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Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:12 pm
by pkp241
Hi guys:
I'm a junior applying in the fall, and I've lurked on these boards for some time now. I'm sending apps to most of the T14 schools, and my ultimate goal is Harvard, Columbia, or UChicago. My numbers are in line (3.95 GPA, 175 LSAT), and I've got relatively good softs and good faculty recs. I know this is usually sufficient to be admitted to most T14's, but due to some family problems I stayed fairly close to home for undergrad, a lower T2 public. I've loved my time here, but I worry that a middle-of-the-road undergrad could work against me in the admissions process. Do law schools take this into account? I've never seen it addressed directly.
To be succinct, then, will a degree from a lower T2 institution hurt my chances at T14 law schools?
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:16 pm
by theadw
No.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:34 pm
by PDaddy
What do you mean "lower T2 public". I don't consider the UG's to be split the way law schools are. A #75 UG is still a hot shit school, and the next 25 are still decent schools. Ohio State, Maryland, Yeshiva, Miami, Tulane, Minnesota, Texas and many more are ranked either at or just below the 50th spot in UG rankings, yet we all know those schools are pretty hot shit. They aren't Princeton or Brown, obviously, but they are still damn good schools. Any top-100 UG is a decent school and can get you into a top law school, especially with your numbers. You could come from Cal State Fullerton and get into Harvard without so much as a blink with your profile.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:49 pm
by OneKnight
As a general rule, a fantastic undergraduate school can help you, but a middling undergraduate school will not hurt you directly. (If you were pitted against a candidate with your numbers but with a degree from a top undergraduate school, you would likely be passed over in favor of the candidate from the top school)
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:15 pm
by Renzo
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:19 pm
by patrickd139
Renzo wrote:theadw wrote:No.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:20 pm
by reverendt
patrickd139 wrote:Renzo wrote:theadw wrote:No.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:21 pm
by CanadianWolf
The answer is "no".
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:25 pm
by UCLAtransfer
No. You will likely get into Harvard.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:39 pm
by thecilent
Apply to YHS only.. Seriously.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:42 pm
by romothesavior
You are YHS bound. Or perhaps T6 with serious money.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:49 pm
by JollyGreenGiant
It likely will at Yale. And maybe Stanford. But I think you'll be fine at H (tho better numbers have been rejected).
APPLY EARLY.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:51 pm
by JollyGreenGiant
Cilent21 wrote:Apply to YHS only.. Seriously.
OP, ignore this advice. It's horrible.
Apply to all the T14s you want + any T14s you get fee waivers for. Even if you have no desire to go to NYU, apply there. Maybe you will desire them sometime next year, or maybe they offer you a full ride while HYS WLs you. Scholarship negotiation needs leverage.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:22 pm
by thecilent
JollyGreenGiant wrote:Cilent21 wrote:Apply to YHS only.. Seriously.
OP, ignore this advice. It's horrible.
This is not horrible advice. OP will be in at H and will likely get Y or S.
Okay, maybe throw C or C in, but he won't need it anyway
***of course, this only works if you are unconcerned with paying for LS
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:24 pm
by romothesavior
Cilent21 wrote:JollyGreenGiant wrote:Cilent21 wrote:Apply to YHS only.. Seriously.
OP, ignore this advice. It's horrible.
Apply to all the T14s you want + any T14s you get fee waivers for. Even if you have no desire to go to NYU, apply there. Maybe you will desire them sometime next year, or maybe they offer you a full ride while HYS WLs you. Scholarship negotiation needs leverage.
This is not horrible advice. OP will be in at H and will likely get Y or S.
Okay, maybe throw C or C in, but he won't need it anyway
***of course, this only works if you are unconcerned with paying for LS
I don't think JGG was telling OP not to bother applying to Y or S. He was simply saying that it is stupid to bank on getting in, and thus not apply to CCN or other backups. Y and S are very strange in their admissions process and they are difficult to predict. Telling OP he is a lock at HYS and shouldn't bother with other schools is terrible advice.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:31 pm
by thecilent
Cilent21 wrote:I don't think JGG was telling OP not to bother applying to Y or S. He was simply saying that it is stupid to bank on getting in, and thus not apply to CCN or other backups. Y and S are very strange in their admissions process and they are difficult to predict. Telling OP he is a lock at HYS and shouldn't bother with other schools is terrible advice.
Yes, yes.. you guys are right. Obviously choose a backup. I honestly wouldn't apply to anything but YHSC, but that's just my opinion. Although, you could easily get a nice chunk of change, if not a full-ride, from someone in the T8.
