I came into Grove City College with a dream. I am leaving having started the beginning of that dream. My dream is to be an attorney and I will be attending law school next fall. To some people, this sounds unappealing and to others, downright repulsive. However, I know that some of you share my same dream. For those few people, you may wonder what it is like to go to Grove City College while attempting to propel yourself into this career. Well, I am going to share my own experience with you. Full disclosure: I am a senior at GCC, so I can’t give you a full account of what law school will be like (though through second hand accounts, I have heard that it’s very…time consuming). I will however, share my experiences up to this point.
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DO NOT STRESS
about what major you will pursue in college. Law school is one of those magical places that does not care what you majored in. They don’t even care if you double majored in college. So feel free to pick what you like and don’t feel pressured to stick with political science or history. A writing intensive major helps, but is not required. Law schools only care that you did well in the major that you chose.
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GPA Matters.
While your choice of major does not really matter when you are hoping for law school, your GPA does. Law schools will especially be looking at GPA and LSAT score when they are considering accepting new students. So, go to office hours if you are struggling with something and be proactive on your work. I have spent some late nights berating myself and wishing that I had just started sooner. You can succeed here.
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Take advantage of our new minor!
To those incoming freshman, I wish I could be you. Truly. Grove City College, as of the fall of 2016, is offering a new minor in Pre-Law. It will be a great opportunity to gain special knowledge and experience about a future in law.
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Connect with professors who may have connections to this field.
I had the opportunity to be a research assistant to one of the well-known political science professors here who was able to advise me in this area. Also, there are some great attorneys as professors and faculty on campus. Our college president fits this model, as does a great professor in the business department. Another great way to connect to law-like people on campus is through the Law Society.
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Take your LSAT early!
As of today, LSAC (Law School Admission Council) offers the test four times during the year. They occur in June, September/October, December and February. If you can be prepared in June before your senior year, which means at LEAST three months of studying daily as well as hopefully taking a prep course, do it. It allows you to apply sooner which in turn puts you at an advantage to get more scholarships (since law schools accept on a rolling admission). It also means you’re not stressing about studying at the beginning of your Senior year. September/October is the next best time, and many people take it this test. If you are not fully prepared in June, wait. It’s better to have one good test score than to take it twice because you did not do so well on your first.
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Don’t lose sight of your goals!
College is extremely fun. Truly, I will look back on my time here as some of the best years of my life. You will have great friends, late nights, trips to Pittsburgh and plenty of ways to make the most of your experience. However, DO NOT lose sight of why you are here. You are a student. Don’t forget that your ultimate goal here is to prepare yourself for a career. So work hard and don’t lose sight of your dreams.
Summation: You can get there from here. I hope to one day welcome you into the attorney family.
