Undergrad Student Looking for Advice

[Anonymous123]

So Im currently in an undergraduate bachelors degree for psychology just finishing up my first year with a mid to high 80 and am definitely going to be raising this gpa but I feel my main fault was not joining any extracurricular activities or clubs this year. I was just wondering what I can do to build the possible strongest application for law school as I'm looking to aim for the stars at U of T law. I just don't have any idea where to start my school provides a moot club but my social anxiety says I should look for a club more suited for me. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on how to take my 2nd year and on in the best possible manner to provide myself with the best possible opportunities in terms of summer jobs and school year activities as I frequently work out and practice martial arts as well. I also am really interested in the role of the brain in decision making and was also wondering if it would be a good idea to pursue a thesis in psychology on top as I feel its very applicable to law and a huge interest of mine. I also was looking for any suggestions so feel free to shoot. 

 

Ps. Thanks in advance to anyone

[VIPigeon]

Do things you’re interested in. Take classes you enjoy. Meet new people. Don’t do something just because you think it looks good on a law school application. My friends at school have all different backgrounds, different degrees, and different work experience. Passion shows through in personal statements and cover letters, and I think that interests schools much more than just joining a club for the sake of it. 

Also, speaking as someone in her 30s with a tiny bit of hard-earned wisdom: enjoy your undergrad years. Try new things and see what you love. Don’t live the next few years doing what you think others will want to see on paper.

(By the way, your interest in martial arts would be great on a law school application and for law firm interviews. It shows dedication, discipline, etc. Law isn’t just about the typical activities you think of, like mooting.) 

[cactusjack6]

1 hour ago, VIPigeon said:

Do things you’re interested in. Take classes you enjoy. Meet new people. Don’t do something just because you think it looks good on a law school application.

Couldn't agree with this point more. The strongest law school applications are those that have a genuine interest in the experiences they have had and that stems from doing things one is genuinely passionate and interested in. Find what you love, find a way to tap into it as an EC during school and even a job or internship in the summers. Everyone in law school has such a diverse background of what they did before and why they ended up choosing law school and it all stems from what people wanted to do or were interested in. 

You will undoubtedly be able to tie it all into a law school application to speak to why you want to attend law school no matter what EC's or jobs you decide to do. Have fun and enjoy the process. 

[Byzantine]

Echo the previous comments. The two most important things to get into law school are a high GPA and high LSAT score. Other than that it doesn't really matter. Take classes and extracirculars you're interested in. 

The moot club sounds interesting but only if it's something you want to do! If you have social anxiety with public speaking doing something like that, or a more general public speaking club like toastmasters really helps! I went from being totally nervous/shaking during public speaking to decently confident now just by exposure. Toastmasters and doing a moot at law school helped. Public speaking is a skill that's very useful whatever you decide to do for a career. 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Byzantine

[GoatDuck]

You're overestimating how hard it is to get into UofT, or you're misjudging the importance of ECs. Your GPA and LSAT will be the most important factors when it comes to admission. Focus on doing well in school and get your LSAT to high 160s+. If none of your stats are below their medians, you'll have no issues getting into UofT even without any ECs. If you feel like you can do really well at school and actively pursue ECs, then by all means. But if you think that ECs will put a strain on your academic side of things, forget about clubs and get those grades + LSAT prep when the time comes. Your undergrad thesis will probably not add much value to your application. It may add a talking point for your personal statement, but the admissions committee won't think "Oh wow, Anonymous123 really is an expert in human cognition!" Undergraduate thesis works are learning opportunities for students, and in *very* rare cases they are publishable material, but they don't normally impress either experts in the field or members of the admission committee. Do the thesis if you care, but don't count on it to give you any/much advantage over other applicants. 

If you want an advice re: how to go about your second year, here it is. Become an interesting person, don't think of your education solely in utilitarian terms for the purpose of getting into law school, learn stuff and don't get burnt out. Even in purely utilitarian terms, you'll maximize your chances of getting into law school by getting good GPA and LSAT score. It's far too early for you to obsess over your LSAT, so focus on school and enjoy life.  

[ruthlessfox]

Focus on grades at this stage. They are far more important than ECs and very much in your control right now. Just demonstrating an interest in something is basically fine for law school admission purposes. Martial arts is great. Doing one thing you are passionate about and highly committed to will impress an admissions committee more than being superficially involved in 5 law-adjacent clubs.

[JungleMean]

Honestly, I did my undergrad with no idea that I wanted to go to law school and got into UofT. I worked with the campus LGBTQ group for three years because that was what I cared about, and it was my only undergrad EC. If there's a martial arts group on campus,that could be a good fit for you, but otherwise, consistent involvement in anything is a better sign for admissions than trying to join a moot club because you think you should and bailing after one year. If you want to write a thesis go for it, but again, don't push yourself to do it because you think it'll look good if it will also bring down your GPA.

Echoing the echoes, grades and LSAT score make the biggest impact.