Do sports and clubs matter or Just GPA and LSAT? Forum

[Miami781]

If you participate in college athletics or clubs during your undergrad years will this have any benefit on your law school application at all.

The last two years I ran cross country and track but if this will have no benefit to me at all I almost rather just focus on school and getting my GPA up while prepping for the LSAT's early.

In terms of clubs also , my school offers a pre law club, for example I was considering joining

Thanks

[chem]

College sports are a prety good soft. When it comes to admission, GPA is much more important, but when it comes to law firm hiring, the user lawfirmrecruiter said that college sports look really good. You'll have to decide on sports, but the club isn't going to matter at all in admission. Do it if you enjoy it

[thederangedwang]

If you participate in college athletics or clubs during your undergrad years will this have any benefit on your law school application at all.

The last two years I ran cross country and track but if this will have no benefit to me at all I almost rather just focus on school and getting my GPA up while prepping for the LSAT's early.

In terms of clubs also , my school offers a pre law club, for example I was considering joining

Thanks

I'm guessing you are a walk-on then? Also, what division? Big difference between Division I and other...also how good is the program?

[ihhwap1]

.

[Miami781]

I run for a division 2 school, as a walk on , was more curious of the advantage it would give me if any. I actually just transferred to a D2 school after going to a D3 school last year and serving as the teams captain so maybe that will help?

With that said my goal is just to be accepted into a good law school like everyone else so my #1 priority is grades and LSAT, last year the sports took over my academics a little too much, which wont happen this year.

[dkt4]

the majority of your app will be GPA/LSAT, but the other shit still matters - at some schools more than others. if you enjoy it (i have no idea why the hell anyone runs cross country, but i hate running...) then continue to do it. there are a lot of benefits to college athletics that will not necessarily show up in your application, and there is something to be said for having it in your application, too.

[typ3]

It will hardly matter.

LSAT>>>GPA>>>>>>>everything else at T-14.

The differences are closer at the Top 6 where they get to pick and choose candidates because they get the best applicants.
For Yale and Stanford it's probably.

LSAT>>GPA>>>Everything else.

At schools lower than T-14 it's

LSAT>>>>>>>GPA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everything else.

[senorhosh]

It will hardly matter.

LSAT>>>GPA>>>>>>>everything else at T-14.

The differences are closer at the Top 6 where they get to pick and choose candidates because they get the best applicants.
For Yale and Stanford it's probably.

LSAT>>GPA>>>Everything else.

At schools lower than T-14 it's

LSAT>>>>>>>GPA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everything else.

Finally someone who doesn't generalize.
I hate it when everyone says "softs don't matter unless you cure cancer" by assuming you're not applying to ~T6 or you're not a splitter who needs that boost.

[thederangedwang]

It will hardly matter.

LSAT>>>GPA>>>>>>>everything else at T-14.

The differences are closer at the Top 6 where they get to pick and choose candidates because they get the best applicants.
For Yale and Stanford it's probably.

LSAT>>GPA>>>Everything else.

At schools lower than T-14 it's

LSAT>>>>>>>GPA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everything else.

Disagree. It will matter a lot. Everybody applying to T14 will have similar numbers, softs are the only way to choose between similar number candidates.

OP: Make sure your numbers are competitive, and let your softs do the rest

[mattviphky]

If D-1 football or Skull and Bones, then yes

[typ3]

It will hardly matter.

LSAT>>>GPA>>>>>>>everything else at T-14.

The differences are closer at the Top 6 where they get to pick and choose candidates because they get the best applicants.
For Yale and Stanford it's probably.

LSAT>>GPA>>>Everything else.

At schools lower than T-14 it's

LSAT>>>>>>>GPA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everything else.

Disagree. It will matter a lot. Everybody applying to T14 will have similar numbers, softs are the only way to choose between similar number candidates.

OP: Make sure your numbers are competitive, and let your softs do the rest

If you have the numbers for T-14 and blanket them you will get into one.. most likely more.

If you have the numbers for T-6 and blanket them you'll get into one or two.

If you have the numbers for T-3 and blanket them you'll likely get 1 (Probably Harvard since they are the most focused on numbers). You'll likely also snag 2/3 of CCN.

Softs matter if you're below median. You're better off spending the time going from a 170 to a 173 than you are wasting your time with clubs. The points above 170 will do a lot more for you than your softs unless the softs are something huge. IE: Rhodes Scholar, D-1 All American who turns down the NFL/MLB, National figure in some field (see Tyra Banks at HBS).

Playing a D-1 sport doesn't give you a huge boost. To think it does is nonsense. The people who tout this belief are the same ones who say that a 170/3.8 science / engineering degree will give you a boost over a 173/3.75 Humanities major.

Come on guys, admissions isn't this nebulous. For 90% of applicants it is PLUG and CHUG indexing. I was the president of one of these nonsense clubs at my B1G school and the UMich/UMN/ and other T1/T2 admissions counselors said that they almost entirely do admissions off numbers unless the candidate is on the bubble or they need to meet a certain percentage of a type of student (URM).

[alicrimson]

While softs aren't as important as grades, I do believe they are more useful than people on TLS give them credit for. I just finished my cycle and am fairly certain that several of the schools that let me in did so based on softs (I got some nice honors for D1 athletics) because my numbers (well, the GPA was 75th range) certainly were not on par in the LSAT department with their typical student. This isn't to say that Harvard will be banging down your door because you were an All-American, but I do believe it sets you apart from the traditional applicant. College athletics, at any division, are a huge time commitment and you learn team building and discipline skills that are valued in the work place. I'm biased but, in my opinion, my athletics positively impacted my application cycle as well as my development as a person.