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[arklogic]

I posted this on TLS, but I was hoping to get more specific advice here.

I am a rising junior in UG, and I have to make a difficult choice about my major. I can major in either CS or CSE. Both are in the engineering department, and the coursework is similar (with CSE majors taking a fair amount of EE classes instead of more CS electives). I am going to apply to law school in the 2011-2012 cycle, and wanted some advice on what effects the major will have on admissions and more importantly, a career in IP law.

My main concern is that EE classes are much more difficult and graded on a more stringent curve, and my GPA would inevitably dip (lets say hypothetically a 3.65 -> 3.5). I'm not really a fan of EE either, but it is definitely practical in some areas of CS. I've also read that in the world of IP law, EE is in much more heavy demand than CS, and logically, a CSE degree would be more versatile, right?

My intuition says that this will make 0 difference in law school admissions. But is the dip in GPA and probable handicap in admissions worth the versatility of the degree in the long run? Will a lower UG GPA affect job prospects in any way?

Any advice is appreciated!

[Itoen]

A CSE and a CS degree are probably going to be equivalent in the eyes of law schools and law firms.

[AnotherCog]

I posted this on TLS, but I was hoping to get more specific advice here.

I am a rising junior in UG, and I have to make a difficult choice about my major. I can major in either CS or CSE. Both are in the engineering department, and the coursework is similar (with CSE majors taking a fair amount of EE classes instead of more CS electives). I am going to apply to law school in the 2011-2012 cycle, and wanted some advice on what effects the major will have on admissions and more importantly, a career in IP law.

My main concern is that EE classes are much more difficult and graded on a more stringent curve, and my GPA would inevitably dip (lets say hypothetically a 3.65 -> 3.5). I'm not really a fan of EE either, but it is definitely practical in some areas of CS. I've also read that in the world of IP law, EE is in much more heavy demand than CS, and logically, a CSE degree would be more versatile, right?

My intuition says that this will make 0 difference in law school admissions. But is the dip in GPA and probable handicap in admissions worth the versatility of the degree in the long run? Will a lower UG GPA affect job prospects in any way?

Any advice is appreciated!

Law schools care about GPA and LSAT scores.  Your actual major may factor into the admission decision, but keep in mind that school rankings are based mainly on average GPA and LSAT scores.  It's possible that some schools may handicap your GPA because you didn't major in poli sci/history/english/etc., but I doubt they'd be sophisticated enough to distinguish CS from CSE.

In terms of job prospects, it's nearly impossible to predict what the legal market will be like in five years.  Honestly, though, I'd think long and hard about the decision to go to law school.  Google "law school scam," to get a sense of the risks in pursuing a law degree.