For Top Law School Admissions--Harvard, Yale, etc.

Graduate School Law School
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<p>I am thinking about attending my state school, the University of Florida, because I would be able to graduate in two years and I would be able to go there for free. I am troubled that it will adversely affect my law school admissions chance to Yale, Harvard, or other top law schools.</p>

<p>I will gain my 1st two years worth of credits through AP Exams as well as Dual Enrollment Courses at the local community college. Therefore on my transcript it wouldn’t have that many grades and stuff just like certain amounts of credits granted through AP and Dual Enroll. </p>

<p>Will graduating in only two yrs and having much less classes with grades and stuff on my transcript hurt my chances at Yale or Harvard. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

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<p>You will get the help you are seeking by posting this in the law school forum.</p>

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<p>I think that substituting AP courses and CC courses for more rigorous college course simply so as to graduate early is generally unwise. At selective colleges the difference between an AP high school course in a core subject (e.g. math, lab science, history) and the college equivalent is immense. The same can be said for many introductory CC courses.</p>

<p>The competition for law school admissions at the universities such as Harvard and Yale is intense. Many applicants come from selective schools. Your undergraduate education based on the proposed 2-year foundation of AP and CC courses would generally make you uncompetitive.</p>

<p>I expect that you have a personal reason for wanting to accelerate your undergraduate education. But if that’s not essential then I’d encourage you to slow down and proceed methodically through a four year program. Selectively use some of your credits to place out of introductory courses. Make sure you don’t create gaps for yourself in doing that! Then where your foundation is sound take upper level courses in their place. At U of F there will be no shortage of advanced courses to fill your 4-years, and both to enrich you and make you as competitive as other harvard/Yale applicants.</p>

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<p>The lack of internships, leadership in college organizations, dept of relationships with profs, overall accomplishments in college will hurt a lot.</p>

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<p>For Yale, yes. For Harvard, no.</p>

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<p>I agree with Redroses. Busting out of your UG after 2 years won’t be enough to solidify your “roots” in the school (relationships with peers and professors, school involvement, etc). Furthermore, do you really think that 2 years of college level courses and having APs and CC courses will prepare you for the rigor of course loads at Yale and Harvard?</p>

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<p>Despite the fact that being 19 when you apply will hurt you</p>

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<p>This is all wrong law school is mostly GPA + LSAT softs help for schools such as yale and berkeley thats about it</p>

<p>CC doesn’t really know much about law school google TLS forum greatest forum for law school applicants/ students EVER</p>

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<p>Definitely. Skipped over that in the OP, but this is definitely right.</p>

<p>Don’t rush to grow up. You can finish school as early as you want, but the two extra years in maturity are significant.</p>

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<p>I will be graduating in 3 years. That seems reasonable to me, at least law schools have a good 4 or 5 semesters to judge me on rather than 2 or 3.</p>

<p>But yes DCSPORTSFAN is probably the most right on this one. If you can get a high LSAT, 99% of schools will be glad to accept you.</p>

<p>I believe this “Yale and Harvard have more difficult course load” sentiment is mostly a myth. They do not have traditional grading systems even. Admission into the schools is at least 80% of the equation.</p>

<p>The question is, will you be able to get your highest possible LSAT at age 18 or 19? I am 20 now and I feel as ready as I’ll ever be and have been successful on my practice tests thus far.</p>

<p>My advice would be rather than rushing through 2 years, take your time over 3 years. There’s no need to cram in all your classes in 2 years. Also it gives you more wiggle room if you decide that law school is not for you.</p>

<p>I was in a similar situation, loads of AP credits. I just spread my schedule out well and made things managable to the point that I have a 3.95 GPA without ever killing myself in terms of workload.</p>

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<p>LSU, yes, LSAT and GPA are more important, and I am also taking my LSAT just before me 21st birthday, but look at LSN, there is strong indication that abnormally young applicants do inexplicably bad in their cycles if you just look at LSAT and GPA.</p>

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<p>Is 21 considered too young? I’ll be graduating in three years with the intention of applying to law school, deferring, and then travelling for a year for some time
off before going back to the grind.</p>

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<p>No you should be fine, it was more a couple of 18-19 year olds applying.</p>

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<p>…How much do they consider age? Or is it more level of education completed? I’ll be applying at 20, but I’ll be a senior in college at that point.</p>