Do top law schools discriminate against students coming from universities that are not top ranked?

Question

In more detail, I am a sophmore at NC State University, and I am considering applying to UNC Chapel Hill law school upon my graduation. UNC is not a top ivy law school, but its a very good one, ranked #27. If I were to maintain my 3.8 GPA as a business major at NC State and do very well on my LSATs, would they discriminate against me simply because I went to a lower ranked school, or do other law schools such as the top 20 do this? I understand that it looks better to excel in a harder program, but would they deny me simply because I attended this school. I find it hard to believe they would, but you never know.

Answer 1

No reputable law school turns down applicants simply because they attended an average state school. But addmissions is all about competition. Your profile will be compared to other applicants. Everything else being equal, you will be passed over by applicants from more recognized schools. But everything is never equal. Some of the considerations that go into these decisions:

The reputation of the school graduated from
The academic strength of the particular program (e.g. philsophy would have priority over english)
Whether any of the applicant's references are well known
Whether any of the applicant's references are alumni of UNC
Whether the applicant's family includes UNC alumni
LSAT scores
Extracuricular activities
Family prominence
Whether the applicant has had to overcome significant adversity to reach this point
And so on...

Again, you won't be selected out simply because you've graduated from NC State; and given your GPA, you will probably be given a reasonably close look. But it will depend on the makeup of the other applicants. You may have an advantage because you are in-state; UNC, like Texas, may have a cap on the number of out-of-state students it can accept to the law school, or may at least give preference to in-state students.

Incidentally, your major makes a difference. If your goal is lawschool, you might consider the philosophy major. Philosophy majors as a whole have had significantly higher LSAT scores than any other major for decades. Many people gravitate to the various "pre-law" majors, thinking that is the best route. It isn't. For someone wanting to get into law school, there is no better major than philosophy, due to the emphasis on critical thinking, logic, and the ability to read difficult texts.

Answer 2

I don't know how it is for law schools, but I know that for science they put a lot of weight on the grades you got and not so much on the difficulty of the school itself. I imaging, though, that if a law school is very competitive, they will look more at the school you came from since everyone will have top grades.

I would ask a law professor at your school for advice. They may be able to suggest other things you can do (internships, for example) to boost your chances of being accepted.