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whats a good college to go to to become a lawyer

#lawyer my name is nayeli i go to Washington union I want to know what a good college to go to become a lawyer

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Subject: Career question for you

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Doc’s Answer

After earning your bachelor’s degree Nayeli, the next step will be to graduate from law school and earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Law schools accept students based on several factors, including their undergraduate grade point average and major, recommendations, personal essays, extracurricular activities, work experience, and (LSAT) Law School Admission Test scores. Finding the right school is a challenge that everyone applying feels. A variety of factors and desires play a role in what makes the best fit—so, how do you decide what law school is right for you?

TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT LAW SCHOOL FOR YOU

• FIND A GOOD FIT – One of the most important things to think about is where you believe you’ll be most happy, can do your best work, and fully enjoy your experience. Learn about the culture, and find a community that cares about you and your success. A great way to do this is to visit schools and see how you feel when you’re there. Does it feel like a place you’ll enjoy spending three years? As mentioned previously, so many are driven by the name of a school versus what the law school is committed to do for you to help you succeed. Sometimes being a big fish in a small pond is a better strategy and rewards you with greater success. Most schools will offer a tour of the campus for you to experience the school and get a sense as to whether or not it is a good fit for you. You can only get so much by looking at a school through your computer or phone.

• KNOW THE COST – Cost can be a huge barrier to attending a law school. There’s not only the direct costs to consider—like tuition/fees and books, but there’s also those indirect costs—moving, urban versus rural, and housing costs. Don't just look at the cost of tuition, rather consider the overall cost of attendance. Sometimes your best fit might be a law school community that interfaces with a large metro but doesn't necessarily require you to live in an expensive city core. And, don’t compare solely on the scholarship award amount. Sometimes a lower scholarship offer can still be a better financial option when you consider the overall cost of attendance. Find out if you are eligible for scholarships. And if you are, what are the requirements to maintain it throughout your law school education? All law schools have different requirements for scholarship retention. Know before you go!

• THINK ABOUT YOU FUTURE – As you start to narrow down your list of schools based on where they are, you should also be thinking about what kind of law you’d like to practice after you graduate. Law schools do have specialties, just as practicing lawyers do. By applying to schools that are focused on your preferred field of study, you’ll be able to better prepare for a career down the road. While this may seem like you’re getting a little bit ahead of yourself, go ahead and contact the career placement offices of the schools you are interested in attending. Ask how many graduates get jobs right out of school, the average salary of a graduate from that particular school, and what kind of recruiting they have on and off campus. Also, if it is important to you to gain hands–on experience during your education, find out if the school offers externships, clinical programs, field studies, etc.

Good Luck Nayeli
Thank you comment icon Thank You Shelby. “Our generation has the ability and the responsibility to make our ever-more connected world a more hopeful, stable and peaceful place.” — Natalie Portman Doc Frick
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Stacie’s Answer

For law school, a good college to go to is one that is affordable for *you* and that you will excel in your studies. Law school is expensive with significant additional costs on top of tuition and books (LSATS, application fees, living expenses, bar exam fees to name just a few). I had a full scholarship for law school and still ended up taking nearly $80k in loans just for the 3 years of law school to cover expenses. Moreover, only a small percentage of law school graduates graduate with a six-figure job lined up so it can be highly burdensome when you have to start paying on your loans six months after you graduate. You can ease the financial burden by taking a lower amount loans for your undergraduate studies. Take dual credit or AP courses in high school if they are available because you can earn college credit at significantly reduced prices. Also consider starting out at a community college where the tuition prices are fractions of state and private universities. You can complete most of your prerequisite courses there and then transfer to a university to finish your degree. And don't pay out-of-state tuition if there is a comparable school in your home state! Most importantly, find a college that you can major in something that you are interested in and take classes that interest you because the better you do in college (regardless of school!) the better chance you have of getting into law school.

Stacie recommends the following next steps:

Talk to your family about how you will fund your education.
Look for scholarship opportunities.
Consider whether you intend to work while in school to help cover costs.
Think about what really interests you and find a college that has a program that fits your interest.
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Gabrielle’s Answer

A good way to start looking for colleges would be to find the best law schools that fit your interests and academic level. The corresponding colleges would then be best to look into. Then you can pick out your top schools, reach schools, and safety schools, and from there see which ones would be best by either doing in person or virtual campus visits.
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TLAURENTONI’s Answer

Stanford University.
University of Chicago.
Yale University.
Harvard University.
New York University.
University of Virginia
University of Pennsylvania (Carey)
Columbia University.
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Skip’s Answer

Personally, I have seen success with my daughter in-law, who's graduating this May 2021 from law school, where she was accepted into a smaller school in Houston, TX where she currently lives and knows the area well... under Grad at UT in Austin, where she was raised - still close to support family and friends, while dedicating all of her efforts into making good grads. Find the school and apply that will fit your needs and then (financial, personal, environment, and family...) and then land an Internship with a firm or practice that you want to do lawyering in the future!
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