<p>I am currently a high school senior looking at where I can go to college. Right now, I have been accepted to Stanford, but the cost will be in the $40K range (I received very little financial aid). Although my parents will pay for some of it, it is likely that if I attend there I will end up with the maximum amount of debt that I can take out. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I can go to UNC Chapel Hill on no aid and no scholarships, but the base cost will be $10K less a year after my little bit of aid from stanford.</p>
<p>I could also go to University of Pittsburgh on a full tuition scholarship, leaving me with virtually no debt. </p>
<p>I want to go into law and am shooting for Stanford Law as my top choice. My question is how much does your undergraduate institution matter in getting you into top law schools and how much is it worth to go to a top undergraduate school like stanford’s.</p>
<p>Opting to stay out of the debate of whether one’s undergraduate school matters for law school admissions, I recommend going to Stanford for a different reason: if you go to UNCH and find that you don’t like the atmosphere, transferring into Stanford or one on par with Stanford is very difficult. If, on the other hand, you go to Stanford and find that UNCH might have been a better fit, transferring into UNCH from Stanford is much less competitive.</p>
<p>With respect to Stanford Law School, I think going to Stanford for your undergraduate studies will definitely help you get into the top 3 more than UNCH (this is my personal opinion); however, I do emphasize the top 3, and not just Stanford. Stanford is very hard to get into, even if you have a competitive GPA and LSAT score. Aiming for Stanford Law School, while a good goal, is not something that should be the sole purpose of your undergraduate education, for you are setting yourself up for disappointment. In terms of law school placement in the top 3 – which is where I think undergraduate school really makes a different – Stanford is the best choice.</p>