Pre Law – College Admission at Loyola

Choosing a College Major VS Undecided

By Lindsy Fagerstrom | September 1, 2015

While there are over 80 majors and minors to choose from at Loyola, believe it or not, one of the most popular majors in college these days is UNDECIDED! So don’t be afraid or embarrassed if that’s your current major of choice; you have plenty of time to finalize your choice during the first two years. If you apply as a traditional Undecided student, you will be admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences which is home to most of the majors on-campus (but you can easily do an internal-transfer to the other schools should you choose a different major). Or, if you know you want to major in something related to business, you can choose the Undecided Business major so you’ll be enrolled in the Quinlan School of Business, but you’ll have time to narrow it down from there.

If you apply undecided, there are many different resources on campus designed to help you choose a major:

The “What’s My Major” Quiz
The Core Curriculum
UNIV 101 & your First & Second Year Advisor
The Career Development Center & Career Peers
Pre-Health Advisors or Pre-Professional Adivsors
Professors & Campus Staff
Upperclassmen and classmates who can give you guidance

There is only one major at Loyola that is impossible to transfer into and that is Nursing. So if you are interested in nursing, be sure to indicate that on your incoming freshmen application, as you can transfer out but you cannot transfer in (even if it’s only your second day at Loyola and you started as a Biology major). You are able to transfer into any other major, so again, don’t be hesitant to apply undecided!

It’s more important to submit your application in a timely manner instead of waiting because you can’t choose a major. However, if you are certain which major you identify with, be sure to indicate that on your application, because all of our programs are direct-entry, so you are admitted to them and will begin in that program on you first day of classes.

All of our majors fall under these different undergraduate schools:

Good luck, future Ramblers!

Preparing For The LSAT

By | April 11, 2013

As graduation quickly approaches, I find myself and my fellow upper-classmen in the process of making plans for the future. Typically, education majors apply to graduate school in their specific areas of study. While the plans for my education career still seem in the fairly distant future, one of my roommates has already begun to prepare for law school.

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the standardized test that is required of all perspective law students. The score a person receives on the LSAT is a good indicator of how successful they might be in law school and in their future legal career. Every law school in the country looks to this score when considering their applicants. With such immense pressure on each student to score well, the LSAT is often a major cause of stress.

One way to alleviate this stress is thorough preparation. There are countless ways to prepare for the LSAT, including books, courses, and tutors. My roommate is currently enrolled in a course sponsored by Kaplan Test Prep. Kaplan is considered one of the top test preparation programs for graduate admissions tests, licensing exams, and much more. It offers a variety of courses to choose from, allowing each student to cater their experience to their own specific needs.

My roommate is enrolled in a program called LSAT Extreme, which is one of Kaplan’s more intensive courses. She attends 3-hour classes twice a week, and spends 6-8 additional hours a week on individual study and homework. Four times between March and June, she will take a practice LSAT to track her progress. While taking one of these courses is a huge time commitment, Kaplan’s methods are guaranteed to raise the oh-so-important LSAT score.

While many students choose to take a prep course for the LSAT, there are also many who choose to study independently. There are countless resources available through programs such as Kaplan, as well as the Princeton Review, PowerScore, and Test Masters. This is also a valuable option for test preparation, and has been proven to raise test scores.

And these resources are not limited to preparation for the LSAT. These programs also focus in preparing students for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Dental Admission Test (DAT), and countless others. There is an option for every student considering graduate school.

So even though graduate school may seem to be fast approaching, and standardized tests looming just around the corner, students can rest easy knowing there are options available to ensure success for their future.