Top Law Schools

Here's where I am in a nutshell:
Rising junior at a top california university (class 2014)
Political science major
3.84 gpa

I would like to get into a top California law school like boalt, hastings, ucla, or gould

Other than a great LSAT score, what can i do to make my application to stand out?

I have read that a year or two of work experience is recommended, will I be at a disadvantage if I apply for 2015?

How can I put myself in the best position to get scholarship offers?

Thanks

First of all you should be aiming for Boalt or Stanford or USC/UCLA at a deep discount. You have the GPA for both of the T10s and you have sufficient time to nail the LSAT. No idea how Boalt views its own undergrads, but it shouldn't matter much either way. If you aren't familiar with Lawschooltransparency.com consider browsing the California schools you are interested, it really isn't pretty once you hit Davis/Hastings.

The best thing you can do is obviously to destroy the LSAT but you acknowledged that. Short of that, Boalt is known for caring more about your personal statement than other schools and while I wouldn't encourage you to start thinking about what it is that you are involved in that is unique and defines you in a positive light. Get or stay involved and look for opportunities that are competitive, unique, and could lead to LORs from faculty members. You could also consider picking up a part time job in a legal office more so to see if you can handle the day to day of law than for a benefit on your app.

All that is really a distant third to maintaining/raising your GPA and your LSAT though, always keep that in mind.

And coming right out of UG won't really hurt you for admissions. The jobs that most fresh college grads can realistically get are not impressive. Where it does make a difference is in getting a job out of LS as all things considered many firms favor people who have experienced the work force, but it's certainly not a prerequisite.

Dont fall into the law trap. This board is littered with people who can't find work, not sure what direction to take at the end of law school. You still have time to sort out your undergrad situation and get yourself into a major that is marketable like business or accounting.

MrAnon wrote:Dont fall into the law trap. This board is littered with people who can't find work, not sure what direction to take at the end of law school. You still have time to sort out your undergrad situation and get yourself into a major that is marketable like business or accounting.

Oh hi there!

prezidentv8 wrote:

MrAnon wrote:Dont fall into the law trap. This board is littered with people who can't find work, not sure what direction to take at the end of law school. You still have time to sort out your undergrad situation and get yourself into a major that is marketable like business or accounting.

Oh hi there!

Spill it.

2014 wrote:First of all you should be aiming for Boalt or Stanford or USC/UCLA at a deep discount. You have the GPA for both of the T10s and you have sufficient time to nail the LSAT. No idea how Boalt views its own undergrads, but it shouldn't matter much either way. If you aren't familiar with Lawschooltransparency.com consider browsing the California schools you are interested, it really isn't pretty once you hit Davis/Hastings.

The best thing you can do is obviously to destroy the LSAT but you acknowledged that. Short of that, Boalt is known for caring more about your personal statement than other schools and while I wouldn't encourage you to start thinking about what it is that you are involved in that is unique and defines you in a positive light. Get or stay involved and look for opportunities that are competitive, unique, and could lead to LORs from faculty members. You could also consider picking up a part time job in a legal office more so to see if you can handle the day to day of law than for a benefit on your app.

All that is really a distant third to maintaining/raising your GPA and your LSAT though, always keep that in mind.

And coming right out of UG won't really hurt you for admissions. The jobs that most fresh college grads can realistically get are not impressive. Where it does make a difference is in getting a job out of LS as all things considered many firms favor people who have experienced the work force, but it's certainly not a prerequisite.

Thanks for the link. Hastings employment statistics seem really low. I'll start looking into jobs and internships in law to gain some experience. Thanks for the response.

MrAnon wrote:Dont fall into the law trap. This board is littered with people who can't find work, not sure what direction to take at the end of law school. You still have time to sort out your undergrad situation and get yourself into a major that is marketable like business or accounting.

I can't change my major, even though it would be helpful to have more technical skills, and I understand the field is saturated but the top schools are still reporting strong figures. If I get in to Boalt or Stanford or USC/UCLA at a deep discount like 2014 said, hypothetically, I'll be in a good position.

Get a real job for a few years, and then reconsider whether law school is for you.

As you said, the best way to get those acceptances with $$$ is to kill the LSAT. GPA and LSAT are the key here, work experience... not so much for admissions but it can help with the job search. If you want to go to law school straight out of law school then do that. Some will say that you need to get a 'real' job out of undergrad to see what it is like and break into the work force to get disciplined. But, if you already have that discipline, and understand that every job, and I mean every job has its highs and lows then you should go for it straight away. You don't need to work for two years to understand that the real world of work sucks. So unless you can go into investment banking, consultancy etc. I would strongly consider going to law school and following your interests.