Do top tier law schools such as NYU or Columbia take into account where you did your undergrad studies when considering applications? Some say that private schools (like georgetown) give you an advantage, but does it matter when applying from large state schools?
my dad says all lawyers are crooks, legal ethics are just rules as to how much you can cheat and lie and are seldom followed.Guess most people arent much better.
like any other grad program, law school looks favorably on your undergrad school. but grades and test scores matter as well. a 2.0 at harvard isn't too impressive, and a high 3. or a 4.0 looks good from anywhere. my dad, a lawyer, always gives me this advice: go to the best law school you get into, regardless of the price. you'll earn back the difference between a decent school with financial aid and a good school with loans.
Law School wrote:
Do top tier law schools such as NYU or Columbia take into account where you did your undergrad studies when considering applications? Some say that private schools (like georgetown) give you an advantage, but does it matter when applying from large state schools?
They take it into account, but the overwhelming factor is your "index number" as calculated by your LSAT + GPA. You'll get a small effective GPA boost if you went to a select few schools - like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Williams, Amherst, etc. - but it's probably only worth .1-.2 GPA points at most. Georgetown is not a part of this group. Even state schools like Michigan, a great school, aren't considered part of the elite group.
I went to Harvard Law, and the people there from large state schools usually had ridiculous (above 4.0) GPAs, whereas the people from elite undergrads could get away with lower grades. For example, my roommate had a 3.5 from yale undergrad (though a 178 LSAT), but a friend from Michigan had a 4.17 (don't know her LSAT).
Yes, your undergraduate institution matters to the admissions officers. Look at any first year yearbooks of top tier law schools and you'll see many, many Ivy League kids (or other top schools like Duke, Stanford, U of Chicago, Georgetown, Northwestern, or competitive liberal arts colleges).
I agree with the prior poster who said that if you went to a big state school and get in, it's likely because your LSAT score rocks (i.e., 170 or better) (and GPA as well). I think admissions officers look to the state school students to boost the average LSAT and GPA, and give other kids a break if they went to an impressive undergrad.
If your LSAT and/or GPA aren't that high, don't worry too much. You can still get in to a top tier school through the back door -- by transferring after your first year. I did this (to Michigan), and after your first job it becomes irrelevant how you got there. People only care about where your degree came from. Not all top schools accept transfers, though, and even if they do, you pretty much have to ace your first year.