Do law school adcoms discriminate against fast-trackers? Forum

[CeterisParibus]

Say you complete a standard 120 credit bachelor's degree in 2 years. Would that negatively or positively impact your admission results, all other things being equal (GPA, LSAT, softs, undergrad pedigree, etc.)?

[BlueDiamond]

GOOO AWAYYY

[tourdeforcex]

a better question: how many times will the word "flame" be used in this thread?

[thecilent]

I remember people talking about this a while ago. Some people said some schools may look slightly negative on it, but I can't really see it hurting that much - assuming the rest of your app is nice

Edit - wait this is a troll?

[CeterisParibus]

Nope, serious question. Why are people getting upset?

[ahduth]

Nope, serious question. Why are people getting upset?

Because they're hungover.

I finished early, but I'm far enough out of school that adcoms can be reasonably assured I'm through with all the acne and stuff associated with puberty. I'd grab like, a few years of work experience. Otherwise you're going to OCI when you're like, 12. And that'll be humorous for everyone except you.

[T6Hopeful]

It depends. It's very hard to apply the "all things being equal" label to this situation (I like your username btw!), because fast-trackers are very nontraditional as they are. Personally, I've only met one person who's finished that fast in my entire four years in undergrad. Specifically, fast-trackers tend to graduate very young (two years right after high school, as opposed to nontraditionals going back and going from say, 38-40 years old), and I would think, tend to gravitate toward certain institutions, and online courses. Not to say that fast-trackers don't attend prestigious universities, but realistically you wouldn't want to graduate from HYP, for example, that fast... you miss a lot of networking opportunities.
With regards to the issue of age though, I think it would definitely be negative to graduate younger than usual. If you're applying to law schools as a 19-20 year old, you're going to have to prove to the admissions committees that you're mature enough PAST your scores to handle law schools (i.e. post-UG work experience/taking a year or two off before applying, personal statement that demonstrates maturity, etc.). This is especially true when you consider a lot of schools are trending toward preferring 1+ year of post-UG WE for traditional applicants.

[beachbum]

I've seen interviews where admissions deans insinuated it's a negative because of the applicant's perceived lack of maturity. I haven't seen any empirical evidence to back this up, though.

[ahduth]

Say you complete a standard 120 credit bachelor's degree in 2 years. Would that negatively or positively impact your admission results, all other things being equal (GPA, LSAT, softs, undergrad pedigree, etc.)?

I guess I jumped to the conclusion they were applying straight out of school. Assuming they have a couple/few years WE, it really shouldn't matter, assuming they didn't go to school online or something right?

[T6Hopeful]

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm a little confused. By completing the 120 credits in two years, did you mean coming in with ~60 credits and finishing 60 more? Because I don't know about you guys, but it's pretty much impossible at my UG to complete 120 credits in two years, including two winters and one summer's worth of classes.

[Bildungsroman]

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm a little confused. By completing the 120 credits in two years, did you mean coming in with ~60 credits and finishing 60 more? Because I don't know about you guys, but it's pretty much impossible at my UG to complete 120 credits in two years, including two winters and one summer's worth of classes.

Someone could come in with 12 AP credits and take 18 credits a semester for four semesters and 18 credits a summer for two summer. It would be easier if they had more AP credits and/or the option to take classes during winter break as well, but it's definitely doable.

[CeterisParibus]

Someone could come in with 12 AP credits and take 18 credits a semester for four semesters and 18 credits a summer for two summer. It would be easier if they had more AP credits and/or the option to take classes during winter break as well, but it's definitely doable.

This is close to what I have in mind.

[T6Hopeful]

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm a little confused. By completing the 120 credits in two years, did you mean coming in with ~60 credits and finishing 60 more? Because I don't know about you guys, but it's pretty much impossible at my UG to complete 120 credits in two years, including two winters and one summer's worth of classes.

Someone could come in with 12 AP credits and take 18 credits a semester for four semesters and 18 credits a summer for two summer. It would be easier if they had more AP credits and/or the option to take classes during winter break as well, but it's definitely doable.

