When applying to law school, does it really matter if your undergrad college is very prestigious?

Question

I go to a city university in NY, and I want to go to a top law school (Harvard, NYU, Columbia...). I haven't taken the LSATs yet, but if I get a really high score, lets say at least 170, does it really matter that I don't go to an Ivy League or prestigious undergrad college, especially since my GPA is like a 3.85, and I'm in honors programs? How much weight do admissions officers put on where you go for undergrad? I know that most people who end up in these law schools did go to the top undergrad institutions, so will it really hurt my chances of getting in if I'm not attending such a well-known college?
Also, I'm finishing college in 3 years instead of 4 because I took tons of AP classes in high school and got loads of credit--will law schools think they can't really accept me since they have less to look at on my transcript, or could they be impressed that I manage to graduate quickly? Or will it have no impact?
Thanks!!!!

Answer 1

Your undergraduate insitution counts for a little but not too much. A CUNY is certainly good enough and isn't really going to count any less than a place like Columbia (i.e. the specific undergrad doesn't count unless you went to a true slacker school). And plenty of people who do well in law schools graduated from not-so-well-known undergraduate institutions. Case in point, a little liberal arts college called Simon's Rock College of Bard in MA sends a supermajority (over 75% I think) of its undergraduate law school applicants to their first-choice law school (places like UChicago and Stanford). I know because I go there right now.

Sadly, some law schools will be less willing to accept you due to your age (I'm assuming you're at least a year younger than the average college senior) b/c they have some warped idea that you can only mature through aging and they'll tell you to apply again in a year or two. Luckily, plenty of them (and top-tier ones, too) don't weight your age and will view your experience as one of perserverance and rapidly developing maturity.

Gradewise, you should be a competive applicant to any law school program, from Yale and Harvard and downwards.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

It helps a little, but law schools like to take well qualified people from a range of schools. Makes em look better.

For Harvard and some of those top, top schools, aim higher than a 170. I'd be shooting for a straight 177-180. At least a 175 unless you've also got some severe hardship you overcame or did something spectacular beyond grades and LSAT score (which you'll generally need regardless).

Answer 3

I came from a SUNY school and have gotten into Duke, NYU, and Georgetown thus far. From personal experience, I'd say that your undergrad institution isn't that important. Usually, law schools use a specific formula for combining your GPA and LSAT, either weighting one more or both equally, regardless of institute.

To know what kind of chance you stand at specific Ivy leagues, try looking up their average LSAT/GPA on princetonreview.com and using lawschoolnumbers.com as a comparison. This website has registered users who tell you their GPA and LSAT score, and what schools they were admitted to and rejected from on that basis.

As for graduating early? Depends on the institute. For example, if Northwestern is your choice, then good luck because over 90% of attendants have at least a year of full time experience post graduation. Obviously maturity and work experience are more important than GPA. If you have the opportunity, ask the admissions officer. If they consider it a deficiency in maturity, use your personal statement to convince them that you are mature WITHOUT stating it outright. Play their game.
Good luck!

Answer 4

If you can really ace the LSAT (above 170), then you will have a decent chance of admission.

You should highlight, in your personal statements, anything that makes you different from other applicants. If you are a first-generation American, if you are from a lower-income background, if you are fluent in a language other than English, or anything like this, make sure to craft your statement so as to stress that quality, and what that quality has to do with your choice of law schools.

It will make no real difference whether you graduated in three or four years. The only thing this situation might impact are your letters of recommendation. Make sure at least three of your professors had you for more than one class, and know you well enough to write superior letters.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 5

I don't think it really matters. As long as your graduated and got your undergrad degree, the most important factors law schools consider is your GPA, LSAT score, and recommendation letters. And I think its a plus that you graduated early rather than late.

Answer 6

I've read that now they're really open to small school, especially if there were no graduate students, thus you had to do research. I think they really look mostly at your GPA and LSAT scores.