Top Law Schools

Hi all, current high school senior here thinking about leaving the U.S. for college. I'm reasonably sure I'd like to attend an American law school if I end up having the GPA/LSAT necessary to get into a T14. (Of course, I'm young and my plans may change.)

I'm originally from East Asia, but I'm a naturalized American citizen. I've been accepted to USNWR top 20 schools in the States, and it would be free for me to attend due to financial aid/scholarships.

On the other hand, I've also been accepted by Yale-NUS College in Singapore. (In a nutshell: new joint venture between Yale and National University of Singapore, 3% acceptance rate, new facilities just completed, 1000 target students, first class of seniors to graduate this upcoming academic year.)

More info if anyone wants to read about it: http://www.yale-nus.edu.sg/

It would also be free for me to attend Yale-NUS, on one condition due to a subsidized grant: I'll have to work in Singapore (or for a Singapore-based company) for 3 years after graduation. They won't take any of my salary, and I can defer the engagement to go to grad school, law school, etc.

Going to college in Singapore has two major appeals for me: 1) ridiculously low crime rate, and 2) adventure, east-meets-west and all. The colleges I'd be going to in the States seem pretty bland and homogenous to me.

From a law school admissions standpoint: If I went to college overseas, how would it affect me if I apply for American law school later on?

Thank you for your help!

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You're young. Plans change; don't get hung up on law school. Going to college for free sounds awesome, and you will likely have to incur some debt to go to law school so completing UG debt-free is a huge boon.

In any case, your LSAT and GPA matters more than where you went for undergrad. It's not immediately clear whether LSAC will report your grades from this school on the usual 4.3 scale or the international scale (superior, above average, etc.), but if the latter is the case then your LSAT will be the single most important factor - your score should be above the target school's median to have a realistic chance.

My actual concerns are that the range of careers available to you after college may be constrained by the requirement of staying in Singapore, that going to a school with no alumni base may be a disadvantage in the professional world, or that you may regret having committed yourself to living in Singapore for 7 years. It's a great place in many aspects and offers a lot of opportunities, but it's not for everyone.