Expert: Bruce - 11/2/2006

Question

Was your last two years GPA better than the first two? Did you excel in a particular subject area?  I understand that the admissions will look to see an improvement in my grades, however actually my best year was my sophomore year and the last two years were not the best. Thats why Im thinking about getting a masters or more undergrad courses.  The courses that I excelled in were the sociology/philosophy/ lanaguage courses.  The ones I did poorly in were the hard core science classes like chemistry and biology.  


How long has it been since you graduated U of C?  I graduated in 2003.  I have been teaching English in China and volunteering and schools in the US, with some good recommendation letters as my caring as a teacher though not necessarily my potential as a law student.  
 What was your undergrad major? My undergrad major was psychology.  One of my professors thinks that a masters degree would hold more weight since it is harder than a 2nd undergrad degree.  However I do not want to fall into the same trouble of trying to get into a good masters program unrelated to psychology and with a poor GPA although they think that I can do it and I know that I can do it.  




Thank you for your suggestions. You are a very positive person and a perfect advisor for your encouraging remarks.  I believe that law is good for me because I have had several people say that I would make a good lawyer.  I have a strong interest in philosophy and my inclinations are towards being just and fair to all.  Perhaps it is not a dream job but it is a career and one that is suitable to my strong points.  Please note that my goal, in addition to merely attending law school, is to attend a top ranked law school.  I know that my route will have to be indirect but at the moment I am suffering from information overload and I am trying to narrow down my first step, whether to directly apply to law school, apply for a 2nd undergrad, or apply for a masters program.  


DAn

Answer
Dan,

Thanks for replying. Sounds like you started college as a science major and switched over to psych?  I am a fellow psych undergrad - despite the ribbing we sometimes take, I consider psych to be one of the most versatile undergrad majors around. It should serve you well in law school.

I think being out of college a few years and having the overseas experience will really help as you begin to apply to law or grad schools.  Given what you've told me, I think that a grad program would make more sense than a second BA if you opt to go back to school.

Is there an area of psychology/social science that you could pursue at the masters level that would relate to your possible legal career?  Back when I was a college senior looking at PhD programs in psych, I noted that there were eben a few schools out there that offer combined psych/JD programs. I'm recalling U of Nebraska and U of Toledo (but that was along time ago, and these places may not qualify as top ranked.

Have you considered setting an appointment with a law school admission person and walking through your background and soliciting input on how to maximize your admission opportunities? I'll bet you'd find them helpful.

Anyway, I hope I've been helpful. Let me know if I can offer more advice or encouragement along the way.
Best wishes.

Bruce