Preparing for Law School Admissions as an Undergraduate Student

As I counsel many high school students who aim to be lawyers, I provide information that will help them better prepare during their undergraduate years so that they will be more competitive law school applicants when the time comes. In this post, I explain the most important factors to consider as an undergraduate student.

Undergraduate Major

While a four-year undergraduate degree is required to apply to law schools, a specific major is not. Most of my students assume they have to major in a humanities-related field like political science, history, or English, but this is not the case. As there are also no mandatory prerequisites for law school like there are for medical school, students have the freedom to choose a major that fits their interests best and one that will allow them to thrive in a field they enjoy. So, if one of my students desires to be an art history, anthropology, or religious studies major, with the goal to apply to law school, I fully support that decision.

STEM degrees should not be ruled out either. Students with a STEM-related degree make unique law school applicants and are highly sought out. STEM students bring depth around the knowledge they will specialize in and the work they can do within different types of law. An engineering student who graduated and worked in the field of biomedical engineering would make a great Intellectual Properties attorney, working on trademarks and patents. A computer science major will have the understanding and background to work as a Cybersecurity lawyer. Someone that majored in sustainability will be viewed as having the potential to be a great environmental lawyer. Law students with STEM degrees have proved to be the most employable lawyers.

Undergraduate GPA

Law school admissions care immensely about numbers, the GPA being one of these major quantitative factors. To be competitive at top law schools, a student must strive for a 3.7 GPA and above. Receiving a high GPA and graduating at the top of their class is imperative for being a competitive law school applicant. The LSAT is the other significant quantitative factor and you can learn more about it by reading our post Preparing for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

Undergraduate Extracurricular Activities

Showing law schools, the activities you are involved in is also an important part of the law application. I tell my students that their activities do not need to be legal, or law related, but that they should show their passions and interests within a particular area. Law school admissions value life skills gained, and experiences lived.

Service-oriented activities like volunteering at an environmental organization, tutoring underserved students, working with the LGTBQ community, or collecting items for a homeless shelter, show passion for a particular group. I recommend my students strive to find ways to give back within a community or a cause in the area of law they hope to practice in. These valuable experiences will allow them to relate to their future clients.

Participating in a student organization on campus also demonstrates interest, allowing students to meet new people and create new opportunities. Gaining knowledge, networking, and building relationships with others provides growth and exposure to broaden one’s views with those who share their enthusiasm for a particular cause or group. Like, student organizations, getting involved in the college student government is also beneficial as it will also provide opportunities and learning while gaining the skills and leadership law schools seek in their applicants.

While extracurriculars are only a small part of the law school application, they are important to show commitment, responsibility, and character. Rather than becoming involved in many activities, choose a few meaningful activities that will allow you to express your dedication to the people and causes you care most about, broaden your perspectives, and enhance your knowledge in your chosen field of law.

Bottom Line

Choose a major that you have a genuine interest in, do well academically, and get involved on and off campus. I tell my students to make the most of their undergraduate experiences while keeping these factors in mind and they will be better prepared for their pursuit of a law school acceptance.

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