This is just my 2 cents, but I went to a state school in Utah, both because of finances and my commitment to the Utah National Guard. I found that I always excelled in classes that were challenging, and had intelligent, insightful students, and did more poorly in classes that were directed toward the 'minimum standard'. I graduated with a 3.7 from Utah State University, but I feel I probably could have done the same or even better at a school like Harvard, where I would feel challenged and stimulated to push myself. That's what the LSATs for anyway, to get everyone on an even playing field. That's probably why law schools don't emphasize grades that much.