what does it take to get into northwestern? Forum

[justwondering123]

i.e.
lsat
gpa
extra circulars
letters of recc.

[Grizz]

Enjoy lawschoolnumbers.com

[Grizz]

Also you almost assuredly are going to need at least a year of post-grad work experience.

[justwondering123]

Also you almost assuredly are going to need at least a year of post-grad work experience.

why how comes i can't go just from undergrad? surely some people do this?
is it best if i were to apply twice, or just once, say if i didn't get in the first time, then took a year out to work? would it look bad applying twice?

[Grizz]

Also you almost assuredly are going to need at least a year of post-grad work experience.

why how comes i can't go just from undergrad? surely some people do this?
is it best if i were to apply twice, or just once, say if i didn't get in the first time, then took a year out to work? would it look bad applying twice?

Almost no one gets into NW without a year of work experience at least. I wouldn't waste your money.

Why can't you? That's just the ship they run over there.

[rinkrat19]

Also you almost assuredly are going to need at least a year of post-grad work experience.

why how comes i can't go just from undergrad? surely some people do this?

"Why how comes"?

Because Northwestern's "thing" is that they pretty much require work experience. You don't get to question it or make them justify it; it's just the way they do it. NU claims it helps them a more mature student body with real-world experience, rather than just choosing K-JD lifelong students who haven't yet proved to be functional adults.

A few people (2% of last year's matriculating class, if I remember correctly, which would be about 5 people) have no work experience. But they likely have Harvard-type numbers and/or something else really extraordinary going for them. Even then, some applicants with spectacular numbers and no WE are offered a full tuition scholarship IF they defer and get a year of WE before coming to NU.

[justwondering123]

Also you almost assuredly are going to need at least a year of post-grad work experience.

why how comes i can't go just from undergrad? surely some people do this?
is it best if i were to apply twice, or just once, say if i didn't get in the first time, then took a year out to work? would it look bad applying twice?

Almost no one gets into NW without a year of work experience at least. I wouldn't waste your money.

Why can't you? That's just the ship they run over there.

would it look bad if i applied twice though or should i wait, is one year of work expierence in the legal field or banking (have been offered some places) good enough i wouldn't really like to be out of education for two years.

[justwondering123]

im will be applying for the accelerated JD btw as ill be an international student with a foreign law degree

[casterfield]

Just apply. It won't look bad if you apply again with a year of work experience under your belt.

In terms of numbers, their 25 - 75 percentiles are: 166-171 for the LSAT and 3.4 - 3.9 for your LSDAS GPA.

[bjsesq]

Also you almost assuredly are going to need at least a year of post-grad work experience.

Pre-grad work experience is fine. Worked for me.

[AntipodeanPhil]

im will be applying for the accelerated JD btw as ill be an international student with a foreign law degree

They appear to have a two-year accelerated JD, which is open to domestic and international applicants, but also a similar but different "Two-year JD for International Lawyers." Presumably you mean to refer to the latter program.

I doubt if anyone here knows how the standards for admission to that program differ from NU's regular standards - if at all. The page for that program on the NU website states "Applicants are also expected to have at least one year of work experience in business or law," so it still looks like you'll still need WE.

Also, if you're British, be aware that Chicago is brutal in the winter. It's freezing cold - much, much colder than south England - with lots of snow and awful, bone-chilling wind.

[Strange]

if you're out of school for two years working, they cant care about your GPA too much right? So they must care most about your LSAT. NW is my reach... (working as a legal assistant until law school, worked on a campaign before that starting in june 2010, hoping to attend in fall 2012)

[bk1]

if you're out of school for two years working, they cant care about your GPA too much right? So they must care most about your LSAT. NW is my reach... (working as a legal assistant until law school, worked on a campaign before that starting in june 2010, hoping to attend in fall 2012)

They don't really care that much assuming your LSAT is high enough and your work experience is sufficient.

[Strange]

if you're out of school for two years working, they cant care about your GPA too much right? So they must care most about your LSAT. NW is my reach... (working as a legal assistant until law school, worked on a campaign before that starting in june 2010, hoping to attend in fall 2012)

They don't really care that much assuming your LSAT is high enough and your work experience is sufficient.

LSN can't be that helpful for NW then can it? You have to put in a GPA, but for a guy with work experience and a 170... i cant imagine a 3.5 would matter much like LSN indicates, for example

[Grizz]

if you're out of school for two years working, they cant care about your GPA too much right? So they must care most about your LSAT. NW is my reach... (working as a legal assistant until law school, worked on a campaign before that starting in june 2010, hoping to attend in fall 2012)

They don't really care that much assuming your LSAT is high enough and your work experience is sufficient.

LSN can't be that helpful for NW then can it? You have to put in a GPA, but for a guy with work experience and a 170... i cant imagine a 3.5 would matter much like LSN indicates, for example

Except like 98% of the people have work experience. Just go look at the graph. You'll see it's pretty helpful.

[Veyron]

*Attempts to stop sun from rising*

*Complains bitterly*

[rinkrat19]

if you're out of school for two years working, they cant care about your GPA too much right? So they must care most about your LSAT. NW is my reach... (working as a legal assistant until law school, worked on a campaign before that starting in june 2010, hoping to attend in fall 2012)

They don't really care that much assuming your LSAT is high enough and your work experience is sufficient.

LSN can't be that helpful for NW then can it? You have to put in a GPA, but for a guy with work experience and a 170... i cant imagine a 3.5 would matter much like LSN indicates, for example

LSN shows you the GPAs they admit. It doesn't show work experience, but just assume pretty much everyone has it. They may or may not "care" about GPA as much as LSAT, but they certainly don't disregard it.

ETA: Work experience is (almost) necessary but nowhere near sufficient. You still need the numbers. I know of someone with <3.0GPA who was accepted, but they balanced that with good WE and a stellar (>175) LSAT.

Your GPA, no matter how long ago you graduated, is still a reasonably good indicator of your potential performance in an academic environment. If you were a crappy student in UG, you need to convince them that you're likely to do better in law school.