Question about Courses in Undergrad Forum

[Tyr]

Hello,
I understand that law schools want to see a wide breadth of coursework. The situation I find myself in, however, is that I've got about a year to go, and much coursework to finish in my major (English). Would it look suspect if I went a semester with 5 English courses, as opposed to diverse coursework? By the time I'm done, I'll have take the same classes, I'm just wondering if it matters whether or not I knock them out in chunks.

To give a bit more background, I was majoring in Biology a number of years ago. After becoming homeless and withdrawing from school, I returned 3 years later and changed majors to English. Now I need to complete a bunch of English and humanities courses.

Thanks!

[Ti Malice]

Doesn't matter.

[Tyr]

Thanks for the quick answer. TLS is golden.

[rinkrat19]

I don't know who told you that law schools care one iota about what classes you take, but they were incredibly wrong.

[Tyr]

I don't know who told you that law schools care one iota about what classes you take, but they were incredibly wrong.

Undergrad advisor.

I was kind of curious about it because she was adamant that I need to take a variety of classes each semester or else law schools will think I'm "one dimensional." Specifically, I'm registering for classes for next semester. I wanted to hammer out a bunch of English classes since I'm more or less playing catch-up with my major.

My total transcript will look like a tale of two degrees; the first half is all science, the second half is all liberal arts. I only regret that it won't look like a nice clean continuous 4-year transcript from one school (I transferred awhile back). The GPA will be fine (at least 3.8 ), but the rest is kind of choppy due to a transfer, the change of major, and withdrawing 3 years ago then returning this past summer.

[rinkrat19]

I don't know who told you that law schools care one iota about what classes you take, but they were incredibly wrong.

Undergrad advisor.

I was kind of curious about it because she was adamant that I need to take a variety of classes each semester or else law schools will think I'm "one dimensional." Specifically, I'm registering for classes for next semester. I wanted to hammer out a bunch of English classes since I'm more or less playing catch-up with my major.

My total transcript will look like a tale of two degrees; the first half is all science, the second half is all liberal arts. I only regret that it won't look like a nice clean continuous 4-year transcript from one school (I transferred awhile back). The GPA will be fine (at least 3.8 ), but the rest is kind of choppy due to a transfer, the change of major, and withdrawing 3 years ago then returning this past summer.

Law schools REALLY do not care. Undergrad advisers (even "pre-law" ones) are almost universally ignorant about the realities of law school applications.

[Tyr]

I don't know who told you that law schools care one iota about what classes you take, but they were incredibly wrong.

Undergrad advisor.

I was kind of curious about it because she was adamant that I need to take a variety of classes each semester or else law schools will think I'm "one dimensional." Specifically, I'm registering for classes for next semester. I wanted to hammer out a bunch of English classes since I'm more or less playing catch-up with my major.

My total transcript will look like a tale of two degrees; the first half is all science, the second half is all liberal arts. I only regret that it won't look like a nice clean continuous 4-year transcript from one school (I transferred awhile back). The GPA will be fine (at least 3.8 ), but the rest is kind of choppy due to a transfer, the change of major, and withdrawing 3 years ago then returning this past summer.

Law schools REALLY do not care. Undergrad advisers (even "pre-law" ones) are almost universally ignorant about the realities of law school applications.

You're not kidding! When I told her how much I planned on studying for the LSAT (months), she replied "Yes, it is important. You should give yourself at least a few weeks to prepare."

Again, thank you for the advice.

[IpleadtheFiF]

You're not kidding! When I told her how much I planned on studying for the LSAT (months), she replied "Yes, it is important. You should give yourself at least a few weeks to prepare."

Again, thank you for the advice.

Definitely spend months, not a few weeks, studying for the LSAT.

While I have never heard law schools caring about the variety of a student's coursework, the following video shows that deans of admissions from NYU and Harvard peruse applicant transcripts thoroughly. Nonetheless, this is probably just to distinguish between applicants with equivalent GPAs and majors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2aiGDTMVx0

Everyone has semesters stacked with classes of a single subject. Don't sweat it.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I also think adcomms are familiar enough with academic requirements, they're realize exactly what you're doing. Lots of people change majors and end up with odd collections of courses through needing to fulfill requirements, enough so that to the extent any school cares about your courses*, it wouldn't be a problem because it wouldn't be very unusual.

*not at all

[IgosduIkana]

I don't know who told you that law schools care one iota about what classes you take, but they were incredibly wrong.

Undergrad advisor.

I was kind of curious about it because she was adamant that I need to take a variety of classes each semester or else law schools will think I'm "one dimensional." Specifically, I'm registering for classes for next semester. I wanted to hammer out a bunch of English classes since I'm more or less playing catch-up with my major.

My total transcript will look like a tale of two degrees; the first half is all science, the second half is all liberal arts. I only regret that it won't look like a nice clean continuous 4-year transcript from one school (I transferred awhile back). The GPA will be fine (at least 3.8 ), but the rest is kind of choppy due to a transfer, the change of major, and withdrawing 3 years ago then returning this past summer.

Law schools REALLY do not care. Undergrad advisers (even "pre-law" ones) are almost universally ignorant about the realities of law school applications.

You're not kidding! When I told her how much I planned on studying for the LSAT (months), she replied "Yes, it is important. You should give yourself at least a few weeks to prepare."

Again, thank you for the advice.

what the hell is this???? I'd like to see someone prepare for the exam for a few weeks and murder it..

[Otunga]

what the hell is this???? I'd like to see someone prepare for the exam for a few weeks and murder it..

Only people with amazing diagnostics I reckon.

[Carlo Von Sexron]

she was adamant that I need to take a variety of classes each semester or else law schools will think I'm "one dimensional."

When I told her how much I planned on studying for the LSAT (months), she replied "Yes, it is important. You should give yourself at least a few weeks to prepare."

This advisor is like the poster child for the argument that useless administrative employees contribute to skyrocketing college tuition.

The GPA will be fine (at least 3.8 )

That's all you really need to worry about as far as undergrad goes.

[PalmBay]

Advisors never seem to help their advisees reach for the stars. I've had terrible advisors all my life, from high-school to undergraduate. They told me all the things that sounded good, but then 4 years later I think back and wonder why I fell for such terrible advice.

Course diversity? This won't matter one iota. Just get good grades.

And start studying for the LSAT as soon as possible. I got terrible LSAT advice. My pre-law advisor gave no sense of urgency when it came to the LSAT. I'd look online and hear people talk about how law schools really, really 'only' care about scores and looking great numbers wise. I would bring this up with my advisor and I'd be told things like community service would make or break my application. But then again, these are the same advisors who never told me a political science degree is pretty much worthless.

If I were to give advice? Shoot for the highest LSAT score possible. A single point could mean the difference between getting nothing in scholarship money or getting thousands of dollars.

IMO, you can never start too early with LSAT studying. I'd start doing problems and getting used to the type of questions that appear on the LSAT from your freshman year of undergrad. It might suck in the short-run, but ultimately it'll help you out in big ways.