I’m a Sophomore biological Physics Major at Purdue University and I am looking into patent law. Will the fact that my major and course load is significantly more difficult than the average psych major make my current 3.5 GPA look better? I figure that law schools must be screaming for science majors. Any input? I’m also a Poli Sci minor.
It may help, but only a small amount when it comes to admissions. Where it will help the most is when it comes to OCI and getting a job for after law school.
If it helps I have also been debating for 6 years competitively.
Difficulty of major doesn’t count for much in terms of admission. It could act as a tiebreaker between you and someone who has similar numbers and soft factors but majored in philosophy of basketweaving. But the schools report the GPAs of their incoming classes to USNWR for the rankings calculation, and they don’t get to put an asterisk next to it that says “but we had a lot of engineering/science majors.”
It would help when looking for an IP job, obviously. Hard science/engineering work experience between UG and LS would help even more.
Fellow physics major here currently in law school, and I had the same questions last year when I was looking around. Sorry bud, bad news. As much as it should matter, it just doesn’t. Your friends who were poli sci majors who’ve never even heard of a derivative or a test where the average is a 50% have their GPA looked at in exactly the same way. Don’t be afraid to talk about your difficult background and in your personal statement or resume, but any help will be completely marginal. And your poli sci minor…well mention that to them and see if they can respond with a straight face.
The unfortunate reality is that law schools care almost exclusively about your LSAT score and your GPA. If you want to increase your chances at good schools, retake the LSAT.
Doesn’t.
I think if it came between you another candidate with the same numbers, then it might make a difference, but it seems that law schools are really only concerned with numbers.
Does not matter. Also why should it?
I am national finalist in both high school and college. I do not think this will help me at all. (Speech and Debate is no better than any other run-of-the-mill soft). Sorry OP.
I am sad about the fact that they don’t care, because I am a physics major too.
But I love science, and it does open doors for patent.
So no regrets.
you guys will be in great shape for OCI, but there’s not really a bump in admissions for hard majors.
They are, don’t let anyone tell you differently. With the new emphasis put on getting jobs when law students graduate and transparency in that department, Law Schools need students who can get jobs when they graduate.
IP secure.
That was rude. It should matter because it would mean law admissions were concerned with more than numbers. It would show that a student is able to handle a rigourous course load. Law schools look more at objective measures than subjective ones, but that doesn’t’ mean other factors shouldn’t matter.
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If you can rock a 175 or better, you still have a decent chance at CCN, money at NU, etc.
But I thought being the treasurer of the pre-law society made me a special snowflake?
I’m a biology major and I think it helped me. A lot of admissions deans mentioned that my grades in hard science courses were impressive, but I have a 4.0, not a 3.5. I think it stood out that my GPA was the same or better than other applicants but my courses were perceived as more difficult. I don’t think they will be impressed with a lower GPA due to hard science courses.
Physics isn’t harder that most majors it is just most people interested in law are bad at it, though I agree it is harder than Psych.
I agree. But I think in physics, there are fewer courses that allows you to get an A with “gut feeling” - sometimes, in humanities, that happens.
This. I think a lot of law schools will be more impressed if you get a 3.9+; however, if you get below their GPA floor, I don’t think “a particularly hard major” will help.