – that depends on what you are talking about: top 100 or top 25? For most of the top 25 schools you are going to need a high GPA *and* LSAT to get in; admissions are very competitive. Outside of the top 25, you can make up for a low GPA with a high LSAT. The best thing to do is take a couple LSAT practice tests after studying to get an idea of how you will do.
The good thing is, even if you don’t get in a top 25 or even top 100 school, you can distinguish yourself wherever you do go through high performance. People are very down on law school and very cynical – but if you really want to do it, there are worse things to do and there is pretty much a law school for everyone. Just make sure you have an idea of the job prospects for graduates and that you can afford it; I think it’s worth the investment if you are dedicated.
In the meantime, take easy classes to boost your GPA. Check pickaprof.com to look up past grades if it is offered at your school.
Comment by Jason H — January 5, 2008 @ 7:39 am