Does your high school GPA and ACT score make a big difference?

[Pizzagoddess]

Hi I have a 3.2 average GPA and I'm a junior. I'm taking the ACT soon and I expect a 25 ( hopefully higher). This year I have really been trying and have a 3.9 (not my average) I am prepared to study very hard in college. I was very busy the last 2 years and didn't apply myself too much. I am apart of the debate team and hope to major in psychology and maybe become a CIA attorney. Will my 3.2 average affect me in applying for a good law school ? Or do law schools only look at your college grades? I plan on going to a community college for 2 years and then continuing to a university, then continuing to law school. I'm very concerned, thank you!

[Groundhog]

Law schools only look at your college grades. Your best bet is to go somewhere where will you succeed in your own goals for undergrad, not what you think will help for law school. For what it's worth, going to a lower-ranked school where you can achieve a 4.0 might work out better than going to a tougher school, unless the tougher school has a higher grading curve, as is the case with Ivy league and other schools.

[legend]

Groundhog is correct I have never heard of any law school looking at your high school transcripts. Your best bet is to get a high GPA at whatever accredited University you attend. Most law schools will simlpy care only about your undergrad GPA and if you get a 4.0 from X State opposed to a 3.4 from Semi More Respectable Private University X the 4.0 from X State will have more success getting admitted to law school.

The name of your Undergrad will make a difference if it is Harvard, Yale, maybe even UCLA, USC something of that caliber, but for the most part people have no idea what 90% of universities are doing or whatever proposed quality difference there is.

Also as GroundHog suggests it is probably to early to really be thinking about law school. Go to a university you enjoy, choose a major you enjoy, etc. You are only in high school and a lot of things can change I personally never in a million years that I would ever go to law school when I was in high school and now I am a lawyer. I know plenty of people in high school convinced they would go to law school and ended up succeeding in very different fields. 

Finally when you go to College a lot will change it is good to have a goal like law school, but keep your options at least for the first year or two as your goals may change.

[Pizzagoddess]

Thank you !