# 15-year old applying to Law School **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 7, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842 "2023-03-07T17:39:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/1 "2023-03-07T17:39:18Z")
How did you spend puberty? šŸ˜ƒ My concern (as a parent) would be his social skills. He earned his degrees online and isolated at home. Socializing with other students will be a new experience. But theyā€™re adults and I wouldnā€™t expect bullying. > **[Mississippi: 15-year-old with masterā€™s degree prepares to attend law school](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/07/mississippi-15-year-old-law-school)** > > James ā€˜Jimmyā€™ Chilimigras took entrance exam last year and scored 174, the highest tally in his home state, Alabama and Louisiana > [@](#): > > James ā€œJimmyā€ Chilimigras took the law school entrance exam last year when he was just 14 and scored a 174, the highest tally in his home state, Alabama and Louisiana, according to [a report](https://www.wilx.com/2023/03/06/15-year-old-with-masters-degree-prepares-law-school/) from the news station WLOX, which covers his home town of Bay St Louis, Mississippi. > > Jimmy, who holds bachelorā€™s and masterā€™s degrees in accounting from the online, non-profit Western Governors University, told WLOX he is giving himself until May to choose which law school he will attend. But, he made it clear: ā€œIā€™m going to be law school in August ā€“ thatā€™s going to be in person, so thatā€™s interesting, [and] Iā€™m really looking forward to it, actually.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/2 "2023-03-07T17:43:00Z")
What I find interesting is hereā€™s a young genius that isnā€™t into science or medicine. You donā€™t hear about teenage geniuses going into accounting and/or law very often. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/3 "2023-03-07T17:44:32Z")
As someone who went to University at a young age (15) I found the social challenges to be far greater than the academic ones. Even though I graduated in the top 10% of my class in a very selective program, I was totally unprepared for the working world on graduation and I actually ended up further behind I my career than my classmates who were three or four years older. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/4 "2023-03-07T17:46:10Z")
Thatā€™s a good point. I canā€™t recall a situation like this. Physics and math is more common with genius level teens. I am surprised any Online College degree would qualify someone for Law School. I hear stories of Applicantā€™s resumes from online schools getting thrown out. Its very unfortunate because these people spent the money for that degree. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/5 "2023-03-07T17:56:37Z")
It depends on the college - an online degree from a for-profit institution like the University of Phoenix and an online degree from a non-profit or public institution like [Rutgers](https://www.business.rutgers.edu/online) are not going to be seen as equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/6 "2023-03-07T18:06:59Z")
Isnā€™t law school based on LSATs? Western Governorā€™s is fairly highly regarded in their niche. I mostly hear about career development degrees, but they have a good reputation. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/7 "2023-03-07T18:17:25Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > Isnā€™t law school based on LSATs? Some combination of LSATā€™s, college transcripts, and ā€œlife experiences.ā€ In my view, they put too much emphasis on LSATs, which really measure only how well you do on the LSATs. ETA: Socialization was a much greater part of my undergrad experience than law school. You donā€™t need to be socialized to get through law school. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/8 "2023-03-07T18:37:15Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > In my view, they put too much emphasis on LSATs, which really measure only how well you do on the LSATs. Iā€™ve never been a big proponent of standardized testing (tho I greatly benefitted from my ability to score highly on them with little effort.) But my vague recollection was that LSATs purportedly correlated with prospective students ability to succeed in law school. Likely puffery (and Iā€™m not a big fan of law school education either!). But I thought I recalled hearing at one time that LSATs had better predictive value than some of the other standardized tests. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/9 "2023-03-07T18:45:49Z")
Ronan Farrow started at Yale Law School when he was sixteen, after graduating from Bard College at fifteen. (Later, he was at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/10 "2023-03-07T19:03:52Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > But I thought I recalled hearing at one time that LSATs had better predictive value than some of the other standardized tests. That could be true. I wasnā€™t relying on any studies, just my vague memory of what the test was like. (I have read studies about the poor predictive value of the SATs however) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/11 "2023-03-07T23:35:55Z")
Why is the kid in such a rush to be a lawyer? Does he need the money? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/12 "2023-03-07T23:40:04Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Why is the kid in such a rush to be a lawyer? The sooner he starts, the sooner he can retire. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/13 "2023-03-07T23:45:37Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The sooner he starts, the sooner he can retire. So heā€™ll get to enjoy life as an old man instead of as a young one. Isnā€™t he supposed to be smart? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/14 "2023-03-07T23:57:58Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > So heā€™ll get to enjoy life as an old man instead of as a young one. At the rate heā€™s going, heā€™ll retire a millionaire at the age of 35. Prime years to be rich and idle. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/15 "2023-03-08T00:05:57Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > You donā€™t need to be socialized to get through law school. Especially on the age of COVID. As an aside, I find the claim that 174 was the highest LSAT score in the state to beā€¦ dubious. Plus, how would he know what score others got? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/16 "2023-03-08T00:07:07Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Plus, how would he know what score others got? Yeah. We got raw scores and percentile scores. I think the highest score possible was a 50 when I took it. (I guess they changed a few things). ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/17 "2023-03-08T00:12:50Z")
Indeed. Itā€™s 180 now. It is a forced normal distribution, of course, and so only a very will get the highest scores. A \*quick Google suggests a 174 correlates to the 99.4th percentile. So only a very small portion of test takers would score higher, like half a percent in theory, but then with thousands of test takers each year, Iā€™d beā€¦ very surprised to learn that not a single person scored higher in the entire state. And, again, even if he might theoretically have scored the highestā€¦ how would he know? Who would tell him? \*ETA: And another, slightly longer, search suggests the percentile ranking shifts a bit from year to year just due to chance (for the highest grades, the difference between one reported score and the next is just a single question, so there is plenty of room for year-to-year variation). I saw for some years 174 was as low as the 97.8th percentile. So, againā€¦. not sure how he can know it was the highest in the state, or how that could even be possible unless this was a very odd year for the LSAT, or maybe (just maybe) there is some self-selection in terms of where would-be top test-takers go to school for undergrad, and by extension take the LSAT. I would imagine, for instance, that Connecticut and Massachussets have an abnormally high number of top-tier LSAT takers per capita. States without an Ivy League school or near-peer public institution, on the other hand, might be expected to have disproportionately fewer. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/18 "2023-03-08T00:17:56Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > how would he know? Who would tell him? Heā€™s smart enough to figure it out himself,. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/19 "2023-03-08T00:23:22Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Heā€™s smart enough to figure it out himself,. Maybe he is. You can get data by state. And the top category is 175-180. If no one is in that group in your state, then 174 is the highest. Maybe he tied for the highest. [https://report.lsac.org/VolumeSummary.aspx](https://report.lsac.org/VolumeSummary.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842/20 "2023-03-08T00:24:14Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > My concern (as a parent) would be his social skills. A valid concern, but I know plenty of lawyers who managed to cobble together enough social skills over time to act like normal humans (more or less) šŸ˜ƒ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-applying-to-law-school/980842.md?page=2)