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My ultimate goal is to obtain a Law Degree from a prestigious graduate school after obtaining a degree in Computer Science/Computer Engineering. I’ve been set on Northwestern University for a while now (2 months is a while for me). However, recently I’ve been thinking; there are plenty of other good schools that might be better than Northwestern that would maybe suit my desires, although admission to those “better” schools might be more of a gamble.

My stats so far aren’t very impressive; freshmen year was a horrible year for me. I’m taking the most strenuous curriculum available at my high school and I have a pretty prominent interest in information technology.

Student Representative to Board of Education Technology Committee
Student Representative to Local Education Association
Design/Layout Editor for the Newspaper (3 years)
Founder of Robotics Club (an interdisciplinary club that has members of the math department pitted against the science department)
Vice President of the Class
Interact Club Member
Model UN Member (2 years)
Debate Team Member

This Year’s Schedule:
AP Calculus BC
English Honors
AP US History
Physics Honors
Electives:
(Theory of Knowledge) Epistemology Honors
Journalism
Drama

Last year:
Computer Science AP (4) (Got to take it a year in advance)

My unweighted GPA last year was 3.4. This year will be a drastic improvement (Getting A and A+ across the board). Next year newspaper Editor-in-Chief is guaranteed. As for other forecasts, I’m not a prophet, so I’d rather not guess ;)
(Governor’s School Recommendation from teachers for this summer, but I don’t know about the application, maybe they’ll be afraid to admit me)

Are there any other alternative schools to which I would have a chance for admission? Does the fact that I enjoy the pursuit of knowledge moreso than I enjoy the pursuit of the super-high GPA matter? Do great teacher recommendations matter? Sorry about the disorganized nature of this, but I’m a bit tired right now :\

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 12:07 pm: Edit

Look at Tufts University in MA... there is an engineering school, and Tufts has a great repuation with law schools.

Harvard does have an engineering concentration, (though it is not Harvard's strength)... and Harvard should give anyone a decent shot at getting into law schools.

Incidentally, why computer engineering and law?

By Fakesnake00 (Fakesnake00) on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 02:41 pm: Edit

I'm really interested in technology and how it affects society. I also like the fact that as a lawyer, you are able to try a totally different case and aren't just restricted to the same task over and over again; I like freshness.

Maybe consulting is a viable option as well. Is Tufts a difficult school to get into?

By Soundasleep (Soundasleep) on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 01:51 am: Edit

you know what's great? george washington university has an engineering/law combined program where i think you don't hafta test to get into law school. check it out.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 06:37 pm: Edit

GW's law school is excellent.

By Henryo (Henryo) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 01:15 am: Edit

I have some friends who are going that track with engineering and then law. Most of them decided to get an engineering undergrad at some good place (MIT, Cornell, Stanford, Berkeley, Caltech) and look at law afterwards. Law is more of something you do after undergrad and law programs don't really require you to do some pre-law program in your undergrad years. You can't really pick up engineering without a good basis.

If you really want to go to a school with a good law and engineering program U Mich and Cornell have both