<p>drdom - please assure your son not to freak out too much. Also, please read the thread I started on “Maximizing Med School Acceptance Success at Chicago” on this discussion board. A lot of the tips I provide there (outside of what to do about all the science courses, of course) applies for pre-law students as well. </p>
<p>Just like for med school, remember the Chicago golden rule: a 0.1 GPA boost. This means, a 3.6 at Chicago (3.7 anywhere else) puts you on GREAT ground for all but the top 3 or so law schools. Around a 3.75 makes you very competitive for Harvard and Yale. This isn’t insignificant because at Chicago, I really do think a 3.6 GPA in non-science majors is VERY possible. A 3.6 GPA, coupled with about a 169 or so LSAT makes your son competitive at all law schools save for the top 5 or 6. a 3.75 GPA and a 171+ LSAT makes your son competitive ANYWHERE.</p>
<p>Given that your son probably has a 1450+ SAT and great grades from HS, a 3.6/168+ is CERTAINLY attainable. He just needs to work hard and focus HARD on the LSAT when the time comes to prepare for it. Don’t settle for a lower score - he needs to realize just how extremely critical the SPECIFIC LSAT score is for law admissions. The difference between a 166 and a 169 is NIGHT AND DAY. Make sure he’s aware of this. </p>
<p>If your son already knows that GPA is important, and that LSAT is CRITICAL, he is already well ahead of the game. If he can maintain around a 3.5 GPA or so for the first couple years at Chicago (where the learning curve is the steepest), and then really excel for the final couple of years, he really is in great shape.</p>