Well I meant assuming 0 AP credits because like I said above, you could obviously also just come in with 60 credits and finish 60 more. But: the maximum number of credits you can take here is 20.5 credits per semester, 12 credits for the entire summer, and 3 credits for the entire winter. That would put you at:
20.5*4 (2 Fall, 2 Spring) = 82
12*1 (1 and ONLY one summer to technically graduate in two school years) = 12
3*2 (2 Winter) = 6
_________________
Total = 100 credits

So at least at least my school, provided you come in with 0 credits, it's impossible. That's why I asked the OP to clarify.

Edit: Ah ok, I just saw OP's new post. I understand now. Personally, I never really got why people wanted to get through college so quickly. Saving money is a worthy reason, but I really feel you're doing yourself a disservice if you graduate in less than 3.

[arism87]

Edit: Ah ok, I just saw OP's new post. I understand now. Personally, I never really got why people wanted to get through college so quickly. Saving money is a worthy reason, but I really feel you're doing yourself a disservice if you graduate in less than 3.

+1 I had enough credits to graduate after 2 years but I was on full scholarship so fuck it.. 4 it was. College is fun.

[billyez]

If my cycle was an accurate reflection, no. You don't get bonus points for completing college early and you don't seem to get docked either. Then again, it's not like we get notes that say, "Should've stayed in college longer", but ask yourself, why would they have a problem with it. As is stated ad nauseam around here, have that GPA and LSAT as your big stick and nothing else matters.

[snowpeach06]

Apparently there is some 19 year old at my school. And one of my friends graduated in just 2 years by having AP credits, overloading and staying in school over the summer. Her numbers were the same as mine, so apparently it wasn't a disadvantage at all.

[Bildungsroman]

12*1 (1 and ONLY one summer to technically graduate in two school years) = 12

No, to technically graduate in two years you'd have two summers. Let's say someone matriculates at a university on Sept. 1, 2011. They have until August 31st, 2013, to graduate within two years.

[T6Hopeful]

12*1 (1 and ONLY one summer to technically graduate in two school years) = 12

No, to technically graduate in two years you'd have two summers. Let's say someone matriculates at a university on Sept. 1, 2011. They have until August 31st, 2013, to graduate within two years.

Well I admit you're right.
To explain my perspective though, if you finish up over the summer at my school, you don't graduate until October of that year, and I'm sure you can find an undergrad with summer classes that run late enough (e.g. Chicago) that they overlap with the first few weeks of law school (e.g. any school that starts mid-August), if you're planning on going straight from one to the other.

[thegor1987]

Say you complete a standard 120 credit bachelor's degree in 2 years. Would that negatively or positively impact your admission results, all other things being equal (GPA, LSAT, softs, undergrad pedigree, etc.)?

2 years? That sure beats the hell out of my 7. I just hope my application doesn't fall next in line to yours haha

[Whatsawahooanyway]

My 3 years didn't seem to hurt me at all. Can't say for 2... I could have easily graduated in 2.5 years and not have it held against me. Granted, I only applied to one school

[Whatsawahooanyway]

12 AP credits is a little. I had 55 going in. I didn't decide until this summer that I wanted to just get it done with this year and graduate early. I'm miserable, might as well move on with my life to a new stage of misery.

[billyez]

If you're going to UVA, misery will be hard to come by.

Except during Finals time and the month leading up to it

[nStiver]

Someone could come in with 12 AP credits and take 18 credits a semester for four semesters and 18 credits a summer for two summer. It would be easier if they had more AP credits and/or the option to take classes during winter break as well, but it's definitely doable.

That is insane. If I were an adcom, I wouldn't be worried about lack of maturity, I would be worried about neurosis on the part of the applicant.

[Lokomani]

Lol, good luck networking/getting a job at OCI when you remind everyone of their nephew.
Except you'll be the weird version of him for not enjoying your youth and instead jumping headlong into one of the most depressing and suicidal professions around.

Your age will be more than a slight negative at schools which prefer work-experience and still will raise questions at any school which isn't a money mill.

[nStiver]

Lol, good luck networking/getting a job at OCI when you remind everyone of their nephew.
Except you'll be the weird version of him for not enjoying your youth and instead jumping headlong into one of the most depressing and suicidal professions around.

Your age will be more than a slight negative at schools which prefer work-experience and still will raise questions at any school which isn't a money mill.

This must bode well for those of us who are 26 and have spend our youth fucking off, partying, and playing intramural sports.