Top Law Schools

I have been considering Law School in the future and wish for this forum's input.
I am currently a history major in my first semester of college. I am doing my best to get good grades and pushing myself. What is the suggested GPA I should have? a 4.0?

I wish to go to a good law school in NYC as i live around there but i feel that my current school is holding me back. I currently go to a not so great school called SUNY Buffalo state. I am only going here because of a scholarship i received. However I feel like it holds me back, and I wish to transfer. My question is: How much does your undergraduate school affect you and is it possible to go to a strong law school from a SUNY or should i transfer to a stronger private school?

Any words of advice as I go through college? Class wise? GPA wise? Internship/Job/extracurricular wise?

Is it to early to prep for the LSATs? Thank you.

Don't transfer. Your school doesn't really matter. Get a 4.0. Major in something you'll succeed in. While it's less important, do a little extracurricular work (maybe explore potential fields of practice). Yes, it's too early to start studying for the LSAT. Work on your general reading comprehension until the end of your Junior year. Test in October or December of senior year. Take a year off to get work experience. Apply in September/October of that year.

BAM.

chiyeung wrote:I have been considering Law School in the future and wish for this forum's input.
I am currently a history major in my first semester of college. I am doing my best to get good grades and pushing myself. What is the suggested GPA I should have? a 4.0?

I wish to go to a good law school in NYC as i live around there but i feel that my current school is holding me back. I currently go to a not so great school called SUNY Buffalo state. I am only going here because of a scholarship i received. However I feel like it holds me back, and I wish to transfer. My question is: How much does your undergraduate school affect you and is it possible to go to a strong law school from a SUNY or should i transfer to a stronger private school?

Any words of advice as I go through college? Class wise? GPA wise? Internship/Job/extracurricular wise?

Is it to early to prep for the LSATs? Thank you.

As the poster above said, your school doesn't really matter. The only thing that really matters is your GPA and LSAT. You don't need a 4.0, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. It's never too early to prep for the LSAT. The LSAT is the single most important factor. Internships/Jobs/Extracurriculars don't matter much. Do what you enjoy.

Right now I have a 3.4 or a 3.5 but after looking at statistics, i am pushing myself in my classes.
I have a LSAT prep book and I'm trying to do a few questions a day. However, about transferring. I thought law schools would look at your undergraduate school. For example Columbia U vs. My School.

Where you went to college will matter very little in the LS admissions process. Unless you transfer to an ivy or MIT for engineering, then your undergrad institution will have virtually no impact on your application. For now, keep your grades up, get involved in some extra-cirriculars and consider taking the LSAT in your junior year.

chiyeung wrote:Right now I have a 3.4 or a 3.5 but after looking at statistics, i am pushing myself in my classes.
I have a LSAT prep book and I'm trying to do a few questions a day. However, about transferring. I thought law schools would look at your undergraduate school. For example Columbia U vs. My School.

You're a freshman, how do you already have a GPA?

I go to a SUNY as well and believe me, DO NOT TRANSFER. The difficulty is mild and you're still getting a good quality education.

Do not prep yet. Take law "related" classes until your junior year just to make sure this is the right field for you. Read books with some significant difficulty.

Enjoy college for two more years. Come back and then we'll talk.

Unless you can transfer into Harvard, Yale or Princeton, don't bother. Just get the best GPA you possibly can. Take easy extracurriculars. Worry about the LSAT later.

Ginj wrote:Don't transfer. Your school doesn't really matter. Get a 4.0. Major in something you'll succeed in. While it's less important, do a little extracurricular work (maybe explore potential fields of practice). Yes, it's too early to start studying for the LSAT. Work on your general reading comprehension until the end of your Junior year. Test in October or December of senior year. Take a year off to get work experience. Apply in September/October of that year.

BAM.

Disagree. Why intentionally take a year off? It's not enough to get meaningful employment. Further, take the June test so that you can retake in October and apply early, but still--all a long ways off, OP, just get the GPA.

