Online Undergrad Forum

[scaldwe3]

I know this question has been asked a thousand times but I am unsure about the definitive answer. I was at a state school, however, a job opportunity came my way and it was an offer I could not refuse at this stage of my life. However, that job opportunity really will not allow me to go to a traditional University as my hours are going to be very long. My end goal is to go to a top14 law school. Do adcomms look down upon attending an actual University but completing your degree online through that University? Ie attending Arizona State online rather than going to the actual campus. If anyone can give me first hand knowledge or even any examples from people you know it would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if this is redundant but it is very important to me to figure out. Before the question is asked no I do not have an official LSAT yet, but I am shooting for the top14. Thanks so much TLS!!

[Swimp]

Does the online coursework change the degree at all?

[twenty]

Yeahhhh, I don't think anyone cares. UMinn offered my friend a full ride (167 LSAT), and he had no GPA because his online college only did pass/fail credit. He got a T14 nibble or two, even with that LSAT.

[scaldwe3]

It is a bachelors of General Studies. You then choose two different minors, I am choosing a finance and sociology minor. So I will have a bachelors in general studies with minors in finance and sociology. From everything I can tell the degree will still be from the University itself, I'm not sure if it will specify that it was online or through the Distance Education or not. I just want to make sure this won't end my chances at a T-14. As of now my GPA is decent at a 3.55 and I've been studying for the LSAT and have been scoring near a 170 on my practice LSAT's thus far. I know this means nothing in terms of actual chances of admissions but it is an indicator that I may have the numbers to get in. I just don't want to ruin my chances.

[somewhatwayward]

A bachelor in general studies does sound a little suspect just bc traditional college always have majors. You seem to have a good reason, though....maybe you could weave that into your personal statement. If this job is so good, why do you want to go to law school rather than just keeping with it?

Also, make sure you do very well in your online program. Fair or not, the perception is that online programs are easier, so low grades would be a red flag.

[scaldwe3]

The job is good for the area of my life right now. It's not a job I want to be in, in 10 years. Long story short, my family was hit hard by the recession, my mother lost her job and my dad has been working 3 jobs to keep us afloat. Needless to say when a full-time salaried opportunity came my way I felt obligated to take it to help not only myself but my struggling family. My end goal and dream has always been to become an attorney but as you all know law school is expensive and having a family with no money doesn't really help when you're trying to pay for all the expenses you would have to incur. I love my job, but it's a job just to help me get by not necessarily a career...if that makes any sense.


Edit: Also I just found out I could finish my bachelor's in business that I already had begun at my State University there. So I would actually graduate with a bachelor's in business not in general studies.

[somewhatwayward]

The job is good for the area of my life right now. It's not a job I want to be in, in 10 years. Long story short, my family was hit hard by the recession, my mother lost her job and my dad has been working 3 jobs to keep us afloat. Needless to say when a full-time salaried opportunity came my way I felt obligated to take it to help not only myself but my struggling family. My end goal and dream has always been to become an attorney but as you all know law school is expensive and having a family with no money doesn't really help when you're trying to pay for all the expenses you would have to incur. I love my job, but it's a job just to help me get by not necessarily a career...if that makes any sense.


Edit: Also I just found out I could finish my bachelor's in business that I already had begun at my State University there. So I would actually graduate with a bachelor's in business not in general studies.

Okay. I apologize if I sound pushy, but as you are probably aware, jobs in the legal field are scarce right now, so IMHO a person with a good job should be especially hesitant to go to law school. Your reason for taking the job and switching to online college is very reasonable. I think you should weave it into your PS. Are you going to be doing online college at the same school where you did regular college? Then it may be not such a big deal because you'll just have one transcript anyway.

[scaldwe3]

It is not the same colege so I will have another transcript to send in. I understand what you're saying about jobs in the legal field being scarce and you're not being pushy. However, the job I have now really doesn't have any room for growth, so I would be staying basically at the same in the same position until retirement (if I could retire) if I stayed here. Like I said it's a good job for now but it's not a career. I would rather run the risk with a T14 law school education than stay here. Like I said it's my dream to be an attorney, even if I have to take the hard road to get there. The way I'm going into it is if I can't get into a T14 school then i will stay here but if I can get in I want to go to law school. I have begun working on my PS and plan on weaving my story and why I changed colleges into it. Do you think there would be any reason for an addendum or anything like that?

[727813]

Just keep this in mind.....

Yale: At the same time, a 4.0 with a very easy course load, or with courses that don’t really demonstrate a potential to succeed in the kind of work you’ll do in law school (like fine arts, or all science/engineering courses) may not help your application.

http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/admission ... questions/

Also, on the Yale Ask Asha blog somewhere in one of the comments she spoke about community college/online courses and how they are frowned upon......(but this is Yale.)

[scaldwe3]

Thanks for the information in that link. YHS have all been off of my list for a while with my 3.5 GPA I need a 180 and another miracle to even begin to consider them lol. I just hope that they other T14's don't think a long the same lines. I have put a fair bit of research in and thus far I don't think they do or perhaps that's just hopeful thinking.

[EvilClinton]

If they can tell that you did all or most of your studies through online courses it can hinder you. The only thing that would indicate this is your transcripts.

[scaldwe3]

If they can tell that you did all or most of your studies through online courses it can hinder you. The only thing that would indicate this is your transcripts.

I have done all of my courses other than 3-4 thus far at an actual University. My last full year would be completed through an online program at an actual accredited University. Do you think that would hinder my chances?

[EvilClinton]

If they can tell that you did all or most of your studies through online courses it can hinder you. The only thing that would indicate this is your transcripts.

I have done all of my courses other than 3-4 thus far at an actual University. My last full year would be completed through an online program at an actual accredited University. Do you think that would hinder my chances?

It really depends. Some adcomms wont even notice either way. how ever you said you were looking into the T14 and their processes tend to be more thorough than other law schools.

The factor that would give you away is where they list the campus you attended on the transcript. I went to an undergrad that had multiple campuses and a couple distance learning programs. The transcript usually lists your information and the university at the top and the campus you graduated from. Go check if you transcript lists this. If you change to an online or distance learning program many times that campus info changes and it might hurt your admissions chances.

[scaldwe3]

If they can tell that you did all or most of your studies through online courses it can hinder you. The only thing that would indicate this is your transcripts.

I have done all of my courses other than 3-4 thus far at an actual University. My last full year would be completed through an online program at an actual accredited University. Do you think that would hinder my chances?

It really depends. Some adcomms wont even notice either way. how ever you said you were looking into the T14 and their processes tend to be more thorough than other law schools.

The factor that would give you away is where they list the campus you attended on the transcript. I went to an undergrad that had multiple campuses and a couple distance learning programs. The transcript usually lists your information and the university at the top and the campus you graduated from. Go check if you transcript lists this. If you change to an online or distance learning program many times that campus info changes and it might hurt your admissions chances.

Thanks for all of your information. You have been very helpful. I will have transcripts from 3 places, one being the community college I attended first year (still trying to figure out what I wanted to do) then the University I have been attending and the final would be a different University but it's through the online program so it will be interesting to see what they think. I'm hoping I can kill the LSAT like I have been practicing and then most of this will matter a little less. Again thanks for all your help!

[twenty]

The online school really will matter slightly more than your favorite color. It might get you in trouble at YS + B and maybeeee H, but the process is so incredibly numbers-oriented the rest of T14 isn't going to care. Plus, the vast majority of your work will be in-class anyway, right?

[scaldwe3]

Yes most of my work will be completed in the classroom and I'll have a yr and half worth of work experience to go along with it. Thanks again for the feedback everyone!