Where Should I go to College?

So, the post that I was responding to assumed that the kid from the better school did worse on the LSAT.

But as to your point, yes, I agree to some extent. A better school might put a student in an environment where that student will do better on the LSAT than a student from a lesser school. I also think it's complicated and there may be some "chicken and egg" going on. Better schools will attract better students, and that alone plays a part in why the better school sends more kids to better law schools. To put it in athletic terms, does the school "coach the kids up" or is the school just able to attract better athletes to begin with.

You clearly did not go to a very good college if you’re using that as an argument. This is a blatant straw man fallacy to destroy a much weaker version of what I said. Secondly 10% on that standardized test could be 1-2 questions which most would equate to about the same score. I’ll also take that a step farther and add if that Marist kid is doing more outside the classroom to further his interest in whatever practice he takes, he’ll get accepted into Harvard/Yale.

You should honestly think about what school is a better fit for you. Grad school isn't gonna matter so much unless you're considering an elite school versus somewhere you can run at. As long as you have good grades and nail the lsat, you'll get into a good law school. You're also young, maybe you don't end up in law school. You don't have to have it figured out at 17/18. Plans change. & that's ok.

Nothing wrong with running for an ok d1 team or a club team that can provide you with a similar experience. I have plenty of friends who ran low-D1 or solid D3 times on club teams. They had great experiences. Think it comes down to what you want, what feels the best.

A lot of people have made good points about the importance of LSAT scores. The prestige of your school is by no means destiny. That said, you might want to consider these points:

- A more prestigious school might open doors to better internship opportunities. Better credentials outside of academics can also help you in grad school admissions.

- More prestigious institutions often provide better undergraduate research opportunities with their faculty. These help you a lot in grad school applications.

Good luck with your decision. I'm sure you'll have ample opportunity to do well at either school.

Few Things:

1) Law is flooded with graduates which has driven salaries down considerably. Unless you can get into an elite law school, pick a different major.

2) Why not get a degree that can get you a good with just bachelor's degree? I hated school and wanted to spend as little time in school as possible.

3) Do not worry about each school's academics. It just matters if they have the degree you want and if they're accredited. Most employers won't care where you got your degree from.

4) You should pick the cheapest option possible that has the degree you want. If you get to run on the team, that's just a bonus. Do not let the opportunity to run in college ruin your financial and professional future. You can run on your own if your school doesn't have a team then you can just run road races or unattached.

Meant to say: why not get a degree that can get you a good job with just a bachelor's degree.

robert678 wrote:

Few Things:

1) Law is flooded with graduates which has driven salaries down considerably. Unless you can get into an elite law school, pick a different major.

Exactly this. If you aren't willing to go for the best schools, don't bother.

Let's say you go to Marist and get a 155 LSAT. Now at your other option, a stronger school, they help you get a 160.

ADDITIONALLY, your law school application will be stronger than a student from Marist with a 160 on the LSAT because you went to a more reputable school.

So at a better school you get a boost in LSAT score, AND a boost because you'll get accepted ahead of a student from Marist with equal grades and scores (due to your school's stronger reputation).

I suspect you'll blow off my advice but I'm going to offer it anyway.

You are going to change over the next four years. And college will change you. That may or may not be a good thing, in your opinion four years from now. My advice is to forget about planning to get into law school. My experience was that I went to college "knowing" what I was going to do. Like 40% of my peers, I ended up changing majors and life trajectory. And that path changed again, significantly, in my senior year. So much of where we end up is the result of small, random events, far, far more than any grand master plan. And I went to a small liberal arts college where the school and its students had a very high opinion of themselves, with very little objective reason for said opinion. Suffice it to say that none of my classmates is now big and famous. I ended up at a 'well known eastern business school,' where I do have classmates who are very big and quite famous, yes, even in politics.

Instead of worrying about law school applications or even about which is the less bad running school, think about where you will become a better, more capable person. Good luck. You're gong to need it.

+1 to this. That said there are some people that are just stubborn, sticky people. My wife knew from age 8 what she was going to be and that is what she is. Me, not so uch. You know deep down what kind of a person you are. Have an honest look in the mirror.

+1

Many people think they know what they want to after college, and then change their minds. Some stick with it. You never know. So putting money aside, the choice would always be to go to the better school, because it will give you more options. Maybe it is not important for law school or maybe it is -- I will let others debate this point -- but it is definitely important for some options that you may consider outside of law school.

What no one on this board can do is weigh that against the money differential. The better school is worth more money because of the optionality described above; how much more depends upon how much pain the extra money will cause you or your family.

You should eliminate running from the equation. You have decent options at either school. Just assume you are going to get hurt your first XC season and will never be the same, and then make your decision that way.

First, according the Harvard Crimson newspaper, the Harvard class of 2016 graduated with an average GPA of 3.65. So the guy with the 3.0 from Harvard stands no chance of getting in to a good law school.

Second, what does "better academic school" mean? Says who? The academic rankings (US news, Forbes, etc) are basically self reinforcing garbage and have no relation to how good the teaching is. Truth is there are a ton of good schools out there where you can get a good education, but only if you bring your A game with you, whether it is Harvard or Marist.

Lastly, If you love running, go to the place where you can run. That means either on the team at Marist or in the club at school 2. Which one of those sounds better to you? Go there.

Text book definition of a slipper slope right here. If x happens(go to a more prestigious school) then y (higher LSAT score). Listen if you let the circumstances of where you are determine your life than that’s why you’re not successful. The ability to rise to the top of wherever you are and separate yourselves from your peers is what matters. The Ivy League is just a sports conference there’s plenty of good schools that won’t break the bank.

Secondly, a lot of people are emphasizing the fit of the school and that could not be more important. I made the mistake of going with the flow and choosing a place where everyone told me to go to and not thinking much of it. I ended up transferring cause I hated it, and to a certain degree I missed out on a lot of college for it. That’s my story though and you could be different but make sure it’s your choice.

How fast are you and what is your best potential event?