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Small soft factor, at best.

Unfortunately, LGBT barely helps, if at all. At least, LGB don't help; T probably does. We're actually overrepresented among current law students.

voiidd wrote:Would actually minoring in GLBT studies and perhaps doing work in the GLBT community and incorporating it into your P.S. make law schools believe you are "bringing diversity" to their school?

I think the bolded has a lot more utility than getting a GLBT studies minor. Working in your community or engaging in projects that deal with your interests are a great way to distinguish yourself. I worked in the PD's office for a time and that experience aided me a great deal when it came time to write my PS. The collective wealth of your experiences, rather than just a degree, is what really makes a difference when your writing a PS.

That being said, do well on the LSAT and only take a minor if it interests you.

BenJ wrote:Unfortunately, LGBT barely helps, if at all. At least, LGB don't help; T probably does. We're actually overrepresented among current law students.

I've been wondering about this - how much does T help?

T stands for "tucking it"?

Right guys?...guys?

kwhitegocubs wrote:

BenJ wrote:Unfortunately, LGBT barely helps, if at all. At least, LGB don't help; T probably does. We're actually overrepresented among current law students.

I've been wondering about this - how much does T help?

Even if I had the information (I don't, I'm just speculating), I don't think there are enough transgender applicants annually to be able to infer much. I suppose once you get in, you could poke your head into the admissions office of wherever you go and ask them what they thought.

If nothing else, it's a very unusual read on an application. Anything highly unusual about a candidate is good (as long as it's not obviously bad, like a criminal charge or something) because it will get the application more attention and make the adcomms curious.

Nothing you couldn't have said yourself, probably. I don't want to sound like I actually know what I'm talking about, haha.

Completely depends on where you are applying. I promise you that it's not over-represented at a school like Texas Tech or something of that ilk. It probably won't make a difference at UC-Hastings.

ec2xs wrote:Completely depends on where you are applying. I promise you that it's not over-represented at a school like Texas Tech or something of that ilk. It probably won't make a difference at UC-Hastings.

Well, yeah, but the adcomm at Texas Tech also probably isn't going to give you any points for being gay. Plays both ways.

i think actually doing community work will help far more than the minor as someone else pointed out..

as to how much it helps, i have had an abnormally good cycle for what my #s would predict. whether this can be attributed to my glbt diversity /community work or other factors, who knows. but my application was very much about how it has affected my life and my choice to pursue law.

just my 2c....

BenJ wrote:

ec2xs wrote:Completely depends on where you are applying. I promise you that it's not over-represented at a school like Texas Tech or something of that ilk. It probably won't make a difference at UC-Hastings.

Well, yeah, but the adcomm at Texas Tech also probably isn't going to give you any points for being gay. Plays both ways.

I understand that the South and Texas have not exactly engendered any kind of faith from gay folks, but Texas Tech values diversity as much as the next school. Now, if we were talking about Baylor, I might grudingly agree.

They really have GLBT studies at your school?? And people wonder why the US is falling behind the world in so many catagories.

(P.S. I am all for GLBT rights and freedoms, but as a college subject?? Come on now, get serious)

..

interestedbyestander wrote:They really have GLBT studies at your school?? And people wonder why the US is falling behind the world in so many catagories.

(P.S. I am all for GLBT rights and freedoms, but as a college subject?? Come on now, get serious)

It probably has more to do with the sub-50% graduation rates for public high schools in almost every major city than with GLBT minors.

ccs1702 wrote:

interestedbyestander wrote:They really have GLBT studies at your school?? And people wonder why the US is falling behind the world in so many catagories.

(P.S. I am all for GLBT rights and freedoms, but as a college subject?? Come on now, get serious)

It probably has more to do with the sub-50% graduation rates for public high schools in almost every major city than with GLBT minors.

+1

usually the falling behind happens before people get into college.

interestedbyestander wrote:They really have GLBT studies at your school?? And people wonder why the US is falling behind the world in so many catagories.

(P.S. I am all for GLBT rights and freedoms, but as a college subject?? Come on now, get serious)

From your flippant dismissal I'm going to assume that you've never taken a GLBT/Queer studies class. GLBT/Queer studies, when done well, is an interdisciplinary exploration of how normative sexual identities come into existence and what their impact is on social structure. It's a great topic to use if one wants to teach students interdisciplinary research methods that bridge the humanities and social sciences. It's also a great way to teach critical thinking skills and instruct students in articulating academic study with social concerns outside of the academy. I'm not convinced that one should major in it, but it seems to me that it's a great topic of study as a minor for an interested student.

I suspect that it also won't help much in law school admissions unless it is worked into an interesting personal statement.

I wouldn't minor in this because you are using it as a means to add diversity to law school. Being GLBT = diversity; Minoring in GLBT studies ≠ diversity!

interestedbyestander wrote:They really have GLBT studies at your school?? And people wonder why the US is falling behind the world in so many catagories.

(P.S. I am all for GLBT rights and freedoms, but as a college subject?? Come on now, get serious)

People used to say this for African-American studies. More evidence that lgbt discrimination is still socially acceptable in this country. Sad. Let's just study European History in college, like we have to do in middle and high school. Oh, wait, I think I had one class called "world history"...