<p>This upcoming semester at my college a course is being offfered in the political science department (my major by the way) which is entitled Directed Reading in a Special Field. This course is meant to act as a means for which students to develop a course with a professor in a field in which that student has much interest by that the college does not offer a specific course in. I see this as a great opportunity to gain a great asset in the law school admissions process. It would serve as a way to show one’s interest and ability to study a subject relevent to law schools as well as serve as an attentment to the student’s ability to read and analyze complex materials. Finally, it would also serve as a great way to get the attention of a professor for a future source of a letter of reccomendation (my school is pretty big and impersonal). </p>
<p>My question to all of you is, what would be a good subject to develop with the aim of it specifically being an asset to law school admission?</p>
<p>Uh, you don’t need to take any courses having to do with law before going to law school. I don’t think it will have an effect either way. Directed studies or independent studies courses aren’t that big of a deal.</p>
<p>do something you’re interested in, and (almost as importantly) where there’s a professor who’s also interested in it. It helps if this professor already knows/likes you and is known for writing good letters of recommendation. If possible, get published in a ‘real’ (designed for professors, not undergrad) journal as part of your project. </p>
<p>how you do the project matters a lot more than what you do it in.</p>
<p>Everyone always talks about how what classes you take doesn’t really matter, but isn’t it safe to assume it does matter at schools like HYS once you get past the ‘minimum gpa’?</p>
<p>Do the classes you take really not matter at all as long as you have a high gpa, and the rest of it (at Y&S particularly) is about leadership, ec’s, and internships?</p>
<p>“Everyone always talks about how what classes you take doesn’t really matter, but isn’t it safe to assume it does matter at schools like HYS once you get past the ‘minimum gpa’?”</p>
<p>Just to clarify, yes it is probably a good thing to take some challenging upper level classes, to do well in courses with substantial writing required and to be fairly well rounded. The fact remains, though, that no one major is by rule better than another for getting into law school (or for success in law school, for that matter). It’s not about “minimum gpa” either. Plenty of people with top GPAs get rejected from top aw schools. Do you want to be a good lawyer? Learn to think rationally. Learn to understand and anticipate an opposing viewpoint. Learn to think analytically. Read the newspaper. Keep in touch with what is going on the world. Many laws are designed to reflect the mores of society, so you would be well served to keep your eyes and ears open. Learn to be a good listener. If you can find classes that help you to master these skills, you will likely make a good lawyer. If you can couple these skills with a solid GPA and LSAT score, why you might just be a candidate for a top law school.</p>
<p>Do you want to be a good lawyer? Learn to think rationally. Learn to understand and anticipate an opposing viewpoint. Learn to think analytically. Read the newspaper. Keep in touch with what is going on the world. Many laws are designed to reflect the mores of society, so you would be well served to keep your eyes and ears open. Learn to be a good listener. If you can find classes that help you to master these skills, you will likely make a good lawyer.</p>