Graduating with honors distinction from undergrad Forum

[AlabamaIceman]

Does it help?

I have one more year to go, GPA is holding at about 3.98. My school (Auburn) has an honors program that I could participate in to graduate with honors that involves me writing a 50-70 page thesis through my senior year. There's also a GPA requirement to maintain, but that's not really an issue.

So my question is pretty simple: would that sort of distinction with graduation have any significant impact on ye olde adcomm? Or better to just cut to the chase and take the path of least resistance and most As to graduation?

[soj]

Does it help?

I have one more year to go, GPA is holding at about 3.98. My school (Auburn) has an honors program that I could participate in to graduate with honors that involves me writing a 50-70 page thesis through my senior year. There's also a GPA requirement to maintain, but that's not really an issue.

So my question is pretty simple: would that sort of distinction with graduation have any significant impact on ye olde adcomm? Or better to just cut to the chase and take the path of least resistance and most As to graduation?

[MrKappus]

Unlikely to affect an adcom. They care about metrics that US News uses. But if you're shooting for biglaw and you're going to have a TTT undergrad like Auburn on your firm profile, you should probably do everything you can to distinguish it. Even still, no one thinks it's hard to get a 3.98 at a place like Auburn.

[AlabamaIceman]

Even still, no one thinks it's hard to get a 3.98 at a place like Auburn.

I won't start an argument on that point, but I can certainly tell you that I'm having a harder go of it that some of my friends and relations who are graduating places with more "prestige" in the area, such as Vanderbilt and others. Then again, I can't expect much else, I guess most people on this site get off to pictures of ivy league seals, so I'll just shut up and wait until I come back with an LSAT score.

But that's off topic.

[MrKappus]

Sorry, it might very well BE difficult to get a 3.98. But people who get off on Ivy League seals probably won't think it is. Short answer to the OP: if you can possibly swing it, do the honors track. You're already doing great, might as well get everything you can out of the UG degree.

[scammedhard]

cut to the chase and take the path of least resistance and most As to graduation

[FantasticMrFox]

Sorry, it might very well BE difficult to get a 3.98. But people who get off on Ivy League seals probably won't think it is. Short answer to the OP: if you can possibly swing it, do the honors track. You're already doing great, might as well get everything you can out of the UG degree.

I agree with this although the easier route argument makes more logical sense (if you revolve everything around law school admissions) but you should at least also experience the thesis part of college too i mean it sounds like your GPA will not falter from the near perfect mark

[glitter178]

Does it help?

I have one more year to go, GPA is holding at about 3.98. My school (Auburn) has an honors program that I could participate in to graduate with honors that involves me writing a 50-70 page thesis through my senior year. There's also a GPA requirement to maintain, but that's not really an issue.

So my question is pretty simple: would that sort of distinction with graduation have any significant impact on ye olde adcomm? Or better to just cut to the chase and take the path of least resistance and most As to graduation?

take the time it would take to write a thesis and use it to study for the LSAT.

your 3.98 and honors distinction won't mean anything if you get a 154 on the LSAT

[Mike12188]

Does it help?

I have one more year to go, GPA is holding at about 3.98. My school (Auburn) has an honors program that I could participate in to graduate with honors that involves me writing a 50-70 page thesis through my senior year. There's also a GPA requirement to maintain, but that's not really an issue.

So my question is pretty simple: would that sort of distinction with graduation have any significant impact on ye olde adcomm? Or better to just cut to the chase and take the path of least resistance and most As to graduation?

take the time it would take to write a thesis and use it to study for the LSAT.

your 3.98 and honors distinction won't mean anything if you get a 154 on the LSAT

+1000

[bhan87]

4.0 no honors > 3.99 Honors

[coldshoulder]

cut to the chase and take the path of least resistance and most As to graduation

[MrKappus]

^ Law school adcoms are not the last entity or person ever to pass judgment on you, your education, and your resume. While adcoms (1) might put little or no stock in a UG honors thesis, and (2) will certainly value higher GPA's no matter how small the difference (e.g., 3.98 preferred to a 3.92), every other person who reviews your resume post-law school will (1) care about honors, and (2) care very little, if at all, about small differences in 3.9x GPAs.

The comments in this thread are super-focused on law school admission, and that's fine. It's a law school board. But law school admission's hardly the last test or review you'll face, and if you can polish your resume by writing a measly 50-page paper, you should consider it, that's all.

[whymeohgodno]

Sorry, it might very well BE difficult to get a 3.98. But people who get off on Ivy League seals probably won't think it is. Short answer to the OP: if you can possibly swing it, do the honors track. You're already doing great, might as well get everything you can out of the UG degree.

Joke? Ivy league's inflate grades more than any other schools. You probably have to try to get below a B+ at an Ivy.

[bk1]

^ Law school adcoms are not the last entity or person ever to pass judgment on you, your education, and your resume. While adcoms (1) might put little or no stock in a UG honors thesis, and (2) will certainly value higher GPA's no matter how small the difference (e.g., 3.98 preferred to a 3.92), every other person who reviews your resume post-law school will (1) care about honors, and (2) care very little, if at all, about small differences in 3.9x GPAs.

