#91360 - 08/19/10 02:29 PM
Newbie here! Need some advice.
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cammilane
Junior Member
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 3
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Hello everyone,
I'm 35 years old with four children and barely two years of college (an Associates in Accounting) which I've taken several years, on and off between having four children to get. I was always supposed to go to law school- it was my childhood dream and I never lost it, but getting married and having my first child at 18 trumped those plans, and I never went. Now, I am determined to get a four year degree and go to law school. I have no idea where to start, I have no idea what to major in, I'm flying blind right now and could really use some guidance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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#91362 - 08/19/10 03:19 PM
Re: Newbie here! Need some advice.
[Re: cammilane]
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cammilane
Junior Member
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 3
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To be more specific- I would like advice on preparing for lsats, possible majors that will facilitate me being accepted into a decent law school, and I'm also curious about what requirements I'll need to meet to be accepted. Will my age hurt me? And are there good law schools that are more apt to accept a non-traditional student, especially one with a decent but on and off college history.
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#91363 - 08/19/10 04:32 PM
Re: Newbie here! Need some advice.
[Re: cammilane]
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oldlawgirl
NTL Addict
Registered: 11/05/06
Posts: 595
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OK - I'll give it a shot. Welcome and I think you may find many people here that were in the same boat as you are now. You will get wonderful advice on this board. Many, many smart, giving people willing to share.
First things first - you need to complete your degree. You do not need a particualr major. But, you do need the highest possible gpa you can get. I am not saying take an "easy" major. I believe you will do best with something you love. But, unless you are a math and science whiz, I woudl steer clear of the hard sciences. One bad showing in something like Organic Chemistry or Calculus, and your gpa may take a bad hit. You have an aa in Accounting. Do you like that? Is that something you would be interested in pursuing as a lawyer? Then get an accounting degree. Really, any kind of degree will do fine as long as it is sufficiently challenging and you do well. And, in my opinion, you will do well in something you like. And you have to consider the transferability of your AA degree to the new major? Will your coursework count if you switch to an entirely different field? ARe you willing to redo some coursework in another area?
Once you settle on a undergrad major, you need to start thinking about your target law schools. Visit their websites. Go to lawschoolnumbers.com and lsac.org to learn about their selectivity. Download a couple of sample lsats from lsac.org. Do a diagnostic lsat test to see where your baseline score is. Then prepare from that. You still have plenty of time to rpepare for the LSAT. You should be taking it in the year before you graduate from college.
It is all baby steps and you just have to keep moving forward. Your age won't hurt you. An off and on college career won't hurt you. A bad gpa and low lsat score will. Just so you know, it took me 27 years from my high school graduation to finally graduate from college. And I flunked out once. I did well enough on the LSAT, though, to get accepted at a top 20 school (after being waitlisted) and a tier 2 school at age 45. It can be done, but I took the hard road. It would have been lots easier if I had a decent gpa (and I might have qualified for some scholarship money). Good Luck.
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#91364 - 08/19/10 04:36 PM
Re: Newbie here! Need some advice.
[Re: cammilane]
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AnnaD
NTL Addict
Registered: 02/19/08
Posts: 565
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Hi cammilane, and welcome!
There is lots of good advice here and I recommend digging into the archives to see what people have had to say. But a couple of really quick answers:
First, there is no major that is required or even beneficial to get into law school. People get accepted out of every major that has ever existed - I know people who worked in the arts, engineers, people with business backgrounds, and of course, the inevitable slew of poli sci and history majors. So major in whatever you like - it will make no difference in terms of getting into law school.
Second, the factors that carry by far the greatest weight in the application process - almost to the exclusion of anything else - are your undergraduate GPA and your LSAT score. So, to modify the major advice a little, some people who want to go to law school will choose to major in something they find easier/get better grades in, rather than what they're really interested in, because a higher GPA opens more doors. I get that point of view, though I hate to see people pick majors purely based on grades! But, you know, if you're making choices, it's something to consider.
(Also, philosophy majors have the highest average LSAT score (probably because of the rigorous study of logic in philosophy). I wouldn't suggest majoring in philosophy because of that (unless you love philosophy!), but you might take a logic class if you can, as that can help with the LSAT.)
The upside of schools caring most about GPA and LSAT is that they really *don't* care about your age, how long it took you to get your BA, where you got your BA, any of that kind of stuff. Everything besides GPA and LSAT are "soft factors," and can be used to distinguish between candidates when a school is looking at people who are on the borderline of required/desirable GPA/LSAT. I know some people report getting into schools they didn't have the numbers for, based largely on the personal statement (and thereby soft factors), although I think that's not something to bank on. When weighing soft factors, I think a lot of schools do like non-traditional students, because they've usually done something other than be a student in their lives. But some schools may like the fresh and new traditional types. It's hard to generalize, because so much depends on where your scores are competitive.
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#91365 - 08/19/10 05:39 PM
Re: Newbie here! Need some advice.
[Re: AnnaD]
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cammilane
Junior Member
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 3
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Thanks so much for the advice so far. I feel like I have a starting point now- I'm checking out those websites and checking out sample LSAT questions (gulp). I also feel better knowing that if I buckle down and maintain/improve my GPA and have a decent LSAT score under my belt, I should do okay. I appreciate the input!
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#91383 - 08/20/10 01:10 PM
Re: Newbie here! Need some advice.
[Re: cammilane]
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Dutch
Senior Contributor
Registered: 09/26/08
Posts: 201
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I'd also suggest that if you have 2 years in accounting already and really like it, to continue that track; it would be an area to 'fall back on' if needed or perhaps you decide somewhere in the process that LS isn't for you. Make sure your GPA in the last 2 yrs of UG is excellent; some schools consider improvements in grades in admissions.
From my own personal experience, I'd suggest to be very patient. I thought that when I finished undergrad in 2008 (as an older nontrad) that taking the LSAT and preparing to apply to LS would be a snap, but it hasn't been. I took the LSAT this past June and didn't get the grade I wanted, but plan to take it again next June. So, depending on your situation, the process could take a little longer than you think....not that it will, but just be prepared if it doesn't follow plan.
Beyond that I commend you for raising kids and continuing to better yourself. I have a daughter that has a similar experience to yours.
Good luck to you!
Dutch
_________________________
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people. from 'V for Vendetta.'
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