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I'm about to enter junior year with a 3.7 GPA. Trying to hit 3.85 by the time I graduate. Haven't taken the LSAT yet, probably will take it after senior year. I'm planning on getting work experience. I can't say anything about admissions yet until I get my LSAT score...but it's important to focus on GPA now, obviously.

I go to a low-tier state school for undergrad. 26% 4-year graduation rate; probably the LSAT average from kids at my school is below 150. I go here because the tuition is super cheap. My major (Political Science) has few requirements. My school also has fairly simple general education requirements. So due to a lack of options and TLS logic, I've been taking easy A courses. They are usually only slightly related to my major. I have taken a lot of international film classes, intro courses in anthropology, and a lot of classes on foreign religions. I mean, I am interested in these classes a little bit. But I'm worried they'll look weird to adcoms. I've heard they only screen your transcript if you're a splitter or something.

Also, I take summer courses at another nearby university (they give the A+ grade). Most of those courses are 100-200 level and random. I'm taking some more for the LSAC GPA boost. Is this shady?

I know schools say that they look at your transcript carefully, but I've heard it's bullshit. I kind of want to believe it, though.

My Q: Will I be penalized for taking easy courses?

I really like HCCN, emphasis on Harvard. Yale and Stanford are great too but I don't think I'm accomplished enough to get in.

Bonus Q: I've been involved, won awards, had three internships, done research, etc. More to come, too. I really want W/E before applying to law school. I'm worried about how realistic that is for me. I want a job, preferably research or writing. I'm open to anything. I live in a mid-sized city where there aren't too many employers. It's going to be really hard to find a job. Most people in my major don't get jobs. Grad school would be useless and expensive for me. I want to take up any kind of job to save money, would it reflect badly on me? If I took an odd job full-time. I'm also looking at TFA.

Embarrassing that I have some grammar errors here. Ignore them as I didn't proofread.

You're fine. Just keep on course.

BrainsyK wrote:You're fine. Just keep on course.

So even if i take classes like "Social Behavior" for an easy A+ at local school, HLS won't care?

cherthesnoop wrote:Is this shady?

No, but it's short-sighted and risky. You're locking yourself into a law school or bust mentality. What happens when your plans go sideways? What happens when you change your mind in a year and a half and decide that law isn't for you? What happens when a family member gets hit by a bus and you have to put law school on hold for a couple years to help out at home? Desperation mixes really poorly with law school admissions. People 2 years further down your path make immensely stupid law school decisions because their path changed slightly from their expectations, and they have no backup plan.

Nobody's going to be offended that you took the easy way out in undergrad, but you're essentially putting all your chips on law school and hoping that you won't ever actually have to use your undergrad degree. Hopefully your gamble will pay off.

I want to take up any kind of job to save money, would it reflect badly on me? If I took an odd job full-time. I'm also looking at TFA.

1) I've heard some bad stuff about TFA. Keep your eyes open as you research that option.
2) I have no idea why it would reflect badly on you. Somebody who had to hustle for a couple years to make ends meet has shown great work ethic. It's a good thing. The only way it could possibly be construed as bad is in the non-existent elitist circles where people look down on those proles who had to slum it in a "poor person job." Unless you're planning on working for a Top Hat and Monocle conglomerate, I don't think you need to worry about that.

Unsolicited advice #!: You seem really caught up in prestige. Prestige for the sake of prestige is worthless. After you get your first job, nobody cares where you went to law school. You have to understand why prestige matters to understand when prestige matters.

Unsolicited advice #2: You seem laser focused on law school admission. Admission is the start line. You should be focused on the finish line (getting a good legal job and being a successful lawyer). Getting to the start line only matters insofar as it is a waypoint on the way to the finish line.

totesTheGoat wrote:

cherthesnoop wrote:Is this shady?

No, but it's short-sighted and risky. You're locking yourself into a law school or bust mentality. What happens when your plans go sideways? What happens when you change your mind in a year and a half and decide that law isn't for you? What happens when a family member gets hit by a bus and you have to put law school on hold for a couple years to help out at home? Desperation mixes really poorly with law school admissions. People 2 years further down your path make immensely stupid law school decisions because their path changed slightly from their expectations, and they have no backup plan.

Nobody's going to be offended that you took the easy way out in undergrad, but you're essentially putting all your chips on law school and hoping that you won't ever actually have to use your undergrad degree. Hopefully your gamble will pay off.

I want to take up any kind of job to save money, would it reflect badly on me? If I took an odd job full-time. I'm also looking at TFA.

1) I've heard some bad stuff about TFA. Keep your eyes open as you research that option.
2) I have no idea why it would reflect badly on you. Somebody who had to hustle for a couple years to make ends meet has shown great work ethic. It's a good thing. The only way it could possibly be construed as bad is in the non-existent elitist circles where people look down on those proles who had to slum it in a "poor person job." Unless you're planning on working for a Top Hat and Monocle conglomerate, I don't think you need to worry about that.

Unsolicited advice #!: You seem really caught up in prestige. Prestige for the sake of prestige is worthless. After you get your first job, nobody cares where you went to law school. You have to understand why prestige matters to understand when prestige matters.

Unsolicited advice #2: You seem laser focused on law school admission. Admission is the start line. You should be focused on the finish line (getting a good legal job and being a successful lawyer). Getting to the start line only matters insofar as it is a waypoint on the way to the finish line.

Thanks for the honesty. Good advice. And I also saw your response to someone else's post (something about a freshman taking the LSAT). I think I'm doing decent in my program, but no matter what changes I still probably won't find a job. Definitely keeping my options open though. And you're right about the whole unimpressive K-JD at OCI scenario.