The comments in this thread are super-focused on law school admission, and that's fine. It's a law school board. But law school admission's hardly the last test or review you'll face, and if you can polish your resume by writing a measly 50-page paper, you should consider it, that's all.

+1

I'd only take the path of least resistance if you were lazy and didn't want to do it, it would detract from LSAT studying time, or it would drop your GPA below 3.9.

[FantasticMrFox]

^ Law school adcoms are not the last entity or person ever to pass judgment on you, your education, and your resume. While adcoms (1) might put little or no stock in a UG honors thesis, and (2) will certainly value higher GPA's no matter how small the difference (e.g., 3.98 preferred to a 3.92), every other person who reviews your resume post-law school will (1) care about honors, and (2) care very little, if at all, about small differences in 3.9x GPAs.

The comments in this thread are super-focused on law school admission, and that's fine. It's a law school board. But law school admission's hardly the last test or review you'll face, and if you can polish your resume by writing a measly 50-page paper, you should consider it, that's all.

Yes, it's a means to an end not the end itself!

[krasivaya]

I'm doing a UG thesis BUT I'm not taking the LSAT until after I graduate.

Don't do both at the same time, seriously.

[MrKappus]

Sorry, it might very well BE difficult to get a 3.98. But people who get off on Ivy League seals probably won't think it is. Short answer to the OP: if you can possibly swing it, do the honors track. You're already doing great, might as well get everything you can out of the UG degree.

Joke? Ivy league's inflate grades more than any other schools. You probably have to try to get below a B+ at an Ivy.

It's statistically easier to get a B+ at Duke Law than it is to get a B+ at Campbell, but people are still more impressed by the B+ at Duke. I never said people's perceptions are tied to mathematical or statistical reality.

[PriOSky]

.

[FantasticMrFox]

I'm doing a UG thesis BUT I'm not taking the LSAT until after I graduate.

Don't do both at the same time, seriously.

I'm a bit confused...at your UG, is it not a senior thesis? Well, I guess if you (like me for example) aren't going to take a year off for WE etc, then it doesn't really clash since LSAT (june of junior year) and then senior thesis.

[bmore]

Do what YOU want. My friend had only one grade below an A and that was in our honors program. I got the same B+ but I had a few others. I definitely worked harder than most and I think it will help me in the future. He graduated early and is in a top 10. I will be joining him. I am not sure if I decided on law school earlier if I would have done things differently, but I am glad I made the choices I did.

[krasivaya]

I'm doing a UG thesis BUT I'm not taking the LSAT until after I graduate.

Don't do both at the same time, seriously.

I'm a bit confused...at your UG, is it not a senior thesis? Well, I guess if you (like me for example) aren't going to take a year off for WE etc, then it doesn't really clash since LSAT (june of junior year) and then senior thesis.

Yeah, senior thesis. I've gotten in the habit of saying UG because whenever I mention my thesis people are like "omg are you a doctoral candidate?"

But true, I just realized he likely won't be doing it during fall like I am so there's no way it will get in the way of his apps. I'm doing a weird thesis schedule because I didn't want to write it during my last senioritisy semester, so I chose to do it during fall.

I'm finding it really fulfilling, if you can juggle it I say go for it - plus, you get an awesome LoR out of it.

[rundoxierun]

Sorry, it might very well BE difficult to get a 3.98. But people who get off on Ivy League seals probably won't think it is. Short answer to the OP: if you can possibly swing it, do the honors track. You're already doing great, might as well get everything you can out of the UG degree.

Joke? Ivy league's inflate grades more than any other schools. You probably have to try to get below a B+ at an Ivy.

It's statistically easier to get a B+ at Duke Law than it is to get a B+ at Campbell, but people are still more impressed by the B+ at Duke. I never said people's perceptions are tied to mathematical or statistical reality.

Im not even going to try to explain why what you are saying there is misguided...

As far as OPs question: I say you do the thesis if it is something you think will enjoy and learn from. If not, I doubt the distinction will be enough to be a game changer so it really isnt worth the effort if it is just going to be a hassle for you.

[MrKappus]

That Ivy UG's and Top 10 law schools have "inflated" GPAs compared to their lower-ranked counterparts? I didn't know that was controversial.

[northwood]

OP do it if you want to. You know it will be a lot of work- and if you are up to it, then knock your socks off. Since you will be doing a lot of interaction with your professor- im sure you will be able to get a good letter out of it as well. Your gpa is fantastic- and if you think you will do well on the thesis ( and keep your other grades up) it will help your application ( but only very slightly).

Remember- the other important factor of the application process is the LSAT. if you get a score in the170s- you will be on the gravey train for the next cycle in the top 14 without the honors.

[rundoxierun]

That Ivy UG's and Top 10 law schools have "inflated" GPAs compared to their lower-ranked counterparts? I didn't know that was controversial.

The problem is that most of undergrad isnt graded on a curve. Because of this, a straight-up comparison can not be made between between Ivy UG and far lower-ranked schools. A comparison can only be made between schools that draw students of similar credentials. For example, you can say that Pomona College has inflated gpas as compared to Swarthmore but you cant say the same as compared to North Carolina Central.