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About Evelyn R. Calvoni
Expertise
I can answer questions about law school and the process of applying to law school. I recently graduated in May 2008, so it's all fresh in my mind. I can answer questions about how to apply to law school, the LSAT, getting letters of recommendation, writing your personal statement, etc. I can also answer questions about what life is like during law school and the different opportunities students should take advantage of during their law school experience, i.e., law review, networking events, moot court, clinics, internships, what classes to take, etc. I can also answer questions about what it's like to look for a job, what are good jobs to get right out of law school, and general questions about writing cover letters and resumes. I can also answer questions about judicial clerkships after law school.
Experience
I am a recent law school graduate (May 2008). I have been through the process and have taken advantage of many different opportunities throughout my three years in law school. I've done internships, a clinic, been on law review, been on moot court, and participated in several moot court competitions. I am currently clerking for a state Court of Appeals judge.
Education/Credentials
I have a BA in Political Science.
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You are here: Experts > Jobs/Careers > Lawyers > Law School > law school admission
Law School - law school admission
Expert: Evelyn R. Calvoni - 8/28/2008
Question
QUESTION: Hi, I am a business undergraduate student interested in pursuing the profession of law. I have heard horrible stories of how graduates from lower ranking law schools can't find work and are paid increadibly low wages. To make matters worse some of these students also end up with huge loan debt. I researched many law school and have seen that job prospects for law school graduates from top ranked private university is great and that starting are 6 figure. So it seems that going to a public or a lower ranked school is a terrible educational investment. I would like to know how does somenone increase their chances of getting admitted into a high ranking law school ex. NYU, Columbia, Cornell, or Fordham. Does graduating and getting a bachelor degree from a high ranked private university ex. NYU, Columbia drasticly increase your chances of getting admitted into their law programs campared to public school transfer applicants. What should a undergraduate student do in these circumstances? Is an mba a better alternative to law school or waste of time?
ANSWER: Hi Nik,
I'll try to answer all your questions one at a time.
Going to a "top tier" law school is always a good thing. Your job prospects will always be best upon graduation from a well-known and well-respected school. With that said, going to a public school is definitely not a bad thing. For example, I live in Arizona and I know plenty of people that graduated from law school at Arizona State University and are doing just fine with their legal careers. It all depends on what you do during law school, the experiences you get, and the people you meet and connections you make. Check out the US News & World Report on-line. It's a guide to law school rankings. It's criticized for various reasons, but it's still a good place to look for a basic idea of the law schools and how they are ranked. It is true that graduates of top schools make the most money upon graduation, but that doesn't mean the other law school graduates starve. :) What you do after law school is ultimately up to you and how you performed doing law school. I think anyone can make their own destiny upon graduation. You just have to be willing to work hard and put the time in. I just graduated and am doing a judicial clerkship, which is a short period of time after graduation during which you can work for a judge. Appellate and Supreme Court (state and federal) clerkships are the most prestigious and competitive and I never though I'd get one but I did. So, it is what you make of it. And it's a lot of hard work but it pays off in the end if it's what you want to do.
You will have your best chance of getting admitted into an NYU or Columbia type law school if you do really well on the LSAT, which is like the SATs but for law school. You will want to take a prep course for the test. I recommend Princeton Review, some people like Kaplan as well. Also, those high end schools look for unique individuals with unique backgrounds. Doing volunteer work always helps also. You have to make yourself stand out somehow. But ultimately, I do think the LSAT and a good undergrad GPA are most important. I don't think your undergrad school matters too much.
Loan debt is a problem. I went to a private university and owe a LOT of money and am not sure how I'm going to pay it back! But there are scholarships also - private ones and those given by the law schools. There are also lots of programs that help you pay back your loans if you do public interest work after graduation.
Whether an MBA is better than law school depends on the individual seeking the education. It depends on what you want to do. If you want to practice law, an MBA won't help you. But an MBA is still a good degree for other things. You just need to figure out what you want to do and which degree will be best for you. It's a matter of preference.
Please let me know if I can answer any more questions for you or if you have any follow-up questions. Good luck!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for answering my previous question. Currently I am recieving financial aid. I know that Private law school tuiton is a about 30-40 grand per year. What amount of tuiton cost would financial aid cover approxametly. Would I need additiional scholarships or loans to take out in order to cover the tuiton which would include financial aid. What kind of loans are best to take out in terms of having the lowest interest rates and best repayment options. Ihave to say that people from state schools have to work extremely hard and probably be in the top 10% in order to get good job offers. Its seems that if you go to a high ranked school you dont have to have the best grades and you would still get numerous jobs offers with high starting salaries becouse of the school reputation. I think that today the law profession is extremelty competitive becouse more and more students are studying law. In addition, law school ranking have placed extreme importance of going into top tier schools. The rankings have created a unequal division of schools that employers abuse my continualy recuiting top ranked law graduates. In the end one has to make the best of his or her education.
Answer
Hi Nik,
I agree with you that the law profession is competitive. Going to a top school will definitely benefit you in the end. But if you want to become a lawyer and can't get into a top school, you can still go to a state school and be just fine. And don't forget that some state schools rank very well, for example, University of Virginia is a top ten school, and University of Minnesota is also well-ranked. Those are just the two that come to my mind immediately; there are others as well.
When you are admitted to a law school, the financial aid office will be able to help you find the best financial aid package for you. But rest assured that you will be able to take out as much in loans as you need to cover your tuition and living expenses while you're in law school. The federal government will give you some Stafford loans at a good interest rate, and I believe they'll give you up to about $20,000. Then you can take out the rest from a private loan company. The interest rate will probably be higher, but you will be able to get the money.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck!
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