how important is the undergrad you went to? Forum

[rsd16]

My lsac GPA is a 3.29 although it should be a 3.4+ if lsac didn't include a non transferable geometry class I took at a JC when I was 17.

I went to UC Berkeley. Is that a plus for having a mediocre GPA? Would law schools take me over someone who got a 3.6 or whatever from a school ranked 20 notches below or so? I know softs and other variables come into play but how much of an advantage if any would I have?

[policestate1234]

My lsac GPA is a 3.29 although it should be a 3.4+ if lsac didn't include a non transferable geometry class I took at a JC when I was 17.

I went to UC Berkeley. Is that a plus for having a mediocre GPA? Would law schools take me over someone who got a 3.6 or whatever from a school ranked 20 notches below or so? I know softs and other variables come into play but how much of an advantage if any would I have?

Brah chill out. Does where you go undergrad get weighted yes but would someone who went to a lower rank school have a bigger advantage to get into law school all variables except GPA (his being higher) being the same - yes.

Law school admission is and always will be about the numbers. You have no shot at the top schools unless you have a really high lsat score, or you're a URM.

[Cupidity]

Does not help at all, unless:

1. You take advantage of an in-school boost program (IE: Michigan's)
2. You are at risk for YP at geography/affiliation help prove interest.

A 3.7 from Harvard is worth slightly more than a 3.7 from CUNY. A 3.7 from CUNY is worth more than a 3.6 from Harvard.

[vicuna]

Use the search feature; there are literally dozens of threads on this very topic.

The consensus seems to be that undergrad prestige is only a small factor at best. It definitely won't make up the difference between a 3.3 and a 3.6. The admissions committee will look at how high the LSAT mean is from those who have taken it from your school. If Berkeley has a relatively high mean (think 162+), then the admissions committee will take into account that your peers were smarter and may prefer you over a candidate with, perhaps, a 3.25, all else being equal.

Some people contend that only HYP undergrads, or perhaps the Ivy League generally, receive a noticeable boost.

[rsd16]

Thanks for the replies. Pretty much what I was anticipating.