On August 23—a day filled with excitement and promise–the Law School faculty, staff, and current students welcomed the Class of 2026 to campus for Orientation. With a median LSAT score of 167 and GPA of 3.77, it is the most academically accomplished class in the history of the school. It is also one of the most diverse at 35 percent, with 32 percent of the class identifying as first-generation college or professional–including 12 percent who were the first in their family to obtain an undergraduate degree.
“[We] extend a warm welcome to you,” said Shawn McShay, assistant dean for graduate enrollment management, at their opening session. “As you begin this transformative journey, a myriad of questions will undoubtedly arise. Recognize that this is new, uncharted territory, and each one of you must invest the time to familiarize yourselves with this vibrant community. Understand that no one possesses all the answers at this juncture. Embrace the discomfort as a catalyst for growth and avail yourselves of the robust resources we’ve put in place to support you.”
The class comes from 122 colleges and universities, and holds 42 different undergraduate majors. Top feeder schools include Boston College, UMass Amherst, Georgetown, University of Connecticut, Brown, Colgate, Notre Dame, Bates, Holy Cross, Berkeley, Columbia, and Michigan. They come from 29 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Texas, and California are among the states most highly represented.
Others—including the LLM Class of 2024—join the BC Law community from around the world, representing countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, France, Greece, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, and Ukraine.
The average age of the class is 25, and 26 students already have advanced degrees. Over 40 percent of the class is multilingual, and together they are fluent in 37 different languages. They have served their communities through the NAACP, AmeriCorps, Teach for America, City Year, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Special Olympics, Big Brother/Big Sister, the Humane Society, Sierra Club, and Planned Parenthood, among many others. They have served as volunteer tutors, mentors, ESL teachers, and Eagle Scouts. Several are veterans of the US Armed Forces, serving branches such as the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy.
Many have worked in federal and state government, from the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of State, and the IRS, to state courts, the Senate, House of Representatives, and local departments of Education, Transportation, and Conservation and Recreation. One is the founder and chief operating officer of a multi-million dollar private investment fund; five are Fulbright scholars; and another is the Founder and COO of a cannabis company. One student worked as one of the world’s youngest auctioneers with Sotheby’s, and another is an auctioneer in training. Others have worked as teachers and paralegals, engineers, scientists, artists, writers, and reporters.
Many are athletes and fitness enthusiasts, participating in 14 different sports. Others are dancers, singers, talent managers, thespians, and musicians.
“In the great tradition of BC Law students past, hold each other up, as you all find your own way,” Dean Odette Lienau said in her Orientation welcome remarks. “If you put in the attention and the hard work, this is a journey that can reward you with practical skills—useful to yourself and to others. And it can offer the kinds of insights and sense of meaning that last a lifetime.”
