Will this affect my chances of being accepted into law school? (Please read)?

Question

These are the two things I'm slightly worried about:
1. I chose not to declare a minor just so I could graduate with my B.A. sooner. (I will graduate in May 2008.)
2. My GPA is 3.25; neither bad nor great.

I know I'll have to do very well on the LSAT. That said, I've worked 12-30 hours a week in retail all through college. My major is Political Science--fairly challenging, right? I started out as a Civil Engineering major, and that killed my GPA my freshman year. I've involved myself in extracurricular and community activities: Right to Life, Relay for Life, church, the Honors Program, tutoring students in the Disability Resource Center, etc.

Assuming my LSAT score is good, what are my chances of being accepted into a law school somewhere? Thank you!

Answer 1

Your minor should not be a big deal. Most of us never use our minor, anyway. Your GPA is pretty solid, and you can always try to take a few elective courses in an area of interest of yours to bulk up your average-- preferably something that will look good on paper like a foreign language, history, psychology, creative writing, etc ., not just a hodgepodge of the "easy" professors.
Of course, a great LSAT score will help tremendously. Be sure to take a course in logic and if you get the chance, an LSAT prep workshop.
Your work experience will also be a big boost to your application. As someone else mentioned, if you can work or volunteer at a law firm, that will also give you another feather for your cap.
Extracurricular activities are great, but be sure to take the "climate" of your prospective school into consideration. Honors programs and tutoring are great activities, as are most church volunteer programs. It's great that you are active in groups you support such as Right to Life, but keep in mind, this can be a sensitive topic, and many academics will consider this a personal activity that should be kept separate from your professional career. Talk to your advisor about this before you list it on your application-- it's really going to depend on the schools where you apply.
Best of luck to you in the application process!

Answer 2

You should be able to get in somewhere. You're GPA is solidly in the average range. You're extracurricular activities will not be particularly important to the committee.

I suggest that you focus on a strong LSAT. That by itself may guarantee you admission if it is strong enough. After that, the personal statement is the next most important thing. There are a few other strategies that you can use to be more competitive and there are some "secret weapons", including certain kinds of research projects, that you can use if you are still not as competitive as you need to be.

You can find some additional help and resources on how to do all of this at my site:

http://www.cuttsreviews.com/jcutts/lsat/

I usually advise against using religious view points in your application. They are likely to work against you if someone disagrees with your view. This is particularly true for charged issues like abortion.

You can contact me through my website if you'd like to talk more about your options.

Answer 3

Just study really hard for the LSAT. Your GPA is fine and your undergrad BA is fine too.
I am starting law school on monday and seriously you wouldn't believe how many are poly sci majors and english lit majors. So i would say not to worry about that.
Your GPA isn't horrible! Just study hard for the LSAT do lots and lots an lots of practice exams for it. Practice getting it all done in the time alotted. Also youre xtracurricular activities are awesome, those are def't going to be bonuses for you. You might want to play those up on your admissions essay. Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

law school is very competitive. so i'd say you need to nail your lsat. try to bring your gpa up a bit your senior year. get really good recommendations. Maybe try and get a job being a runner for a lawyer, and he/she could right you a great letter of recommendation for you.

Answer 5

your GPA is good and your majior is good you really do not need a minor for Law school. Make sure you do well on the LSAT

Answer 6

No one -- and I mean NO ONE -- cares about minors. Not having a minor will not affect your ability to get into law school.

A GPA of 3.25 will not keep you out of law school. You may even get into a decent law school. However, your chances of getting into a great law school (e.g., Yale, Berkeley, Duke) are not high.