Does the undergraduate school matter? Forum

[Mrdrdr]

I am a high school senior currently trying to decide where I need to enroll for my undergraduate's degree, and have spent the past hour searching through TLS and similar places trying to find out if the school I choose will play a significant role in the admissions process for higher end law schools. I have read mixed results.
I plan on majoring in either Political Science or English, and would like to get into the best law school I possibly can without essentially selling myself as a life-long indentured servant. I am sure I could make it out of college with at least a 3.5, though I, of course, have no clue what I will make on the LSAT.

My decision comes down, simply, to either the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. I am aware that the rigor of classes at UGA is greater than that of GSU, but it is also more expensive. Either way, I feel like I should do well enough in my classes and on the LSAT to make it into one of the t25 schools, and, with any luck, one of the t14.

Could anyone help me with my decision? Any feedback including just general advice for an average, lazy teenager would also be greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure I am able to have some sort of idea as to What Law Schools Look For beyond GPA and LSAT, if they look for anything, within the next day or so. Don't feel bad for any lack of response within a few days, as it is my laziness that prompted it.
Thanks.

[bernaldiaz]

Neither school is even close to the level that will give you a boost, nor are they in the range of schools that will hurt you. Just go where you want to go and think you will do well.

[ricking1288]

Even if you went to HYP or MIT its only an extremely small factor . But for the most part its all a numbers game and based off those schools it wouldn't matter

[hookem7]

I've never been to GSU and couldn't even tell you where it's located, but FWIW if I had to do UG over again and couldn't choose Texas, I would choose UGA.

[bdole2]

My decision comes down, simply, to either the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. I am aware that the rigor of classes at UGA is greater than that of GSU, but it is also more expensive.
Thanks.

Are you paying for school yourself? If so I would try to limit the amount of debt you will take out to attend undergrad.

Also, law school admissions only care about your LSAT and GPA. (or at least that's about 99% of what they care about)

A 3.9 from Georgia State will be better than a 3.8 from Harvard for most law schools. What school you attended for UG is considered a "soft" factor. And it is a weak soft factor. If you are 100% set on law school I would go to where you can get your GPA the highest and keep your debt the lowest.

[annyong]

Just as an unsolicited peice of advice, I really wouldn't be picking undergrad schools for what will give you a better chance at law schools if the decision is so marginal as those two schools are - go to undergrad where you will enjoy your four years, not have a pile of debt, and where you can explore enough interests and have great experiences to find out what you really want to do and not pursue law school so dogmatically right now.

[Yaaaas2013]

My decision comes down, simply, to either the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. I am aware that the rigor of classes at UGA is greater than that of GSU, but it is also more expensive.
Thanks.

Are you paying for school yourself? If so I would try to limit the amount of debt you will take out to attend undergrad.

Also, law school admissions only care about your LSAT and GPA. (or at least that's about 99% of what they care about)

A 3.9 from Georgia State will be better than a 3.8 from Harvard for most law schools. What school you attended for UG is considered a "soft" factor. And it is a weak soft factor. If you are 100% set on law school I would go to where you can get your GPA the highest and keep your debt the lowest.

When has this ever been true? Admissions officers say that gpa and LSAT matter the most. However, they've also said that if they're choosing between two similar applicants and one went to a better undergrad institution w/ harder classes, more rigor, etc....i guarantee that Harvard applicant would get in over the GSU grad.

[Tiago Splitter]

A 3.9 from Georgia State will be better than a 3.8 from Harvard for most law schools.[/b] What school you attended for UG is considered a "soft" factor. And it is a weak soft factor. If you are 100% set on law school I would go to where you can get your GPA the highest and keep your debt the lowest.

When has this ever been true? Admissions officers say that gpa and LSAT matter the most. However, they've also said that if they're choosing between two similar applicants and one went to a better undergrad institution w/ harder classes, more rigor, etc....i guarantee that Harvard applicant would get in over the GSU grad.

They wouldn't consider those two applicants to be similar. Going to Harvard also doesn't guarantee harder classes or more rigor.

[Ludo!]

My decision comes down, simply, to either the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. I am aware that the rigor of classes at UGA is greater than that of GSU, but it is also more expensive.
Thanks.

Are you paying for school yourself? If so I would try to limit the amount of debt you will take out to attend undergrad.

Also, law school admissions only care about your LSAT and GPA. (or at least that's about 99% of what they care about)

A 3.9 from Georgia State will be better than a 3.8 from Harvard for most law schools. What school you attended for UG is considered a "soft" factor. And it is a weak soft factor. If you are 100% set on law school I would go to where you can get your GPA the highest and keep your debt the lowest.

When has this ever been true? Admissions officers say that gpa and LSAT matter the most. However, they've also said that if they're choosing between two similar applicants and one went to a better undergrad institution w/ harder classes, more rigor, etc....i guarantee that Harvard applicant would get in over the GSU grad.

When has it ever not been true? Higher GPA has a higher chance of being admitted no matter what school it came from. They don't report 'undergrad institution attended' to USNWR

[FantasticMrFox]

Are you paying for school yourself? If so I would try to limit the amount of debt you will take out to attend undergrad.

