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The Q:
I am a first year student in college and already I am starting
out on the wrong foot. I only took 12 credits so that I could get
good grades, but instead I am getting 2 B's and 2 C's. These are
horrible grades considering I want to go to a ivy league law school
ie Harvard or Georgetown. Should I give up on my goals of doing
better? Is there a chance for me to still get into law school? The A: Getting into law school and succeeding at it is not something that you can fail in one semester of college. What does this mean? It means that your first semester in college will NOT determine your ability to get into an "Ivy league" school or become a successful lawyer. Frankly, law schools will look more closely at the results of your entrance exams (LSATs) and your overall GPA than they will look at 2 B's and 2 C's in your freshman year. Don't get me wrong; the legal profession is very snobby. Law schools do not care a lot about extracurricular activities or the inspiring essay you submit with your application (even though they say they do), unless you are a Gold Medal winner at the Olympics. They care about strong overall academic performance and an indication that you will not "run away" from law school. Remember, law schools want the best candidates, but they also want people who are mature and well adjusted. In the '80s and '90s too many people became lawyers because of TV shows such as 'L.A. Law' or 'The Practice,' not because they really wanted to be lawyers. These people left law school early or left the profession after graduating -- not a good record for law schools and their alumni associations. What schools will look at is your ability to "recover" from your early difficulties and your overall performance in college. I think what you need to do is to figure out why your grades are not as strong as you think they should be. Are you in a major that you like? (I switched mine twice.) Do you have a class or two that is "easy" for you? I consider this a must for every semester (a friend of mine took a drawing class each semester). Are you taking time to look ahead four years instead of getting bogged down in each class assignment? Don't focus on the B's and C's of every day; try and figure out what you want to get from college overall, and let that be your guide. I got a 54 on an exam in college and even a C- in law school, and I like to think everything turned out okay with me (I'm now working as a legal counsel). Talk to people who are juniors and seniors at your school and see what worked for them. Finally, you do not need to get into Harvard to be successful lawyer and make $$$. The best advice I can give you is to apply to a bunch of different schools when the time comes (both Ivy and non-Ivy). Attend the best school that accepts you and then work like a dog your first year. If you receive great grades in your first year of law school, you'll likely get on a Law Review (journal) will get an offer for a good summer job -- from there you are set. Nothing is as important as getting good grades your first year of law school; the top of every class (no matter what school) gets all the breaks. Relax a little; you don't need to be nervous for another 4 years (at least)! —Laurie
Jamieson, Esq., Guest Advisor © 2009 Virtually Advising, Inc.; All rights reserved. Whatever that means.Say Hi to the Webmaster. |
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