Top Law Schools

Are applicants to these law schools at a disadvantage if they attended a less prestigious school for their undergrad. degree?

Let's say somebody has a degree from a top 50 large public school with a competitive gpa, softs, and LSAT score. Would this person be bypassed by a student with similar characteristics that attended a top-tier undergrad. school?

I would just like to know how much of a difference the college attended matters to HYS. An advisor once told me that it's not where you spend your time but what you do with your time that matters. Does this hold true in this case?

Of course, it is difficult to really equate two people when it comes to softs but generally they are equivalent. The value of students attending the best universities comes in when schools have to make tiebreaker decisions between people who are likely borderline candidates. If you're well within the range regarding GPA, LSAT, and whatever softs, you should face no problem.

In short it will not matter. Schools care almost solely about your rank and Gpa. People claim that you may get a small boost if you're an HYP grad. However, that's likely it. B schools care more about prestige.

The idea that there will be two applications close enough in strength for this to come into play is not worth splitting hairs over. Yes, it's better to go to Princeton than West Southern Central Mississippi, but the likelihood that this is the reason that one applicant is chosen over another is very close to nil.


I would add the caveat that it probably helps a little when people are significantly below the gpa median.

Rumor has it that these three schools are about the only ones who really "go beyond" the numbers, especially YS. Of course, a large part of that is they have more than enough applicants within their ranges. Don't know what that means for public school kids, though.

From all my LSN and TLS reading, I get the impression having gone to a super-prestigious undergrad (and by super-prestigious I mean maybe HYSP) is counted as a decent soft. Maybe equivalent to TFA or a prestigious academic award or being a scholarship athlete.

I really haven't seen much evidence that even undergrad a smidge below those, like Duke or Dartmouth or whatever, is very significant. Like others have said--it probably looks good, but it generally won't help you.

ahnhub wrote:From all my LSN and TLS reading, I get the impression having gone to a super-prestigious undergrad (and by super-prestigious I mean maybe HYSP) is counted as a decent soft. Maybe equivalent to TFA or a prestigious academic award or being a scholarship athlete.

I really haven't seen much evidence that even undergrad a smidge below those, like Duke or Dartmouth or whatever, is very significant. Like others have said--it probably looks good, but it generally won't help you.

I go to a top 10 UG and seriously doubt my UG will matter at all when lawl schools make a decision. Maybe if I went to a top 5 school it would.

Basically, don't spend time worrying. Even if UG does matter, it only matters for HYPS, and there really aren't that many HYPS students in the grand scheme of things who will be competing with you for a spot.

Basically stop wasting time worrying about this and go study for the LSAT.

I read some where on TLS. That bloat's dean said that most of their admits came from the ivy's. Is their bias, I think some. If you are truely equal in the application then I Hinkhouse the nod will go to the ivy person. But that situation, doesn't happen but only rarely. I think if the applicant went to an ivy, but came from Iowa vs one that came fron NYC ...and went to public university. The nod would go to the Iowa applicant, for diversity reasons...ie, diffent parts of the country.

uconjak wrote:I read some where on TLS. That bloat's dean said that most of their admits came from the ivy's. Is their bias, I think some. If you are truely equal in the application then I Hinkhouse the nod will go to the ivy person. But that situation, doesn't happen but only rarely. I think if the applicant went to an ivy, but came from Iowa vs one that came fron NYC ...and went to public university. The nod would go to the Iowa applicant, for diversity reasons...ie, diffent parts of the country.

uh

Wait I'm confused. Is there a boost for state residency? So in other words, an NC resident should have an advantage over a NY applicant?

Public school students are disadvantaged on the LSAT due to spending 4 years in an unchallenging environment

No

Helicio wrote:Wait I'm confused. Is there a boost for state residency? So in other words, an NC resident should have an advantage over a NY applicant?

anyone?

Helicio wrote:

Helicio wrote:Wait I'm confused. Is there a boost for state residency? So in other words, an NC resident should have an advantage over a NY applicant?

anyone?

Are you asking if a school in nc (duke?) would be more likely to accept a NC resident over a NY resident? The only familiarity I have with this would be UVA, who reserve certain spots for in state, but the way it works out you do not get much of a boost. So if this is your question by response is no, no boost. Idk how credible that is but I stated my reasoning

Br3v wrote:

Helicio wrote:

Helicio wrote:Wait I'm confused. Is there a boost for state residency? So in other words, an NC resident should have an advantage over a NY applicant?

anyone?

Are you asking if a school in nc (duke?) would be more likely to accept a NC resident over a NY resident? The only familiarity I have with this would be UVA, who reserve certain spots for in state, but the way it works out you do not get much of a boost. So if this is your question by response is no, no boost. Idk how credible that is but I stated my reasoning

Ah, what I mean is if people get advantages for being from states that have less applicants. For example, would an NC applicant have an advantage over a NY applicant when applying to HLS because of state residency? (Less people applying from NC yet HLS wanting a diverse class with a few good applicants from NC).

Anybody know if you get a boost at YSH for having a unique fashion sense? Like, if two candidates have similar applications and numbers but one doesn't wear Ralph Lauren, would she have an advantage?

There's literally a thread about whether UG matters on I think this very page of the forum. You suck at top-law-schools dot com slash forums

Not asking whether UG matters. Asking whether state residency (what state you live in) matters, especially because LSP is developing a category called "state residency."

Helicio wrote:Not asking whether UG matters. Asking whether state residency (what state you live in) matters, especially because LSP is developing a category called "state residency."

Not you.

Little harsh guys, especially considering he is a June taker lol.

It does not matter. If anything, a kid who really did amazingly at a less prestigious public school might stand out at a YS if you craft your application well.