| Topic Name: |
applications to undergrad |
| Message Name: |
Go for the gold |
| Date Posted: |
07/29/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
Hello, I am entering my senior year of high school. Ive been a runner at local law firms for three years and have a good idea of what goes on there, and have decided without a doubt that law is for me.
My question is one of those frequently asked ones it seems. What undergrad schools should I apply to? I know undergrad does not determine your law school, but it helps with admission to them quite a bit. Should I try to go to the same undergrad I want to go to law school with?
Right now I've spoken with Yale a decent amount, and they are my #1 choice, but I know better than to apply to only one place. I have 4 point GPA, and am ranked #1 in my grad class, but I have only a med-high ACT, 32... nothing extremely spectacular as to where I can get the big full ride scholarships. My family doesnt have a great deal of money... however, schools like Yale help out with generous programs to help fund, where small schools cannot. Im not afraid to take out student loans, but would rather wait until grad school to really find myself in debt.
I simply need help finding 4 or 5 schools to apply to that are not "reach" schools, ones I am fairly sure to get into. (Ex. Stanford, Harvard, etc are all "reach" schools)
Thanks in advance |
| Message: |
Some thoughts:
1. Like the other guy said, if you live in a state with a strong state school (CA, VA, NC, MI, TX) then it might very well be worth looking into honors programs there. These will not only be less expensive than Ivies (for obvious reasons), but most honors programs will actually give you a stipend/grant/etc. to do your own thing.
2. That being said, if you can get into Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Stanford, then forget state schools and go there. Having gone to one of those schools (won't say which), I can assure that once you graduate, it is a major, major asset both in the real world and in graduate school applications. Top law schools will always take bright, motivated people from state schools, but if you're as intelligent as you make yourself out to be, you'll work the same amount (ie, very hard) at either a state school or a top Ivy, and all things equal, the Ivy is, like it or not, going to go much farther than a state school.
3. Regardless of your "talking to" a school (like Yale), that means nothing in terms of a) your getting admitted, or b) your financial aid package. Financial aid from the Ivies is actually pretty good--not like you'd get from a state or lesser school, but obviously because those other schools have to offer incentives for you to attend them. But your aid package will not depend on your merit, just solely on your need. Plus, you need to get admitted first, and however much "talk" there's been, that means nothing in terms of admissions. As for the ACT, well, you need to take the SAT to get anywhere with these colleges. The ACT is great for going to U of Nebraska, but not the colleges you want to go to.
4. As far as schools that are not "reach" schools like the Ivies, again, go with the state schools. Honestly, it amazes me that people would pay 25-30k to attend a second-tier private school. If you're not going to spend that money on a lifelong, nationally recognizable diploma that will open any door you want, spend 1/5 that amount and go to a state school, where you have the resources to excel as much as you want to, and the girls are better looking. Plus, state school alums are very strongly attached to their alma mater, and their networks are as strong as any Ivy network out there--in my home state, the top firms drool over top students from the state school (many businesses receive compensation/credits for hiring in-state grads).
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