Also, law school admissions only care about your LSAT and GPA. (or at least that's about 99% of what they care about)

A 3.9 from Georgia State will be better than a 3.8 from Harvard for most law schools. What school you attended for UG is considered a "soft" factor. And it is a weak soft factor. If you are 100% set on law school I would go to where you can get your GPA the highest and keep your debt the lowest.

When has this ever been true? Admissions officers say that gpa and LSAT matter the most. However, they've also said that if they're choosing between two similar applicants and one went to a better undergrad institution w/ harder classes, more rigor, etc....i guarantee that Harvard applicant would get in over the GSU grad.

3.9 is not similar to 3.8; you are deluding yourself.
OP, I'd choose UGA over GSU. I doubt the difficulty differs greatly between the two and I'm sure you'd enjoy your time at Athens more than at GSU

[goldenflash19]

3.9 is not similar to 3.8; you are deluding yourself.

The 0.1 difference could be a big deal if a school's 75 percentile is a 3.82 (Columbia).

[bernaldiaz]

3.9 is not similar to 3.8; you are deluding yourself.

The 0.1 difference could be a big deal if a school's 75 percentile is a 3.82 (Columbia).

75% isn't really that significant. But make the example Harvard's 3.87 median, and yeah, it would be a big deal I presume.

[Yaaaas2013]

Are you paying for school yourself? If so I would try to limit the amount of debt you will take out to attend undergrad.

Also, law school admissions only care about your LSAT and GPA. (or at least that's about 99% of what they care about)

A 3.9 from Georgia State will be better than a 3.8 from Harvard for most law schools. What school you attended for UG is considered a "soft" factor. And it is a weak soft factor. If you are 100% set on law school I would go to where you can get your GPA the highest and keep your debt the lowest.

When has this ever been true? Admissions officers say that gpa and LSAT matter the most. However, they've also said that if they're choosing between two similar applicants and one went to a better undergrad institution w/ harder classes, more rigor, etc....i guarantee that Harvard applicant would get in over the GSU grad.

3.9 is not similar to 3.8; you are deluding yourself.
OP, I'd choose UGA over GSU. I doubt the difficulty differs greatly between the two and I'm sure you'd enjoy your time at Athens more than at GSU

At a first glance, a 3.9 and 3.8 arent the same. However, a 3.8 from Harvard is going to significantly more valuable than a 3.9 from GSU or UGA. These sentiments were expressed to me by an admissions officer from UMichigan.

[bernaldiaz]

At a first glance, a 3.9 and 3.8 arent the same. However, a 3.8 from Harvard is going to significantly more valuable than a 3.9 from GSU or UGA. These sentiments were expressed to me by an admissions officer from UMichigan.

No one likes to see how the sausage is made. Law school admissions are embarrassingly depthless, and I imagine that an admissions officer would like to give the impression that they are not.

[Yaaaas2013]

At a first glance, a 3.9 and 3.8 arent the same. However, a 3.8 from Harvard is going to significantly more valuable than a 3.9 from GSU or UGA. These sentiments were expressed to me by an admissions officer from UMichigan.

No one likes to see how the sausage is made. Law school admissions are embarrassingly depthless, and I imagine that an admissions officer would like to give the impression that they are not.

The admissions officers themselves or the process? Regardless of what you're referring to, I'd like to see your logic for that statement.

[Jaeger]

At a first glance, a 3.9 and 3.8 arent the same. However, a 3.8 from Harvard is going to significantly more valuable than a 3.9 from GSU or UGA. These sentiments were expressed to me by an admissions officer from UMichigan.

No one likes to see how the sausage is made. Law school admissions are embarrassingly depthless, and I imagine that an admissions officer would like to give the impression that they are not.

180 for the Upton Sinclair reference.

[Gail]

At a first glance, a 3.9 and 3.8 arent the same. However, a 3.8 from Harvard is going to significantly more valuable than a 3.9 from GSU or UGA. These sentiments were expressed to me by an admissions officer from UMichigan.

Oh Michigan.

We accept students from a wide variety of undergraduate schools, with more than 250 distinct institutions represented in the student body.
http://www.law.umich.edu/prospectivestu ... s/faq.aspx

I'm guessing that there isn't a 250 way tie for best undergraduate institution in the country.



Oh Michigan.
You're just soholistic

[Tiago Splitter]

LOL @ undergrad making a big difference.

http://nyu.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats

Also LOL at UMich

[Mal Reynolds]

At a first glance, a 3.9 and 3.8 arent the same. However, a 3.8 from Harvard is going to significantly more valuable than a 3.9 from GSU or UGA. These sentiments were expressed to me by an admissions officer from UMichigan.

No one likes to see how the sausage is made. Law school admissions are embarrassingly depthless, and I imagine that an admissions officer would like to give the impression that they are not.

The admissions officers themselves or the process? Regardless of what you're referring to, I'd like to see your logic for that statement.

Their logic is empirical data. Whoever told you that is trolling you hard.

[laxbrah420]

LOL at the thought that you'll get the same education and interact with the same quality of people by going to a non flagship state school.

[tedalbany]

You're thinking way too far ahead (despite what counselors/parents may tell you). For now just focus on going to a cheap school that can get you a job if you change you're mind about law, and focus on majoring in something you enjoy and something in demand that can get you a job (again, in case you wise up and decide not to do law).