Theo Torres, UT Dallas Political Science Major
Yale University Law School
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| Theo Torres |
What do you think was the key to your admission to such a prestigious law school?
Beyond GPA and LSAT score, I think my
musical background helped me in law school admissions. Throughout my time at
UT Dallas, I've played in the school-affiliated orchestra, jazz band, and the
classical guitar ensemble, in addition to a couple of independent groups.
I like to think that those kinds of activities did something to
convince admissions committees that I'm more than just a study
machine. Additionally, I tried to balance this by crafting a compelling
and credible narrative about my motivations to become a lawyer.
How did your pre-law experience here at UT Dallas help you?
I took part in lots of
law-related extracurricular activities as an undergrad, each of which was
helpful in its own right. The Innocence Project of Texas
class exposed me to real-world legal work, Moot Court sharpened my
oral argument skills, and being secretary for the John Marshall Pre-Law Society
acquainted me with some administrative and organizational know-how. The
Pre-Law Advising and Resource Center was instrumental in helping me out with
the actual application stage, both in terms of broad strategy and
detail-oriented review, like proofreading drafts of my personal
statement. I don't think I would have been remotely as successful without the
help of Dr. Anthony Champagne and Anne Dutia. And, although he isn't
formally part of the pre-law program, Dr. Douglas Dow helped out a ton as
well.
After law school, I
would like to end up practicing criminal law in a public defender's office. My
time with the Innocence Project of Texas here at UT Dallas really made it clear
that it's what I want to do. That being said, I look forward to
experimenting with other subfields in the clinical program at Yale.
Kyle Reynolds, UT Dallas Political Science Major
Harvard University Law School
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| Kyle Reynolds |
Every law school values different qualities. For Harvard,
the most important admissions factors are exactly what you would expect: having
a strong GPA and a very high Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score. That
alone isn't enough, however. Harvard also places a lot of value on work
experience - 75% of its entering class last year had been out of college for a
year or more before starting law school. I believe it was a combination of
these three factors that made me a successful candidate. My numbers were good,
and the Archer Fellowship Program provided me with excellent full-time work
experience in Washington, D.C.
How did your pre-law experience here at UT Dallas help
you?
UT Dallas pre-law helped me in two key ways. The first and most
important one was mentorship. Dr. Anthony Champagne and Anne Dutia have both
been guides for me since freshman year. I can't overstate the value of their
advice, in terms of both law school admissions and being a successful student
at UT Dallas. The second way pre-law helped me was by providing opportunities.
They host law school visits, sit-downs with successful alumni, and competitive
advocacy programs like Mock Trial and Moot Court, all of which give students a
picture of what being a law student or a lawyer is like. I recommend students
take advantage of these opportunities before making the decision to apply to
law school.
And of course, it goes without saying that UT Dallas' challenging
coursework will be good preparation for the rigors of a law school class. The
skills I learned here will help me hit the ground running at Harvard.
What do you plan to do after you leave Harvard?
For me, it is still a little early to decide on that. I can
tell you that I plan to come back and work in the Dallas area if possible - I
have come to love the city over the past four years. Right now the two main
options I'm exploring are working for a large law firm as a litigator, or working
for a U.S. Attorney's office as a federal prosecutor. I hope that my time at
Harvard will shed light on which of those choices (if either) is the better fit
for me.
