Law school and distance education

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by caston24, Mar 5, 2001.

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  1. caston24

    caston24 New Member

    Here's my concern. I have a 3.3 and 160 LSAT. I will have two degrees:
    1. BS Business Administration, Management Information Systems
    University of Nevada Las Vegas
    2. BS Business Administration: International Management
    Regis University, School for Professional Studies.

    I have attended other schools because my family moved around a lot.

    My concern is that the top tier schools will look badly upon attending different schools and the quality of schools I went to. Regis is great for distance education but how will schools like Columbia and Georgetown look at this degree

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks.

    Nicole
     
  2. SPorter

    SPorter New Member

    Law schools all use different formulas to weight the LSAT score, the undergraduate GPA and the quality of the undergraduate institution. Fortunately for you, most of the schools weight the LSAT most heavily, and you have a very solid LSAT score.

    Unlike undergraduate admissions, your essays for law school will be read by an admissions person and will actually count in the process. Be sure to tell them all about your diverse undergraduate studies, and how you think that diversity will enable you to tackle law school. Everything counts in your application! They are interested in building a diverse body of students who they believe have the capacity to succeed, not just in taking the cream of the crop.

    I went through this process five years ago. I had a mediocre LSAT score and a decent GPA from a no-name college. I made four of the five schools I applied to, including one of the top ten. The one rejection was also from a top-ten school. So, shoot for the top schools, but make sure you apply to some second-tier schools also, just in case.

    Scott
     
  3. speedoflight

    speedoflight New Member

    Do law schools admit students based on their bachelor's or master's degree? Say if you have 2 degrees - BA and MBA. In a general situation, the higher degree supersedes the lower one. But do law schools review things based on an the lower or higher degree?

    Do law schools look kindly on long distance schools like U of P?
     
  4. SPorter

    SPorter New Member

    In my experience, law schools care far more about the undergraduate degree than the graduate degree. Graduate study and the study of law are two different animals (yes, I've done both), and law schools don't really consider graduate study, especially a professional program like an MBA, a good indicator of how a student will perform in law school. If you've done really well in grad school, it could tip the scales if you're marginal, but that's about it.

    Scott
     
  5. David Yamada

    David Yamada New Member

    Generally speaking, the more non-traditional your undergraduate school, the more the LSAT score will be weighted.

    Your numbers (if I may be so crass -- sorry!) strike me as follows . . .

    . . . The top 10/15 schools are a reach, but a possibility if you've got strong "others" (i.e., recs, personal essay, various diversity factors, and so on).

    . . . You're competitive, in some cases very competitive, for many of the schools that might be considered 15-40, based on numbers alone.

    In addition, keep in mind that once you get beyond the truly prestigious schools (top 15 or so), it becomes increasingly important to go to a school in the geographic area in which you want to practice. Your networking and internship opportunities are strongly influenced by location, location, location.
    The law school I teach at has primarily a local/regional reputation (Boston area) and does not fare well in the U.S. News rankings, but time and again I've seen our students snag opportunities simply by being their and getting a chance to show their stuff.
     

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