<p>Hey Hekau - Thanks so much! Also, please keep in mind that for the very, very top schools such as Yale and Stanford they exercise some discretion when reviewing applicants. So a 3.7 from Chicago (combined with say, a 173 - about the average LSAT for Harvard) would still be competitive because at schools such as Yale and Stanford, they do adjust a bit for the rigor of a college. </p>
<p>For more info on this, please go here:</p>
<p>[Value</a> of College or University in Law School Admissions](<a href=“http://www.deloggio.com/academic/college.htm]Value”>http://www.deloggio.com/academic/college.htm)</p>
<p>Please note, schools that rely more on numbers to keep them afloat in the rankings (schools such as NYU, Penn, Duke, etc.), the raw GPA matters more, and rigor of a college matters less. Again, for your son, MAXIMIZING his GPA, and also FOCUSING HARD on the LSAT matters the most. </p>
<p>Aside from that, yah, Chicago will provide amazing educational opportunities - both in Chicago and around the world. Also, as I’ve said before, I think Chicago is really improving on the pre-professional placement front. When I graduated in 2000, U of C students weren’t nearly as savvy or on point as they are now. With the recent uptick in selectivity, I’d imagine the classes of 2012 onward do just as well as students at Chicago’s immediate peers. </p>
<p>As another quick aside, this may have changed, but when I was at Chicago, a 3.75+ made you one of the top students there - a shoo-in for phi beta kappa and in the running for the position of student marshal. Is that different now? If not, that gives you a sense of where your son stands at U of C. A 3.7+ at Chicago is very, very impressive. </p>
<p>I’m assuming most of the better U of C applicants get a GPA in the range of 3.5-3.6, and I’m hoping there will be strong representation at law schools such as Chicago, Michigan, Northwestern, UPenn, Virginia, Cornell, etc. Thanks so much again Hekau, and I look forward to hearing the results! (Even if your son just goes by memory or whatever - taking pictures might look a bit conspicuous).</p>