Preparing to Apply
In This Section
The study of law should never be a default decision when taking the next step in your development. Planning and thinking ahead are important for applying successfully to law school.
Keys to Preparation for Law School
We seek a student body that demonstrates outstanding academic ability, integrity, problem-solving skills, commitment, leadership potential, and intellectual curiosity. We want to ensure that our students not only will excel academically but that their experiences and perspectives will augment our learning environment. The only way we can learn about each of our applicants is through what is shared in their applications. Thus, our procedures are designed to help us learn as much relevant information about the human being behind the numbers as possible.
As you begin to think about your future, take time to reflect on why law school is your next best step and why Berkeley is where you may want to study.
Here are some questions you might ask yourself when considering law school:
What are my goals? What steps do I need to take to accomplish them? Why are they important to me?
Is now the right time for me to go to law school? Am I ready to apply? Do I really have the time and resources needed to put together a competitive application?
Where should I apply? What is important to me about my law school experience? What do I value? Do I have the resources I need to be successful in law school?
Things to Consider Before You Apply
The median GPA and LSAT of successful applicants are usually 3.80 and 170, respectively. Does that mean that you won't be admitted with a lower GPA or LSAT? Not necessarily because we do not rely on any one factor to determine admission and because there is much more to you than your numbers. However, we do receive a very large number of competitive applications each year. You should strive to present as strong an application as possible, one that is thorough, honest, and that represents you well.
Admission to law school is different from other professional schools because there is no prerequisite undergraduate major. Popular prelaw majors are political science, philosophy, English, and economics. But many other majors are represented in our student body as well, like chemical engineering, journalism, anthropology, Spanish, rhetoric, international development, accounting, and music. Double-majoring or completing a major and a minor are fine but are not required nor even encouraged. You should select these options only if they match your personal interests, and not because you hope they will improve your chances of being admitted to law school.
We recommend that you select courses that are challenging and that develop your analytical writing, critical reading, and logical reasoning skills. These skills are invaluable during law school, where you will be expected to read large quantities of material and to summarize, synthesize, compare, contrast, and respond to those materials. Consider taking courses in departments that offer the foundation for law school like political science, philosophy, and economics. Above all, take classes that interest you so you will optimize your best work. There is no disadvantage if you begin your college studies in a community college program and then transfer to a four-year institution. However, we do want to be assured of your success in a rigorous university setting, so make the most of your years at the four-year school.
Finally, each state has established character, fitness and other qualifications for admission to the bar. We encourage you to determine what those qualifications are in the state(s) in which you intend to practice.
