Law School after this…what are the chances?

[acethroughcollege]

How do graduate degree programs look on this way of getting my degree? Will the degree itself indicate it was any different from those who do traditional,school? I am considering law school and I just want to make sure I can get in somewhere if that’s what I choose to do. Are there disadvantages to obtaining a degree this way?

[ss20ts]

Obtaining a degree in what way? What are you referring to?

[withrown]

It MIGHT be difficult to get into a high-level law school but, as long as you have a BS/BA, a decent LSAT score, and a way to pay your most of the way there. I went to an interview session at UA law and it isn't uncommon for students to have a nontraditional route to law.

The only disadvantage, I can see, is you'll have trouble getting GPA-based scholarships. Maybe someone at Harvard or Yale Law might look down on you. On the other hand, if you blow the LSAT out of the park it's probably a nonissue.

Make sure you are able to describe your trajectory and reason for going into law in your application.

[freeloader]

How do graduate degree programs look on this way of getting my degree? Will the degree itself indicate it was any different from those who do traditional,school? I am considering law school and I just want to make sure I can get in somewhere if that’s what I choose to do. Are there disadvantages to obtaining a degree this way?

You have a number of threads about getting an accounting degree with UMPI, so I am going to assume that you are still having that as your plan. 

LSAC, the body that handles law school applications/applicant file assembly for the great majority of law schools in the United States, takes all of an applicant’s transcripts and computes a GPA. If you do the minimum 30, and whether that’s at a UMPI or even a Big 3 school, it appears to me that they will not include a calculated GPA with your application. So, might be in your best interest to ensure that you have 60 grades credits. They note that

“ No cumulative GPA will be calculated if an applicant has….

• a total of less than 60 graded credits of U.S./Canadian undergraduate-level work on their file and may or may not have an institution identified as their undergraduate degree-granting school.”
  

https://www.lsac.org/applying-law-school...marization  

This is under the “No Cumulative GPA Calculation” tab at the bottom. 

Not sure how, exactly, that would impact your chances, but I can’t imagine it would help, particularly at the highest ranked/most selective schools at least.

One other thing that I was told and that, based on that same page, I believe to be true: LSAC calculated your GPA based on courses taken prior to issuance of your 1st bachelor’s degree. So, OP, if you do 120 hours (with say 30 at UMPI and 90 ACE credits) for a UMPI BA and then do 30 “extra” credits or get a 30+ hour masters degree to be eligible to earn your CPA license, those credits ARE NOT included in your LSAC GPA.

[dfrecore]

It depends on:
1) the law school you want to attend, and
2) the number of graded credits you have

If you go non-traditional, be prepared to be a bit limited in your choices. OTOH, for someone coming to this forum to try to get a degree non-traditionally, and at the lowest cost, I kind of think that you're not looking to get the most expensive law degree you can.

I would start looking at the law schools you're considering and see what they require, and then work backwards from there.

[LevelUP]

UMPI is pretty generous with its grading and only issues A or B grades.

In terms of cost per course and getting 60 credits done quickly, UMPI would be the way to go.

[bjcheung77]

You will come across an issue if you're going for the Top 15 schools, you should be fine going into any local state/public school though. The main draw back with a UMPI degree is, you have 30 RA credits if you transfer in 90 alternative ones. You need a minimum of 60 graded credits for most programs that are competitive, for the semi-competitive ones, I would also stick to roughly 60 or more graded credits... Now, that shouldn't be an issue if you decide to come back to UMPI for a second degree or if you decide to get a few more minors with that first Bachelors.

---

Another option is, go for another CBE degree elsewhere or take another degree from the Big 3, find some subjects you're interested in and take more courses that interest you at a community college or a partnership such as ONU/TEL, Portage, if you are into exams, then UEXCELS would work.

[nosey561]

In general, if your LSAT score is above the median for a certain law school, you have a decent chance of admission to that law school (even with a Big 3 degree and no LSAC GPA).

[Alpha]

In my mind there are two factors at play that might give the op cause for optimism.  The first is that law schools, themselves, are turning to online learning.  There are a number of hybrid programs to be found and just within the last year we've seen the accreditation of the first 100% online law degree.  We could justifiably assume from this that the authorities in these matters are softening their stance on distance learning.  The second factor is the LSAT.  We've been led to believe that an extremely good score will smooth away any sour looks regarding your degree's online status.  Will it get you into Harvard Law?  Probably not.  After all, the acceptance rate is only 12%.  But you'll get in somewhere.  I'll guess that your own acceptance rate will be about 50%.  Take your best shot.

[freeloader]

One other thing to consider: if you do well, you can transfer after your 1L year of law school. My wife went to a T25 law school and approximately 10% of the people who graduated with her transferred in. Many of them came from substantially lower ranked (many outside of the T100) law schools. I have read online that law schools don’t look at your undergrad GPA or your LSAT when evaluating transfers, but have no specific knowledge.