<p>An advertising major from FSU probably will not be enough to get you into a Top 14 law school even with a high 160’s LSAT. There is just too much competition from better qualified candidates completing much more rigorous majors at more academically demanding schools. You should still try to get into any law school which is of interest to you, but also apply to some more realistic schools, as, after all, even an Ivy League philosophy major with a 3.7 is not guaranteed admission into a Top 14 law school.</p>
<p>You know, lad, I think you’ve got point–I’m kind of beating a dead horse here. (Though, as Mike said, my comments are not based solely on your major.) </p>
<p>I kept posting because you still have time to adjust your plans a bit and improve your chances of getting into a T14. Take the extra year to add a more academic major, work for a year (or more), do CS for a year (or more). All of those will help more than a MSM. </p>
<p>Sybbie is right–go see a pre-law adviser. Every year, about 700 FSU students and alums apply to LS; there must be grids. But above all, I’d respectfully suggest that you get some exposure to law so you won’t repeat your experience with advertising–discover you don’t like it during your 2L summer. </p>
<p>It’s hardly “doomsday” if you end up at UF–median gpa/LSAT 3.65/160.</p>
<p>For the record, though, I’m not putting any stock in quoted opinions. I just thought the Montauk book–which I agree is excellent–might do more to convince you than the opinion of a stranger on the internet like me.</p>
<p>Alright, update guys. I just talked to my parents on the phone about this and this is what they have to say:</p>
<p>Their answer is a complete and resounding NO to the idea of extending undergrad. They want me to graduate in April and fore go an extra bachelor’s. And since they’re paying the bills, I really don’t have a choice. Although they agree that economics is an academic major, they think that a bachelor’s in it wouldn’t benefit me THAT much more.</p>
<p>They do, however, want me to pursue a master’s in economics. My dad thinks a bachelor’s degree in econ is worthless both for the professional world and for law admissions. Although I disagree with him on the latter part, I do agree that a master’s in econ might be a bit more serviceable than the MSM. I mean if I go for an econ master’s at UF, I think that would be a bit more impressive than the introductory-intermediate stuff I’ve been learning so far in undergrad. And at the very least, it’s more impressive than an MSM.</p>
<p>I know you guys think that extending undergrad is a better idea, but it’s really not my choice at this stage. Financially speaking, I’m set up to pursue a master’s right after this year and I really can’t afford to spend an extra year on tuition for undergrad. Although that’s the main impetus of their reasoning, I think they just want me to graduate early and get out of FSU.</p>
<p>Anyways, I’ll keep you guys updated on any future events. Once again, thanks for all your input but at this stage there are some things beyond my power and control.</p>
<p>Of course… you’d have to pay tuition for a master’s anyway, right? And is an econ dept. going to admit somebody without a bachelor’s? It’s worth asking.</p>
<p>What I mean is that they’re using the extra bright futures money to pay for grad school… basically preventing me from having to take out loans for the same tuition.</p>
<p>And I don’t think there’s an issue with what you major in. At least at FSU it isn’t. I’m looking at UF’s program and although there’s nothing barring me from applying, it’s really geared towards research and teaching which really isn’t what I’m looking for.</p>
<p>I might have to end up staying at FSU, but oh well.</p>
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<p>If he breaks 170 on the LSAT (which is a big “if”), I would put money on his getting into at least one of the T14. The major is almost certainly not going to matter that much in light of the econ minor, which pretty clearly indicates that he didn’t go through college without taking any rigorous analytical courses. The median numbers belie the fact that most students there are below the median in one category or the other.</p>
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<p>He is absolutely wrong. Don’t listen to your parents.</p>
<p>Think his dad was saying it makes more sense to go for the MA in economics rather than prolong his UG studies to get the BA in economics.
Seems like a reasonable approach to me. </p>
<p>The MA in economics will also show a serious academic endeavor. So this approach with a good LSAT should help with a T-14 admission.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Assuming they’ll want him with no research experience, no bachelor’s in the subject, the extra letters wouldn’t be a bad idea. But he might not be able to get in.</p>
<p>cavalier, I think what he meant is that unless the bachelor’s is from a good school known for econ (think Harvard, Chicago, Wharton, etc.) then it’s useless. And I kind of agree, actually. It’s really just a very theoretical degree and it doesn’t give you any real skills for finance or government jobs. I think the really well-known programs are a bit more mathematical in approach and that’s prolly why they’re so marketable in the end.</p>
<p>And bluedevil - I don’t think I’d be the ONLY person going in without a bachelor’s in it. You only need a bachelor’s of any kind to be considered for admission. And plus, I’m only 4 classes away from a bachelor’s in the field, so if they look at my transcript they’d see that I’m really not that far away from completing a degree. All I’m missing is econometrics and a few electives. I’ve already taken the core components of the major.</p>