Top Law Schools

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this website, but am finding it very helpful so far. I've been out of school for a little over a year now, and am considering applying to law school next fall. At the time of my application these will be my credentials:

-3.3 UGPA; My GPA was a high 3.5, but it sank due to extra cirriculars my senior year
-Have an MBA due to a 5 year MBA program I did at my undergrad institution
-Have not taken LSAT yet, but will study for it over the next four months, for arguments sake, let's assume I have a 160
-CPA with 2 years at Big 4 firm

Undergrad activities:
-Student Government President
-D 1 athlete
-1.5 year part-time internship
-phi alpha delta President
-Workers' Comp Intern at a large law firm

Grad activities:
-Resident Assistant

-Multiple community service activities

I know I am not the first CPA to think about going to law school, but I was wondering:
-How much weight is an admission committee likely to put on my CPA and professional experience?
-I plan on submitting an addendum, but will it be taken seriously?
-How much will they take into account my extra curricular activity when looking at my GPA?

Thank you for the time and help, I really appreciate it.

gobrowns wrote:Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this website, but am finding it very helpful so far. I've been out of school for a little over a year now, and am considering applying to law school next fall. At the time of my application these will be my credentials:

-3.3 UGPA; My GPA was a high 3.5, but it sank due to extra cirriculars my senior year
-Have an MBA due to a 5 year MBA program I did at my undergrad institution
-Have not taken LSAT yet, but will study for it over the next four months, for arguments sake, let's assume I have a 160
-CPA with 2 years at Big 4 firm

Undergrad activities:
-Student Government President
-D 1 athlete
-1.5 year part-time internship
-Phi Alpha Delta President
-Workers' Comp Intern at a large law firm

Grad activities:
-Resident Assistant

-Multiple community service activities

The truth is, none of your extracurriculars really matter. It basically all comes down to LSAT and GPA. Study very hard for the LSAT and come back with a score. HYS are probably out for you, but any other school is possible with a strong enough LSAT.

I know I am not the first CPA to think about going to law school, but I was wondering:
-How much weight is an admission committee likely to put on my CPA and professional experience?

Not very much. Think of this as like a last tiebreaker. The one exception to this is Northwestern has a unique take on law school admissions, and they basically require a year of two of full time work experience, so this just makes you eligible.

-I plan on submitting an addendum, but will it be taken seriously?

Not very seriously. Even if your excuse is a great one like a family member was ill, these don't really have an impact. It really just boils down to GPA and LSAT. Schools report this information and it plays a large factor in the ranking process. Schools want to get numerically strong classes.

-How much will they take into account my extra curricular activity when looking at my GPA?

None. If anything, this makes you look worse by trying to write an addendum about this. You're basically saying you couldn't handle multiple responsibilities at once. It's not going to hurt you but I wouldn't write an addendum about it. And to be honest, while your extracurricular activities are strong, but they're not earth shattering or anything.

Thank you for the time and help, I really appreciate it.

No problem. Good luck.