I am guestimating my GPA from my current grades. I guess the only reason I wish to transfer is to be closer to home where my friends are and my family is. Thank you all for the advice. What law courses do you suggest

chiyeung wrote:I am guestimating my GPA from my current grades. I guess the only reason I wish to transfer is to be closer to home where my friends are and my family is. Thank you all for the advice. What law courses do you suggest

Don't take law classes. Take basketweaving. Take gym. Get a 4.0 (+ if you can).

chiyeung wrote:I am guestimating my GPA from my current grades. I guess the only reason I wish to transfer is to be closer to home where my friends are and my family is. Thank you all for the advice. What law courses do you suggest

Transferring should be about what you want now- not to boost your chances of getting into the T6... So if you want to transfer closer to home or to improve your job prospects if you choose not to go to Law school, its up to you. We're all just suggesting that it wont impact your chances of getting into LS, only the GPA from your institution will.

4for44 wrote:

chiyeung wrote:I am guestimating my GPA from my current grades. I guess the only reason I wish to transfer is to be closer to home where my friends are and my family is. Thank you all for the advice. What law courses do you suggest

Transferring should be about what you want now- not to boost your chances of getting into the T6... So if you want to transfer closer to home or to improve your job prospects if you choose not to go to Law school, its up to you. We're all just suggesting that it wont impact your chances of getting into LS, only the GPA from your institution will.

And, further, that less UG debt gives you room to take more debt later.

Yes, it is too early to prep for the LSAT (directly).

In theory your school/major 'does not matter' without considering any other factors. However, a difficult major at a competitive school builds academic discipline and can better prepare you to prepare for the LSAT.

I would strongly recommend transferring to a more competitive school for the benefit of a better education.

The disadvantage of staying at CUNY is that you wont be subjected to a rigorous academic environment and this may be detrimental to your ability to prepare to the best of your ability for the LSAT (less competitive schools have lower LSAT avg.s from their students). The advantage is that your GPA will be higher, and it is very possible that your LSAT can still be just as competitive (but as I mentioned, less likely according to statistics).

Also, if you decide not to go to law school, you will be better off with a BA from a prestigious university.

As everyone else said, don't transfer. Law schools, even the very top schools, really don't care where you went to undergrad.
Do well, because sure do care about your GPA.
Sometime before the end of your junior year (when you would presumably take the LSAT) you MIGHT want to consider a logic class, if such an elective is offered. It might help with your LSAT.

Beyond that, enjoy undergrad and get good grades.
Good luck!

Thank you all. I go to a SUNY not a CUNY.

I now know what classes to take next semester. The easiest ones.

chiyeung wrote:Thank you all. I go to a SUNY not a CUNY.

I now know what classes to take next semester. The easiest ones.

Do not take the advice on this thread too hastily. The top law schools are not options for those who take the easy way out throughout college, go to the easy schools, take the easy classes. The top law schools are reserved for the best students, it is for the students who get the best grades AND subject themselves to the challenges.

thegor1987 wrote:

chiyeung wrote:Thank you all. I go to a SUNY not a CUNY.

I now know what classes to take next semester. The easiest ones.

Do not take the advice on this thread too hastily. The top law schools are not options for those who take the easy way out throughout college, go to the easy schools, take the easy classes. The top law schools are reserved for the best students, it is for the students who get the best grades AND subject themselves to the challenges.

Yeah, I mean top law schools are filled with math, physics, and engineering majors.

I am currently a history major, i have begun my pushing myself after I realized the things i will need to achieve in the next few years. But i don't mind easy classes. College can be distracting, as a freshman there is alcohol and girls every where.

College can be distracting, as a freshman there is alcohol and girls every where.

Wow, you make it sound like that's a bad thing.

If you're pining for CLS, I would suggest transferring to a prestigious undergrad so your study group application will be grade A material.

Helmholtz wrote:If you're pining for CLS, I would suggest transferring to a prestigious undergrad so your study group application will be grade A material.

I remember that. Great fun.