But, OP is a junior who has already taken the LSAT (meaning he is on the ball, and probably will apply mad early). I'd be shocked if you got shut out of YHS with a 175 and 3.95
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:33 pm
by Nicholasnickynic
t2 will destroy your chances. t 14 law schools only accept t 14 undergrads.
Those are the three most important things in the law school admission process:
Undergrad school
LSAT
GPA.
If I were you I would be more realistic and apply to T2 schools only. Probably have a few t3 safeties, and a few schools in the 40s as reaches.
Good luck.
Oh, also, personal statements carry A LOT of weight, so make sure to spend hundreds of hours on yours... it might help with your sub-par school.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:34 pm
by thecilent
Nicholasnickynic wrote:t2 will destroy your chances. t 14 law schools only accept t 14 undergrads.
Those are the three most important things in the law school admission process:
Undergrad school
LSAT
GPA.
If I were you I would be more realistic and apply to T2 schools only. Probably have a few t3 safeties, and a few schools in the 40s as reaches.
Good luck.
Oh, also, personal statements carry A LOT of weight, so make sure to spend hundreds of hours on yours... it might help with your sub-par school.
I like making jokes and being a dick too, but my posts like that are usually no more than 15 words. This is just annoying
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:38 pm
by Nicholasnickynic
Cilent21 wrote:Nicholasnickynic wrote:t2 will destroy your chances. t 14 law schools only accept t 14 undergrads.
Those are the three most important things in the law school admission process:
Undergrad school
LSAT
GPA.
If I were you I would be more realistic and apply to T2 schools only. Probably have a few t3 safeties, and a few schools in the 40s as reaches.
Good luck.
Oh, also, personal statements carry A LOT of weight, so make sure to spend hundreds of hours on yours... it might help with your sub-par school.
I like making jokes and being a dick too, but my posts like that are usually no more than 15 words. This is just annoying
I don't like making jokes.
Sorry to hear your a dick.
You should work on that.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:39 pm
by thecilent
Nicholasnickynic wrote:Cilent21 wrote:Nicholasnickynic wrote:t2 will destroy your chances. t 14 law schools only accept t 14 undergrads.
Those are the three most important things in the law school admission process:
Undergrad school
LSAT
GPA.
If I were you I would be more realistic and apply to T2 schools only. Probably have a few t3 safeties, and a few schools in the 40s as reaches.
Good luck.
Oh, also, personal statements carry A LOT of weight, so make sure to spend hundreds of hours on yours... it might help with your sub-par school.
I like making jokes and being a dick too, but my posts like that are usually no more than 15 words. This is just annoying
I don't like making jokes.
Sorry to hear your a dick.
You should work on that.
lol
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:40 pm
by romothesavior
Nicholasnickynic wrote:Cilent21 wrote:Nicholasnickynic wrote:t2 will destroy your chances. t 14 law schools only accept t 14 undergrads.
Those are the three most important things in the law school admission process:
Undergrad school
LSAT
GPA.
If I were you I would be more realistic and apply to T2 schools only. Probably have a few t3 safeties, and a few schools in the 40s as reaches.
Good luck.
Oh, also, personal statements carry A LOT of weight, so make sure to spend hundreds of hours on yours... it might help with your sub-par school.
I like making jokes and being a dick too, but my posts like that are usually no more than 15 words. This is just annoying
I don't like making jokes.
Sorry to hear your a dick.
You should work on that.
Its usually bad form to flame/troll a legitimate question from a genuine OP like this. Save your laughably bad advice for dumb questions and other flame threads.
OP, ignore this guy's advice. Your undergrad will not have a significant effect on your cycle.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:45 pm
by thecilent
Its usually bad form to flame/troll a legitimate question from a genuine OP like this. Save your laughably bad advice for dumb questions and other flame threads.
OP, ignore this guy's advice. Your undergrad will not have a significant effect on your cycle.
TITCR on both accounts.
1) I posted almost the same exact question my first few posts on TLS
2) For the most part, the undgrad does not matter -- just the GPA
/thread
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 7:06 pm
by Nicholasnickynic
Its usually bad form to flame/troll a legitimate question from a genuine OP like this.
Save your laughably bad advice for dumb questions and other flame threads.
--ImageRemoved--
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:19 pm
by UCLAtransfer
Nicholasnickynic wrote:
I don't like making jokes.
Sorry to hear your a dick.
You should work on that.
Re: Will T2 Undergrad Hurt Chances?
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:15 pm
by afa_brandon
Nicholasnickynic wrote:
I don't like making jokes.
Sorry to hear your a dick.
You should work on that.
it's 5 7 5 syllables not 6 7 5