On June 2nd, 2021, Molly Neary addressed her fellow graduates inside the Scholl Center during Marquette’s commencement ceremony. On an occasion that was more festive than usual with COVID having claimed the prior year’s in-person festivities, Neary was one of 13 graduates that represented the school’s inaugural early college cohort.
So what’s in store for Molly Neary in June 2022? The Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
Life comes at you fast.
“High school seemed to be a lot harder than college, so if anything I was over-prepared. I have a lot of time to have a social life,” the 18-year old, first-semester junior said.
Neary departed Marquette with 73 dual credits just five-and-a-half months ago but is already eyeing a trio of law schools: Northwestern, Indiana University, and University of Chicago. Equipped with an elite work ethic, Neary is taking 18 credit hours this fall at IUPUI, but insists she still has “a ton of free time.”
On track to graduate from IUPUI with a bachelor’s degree in the spring of 2023, does she feel as though she’s growing up too fast with the prospects of the LSAT and law school on the horizon?
“Ever since I was in 7th grade, I knew I wanted to major in political science and go to law school. So since then, I’ve viewed high school and undergrad as a means to an end, a path to law school. I’m just so happy that I’m almost there,” Neary said.
She’ll be able to put theory into practice next month when she begins a four month-tour as a legislative intern with the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus. Political aspirations are a family tradition. Her grandfather, Dennis Neary, served as an Indiana State Senator for over 15 years. Her aunt, Savannah, currently advocates for the elderly as a lobbyist in Indianapolis.
Few around Marquette are surprised at the success Neary has attained on this hyper-accelerated educational path. She carried a cumulative GPA north of 4.5 while spinning a variety of plates in extracurricular activities.
“Molly is a young woman determined to succeed. She came to Marquette with a plan and flourished in our early college program. While it’s wild to think someone could be in law school before their 21st birthday, it’s not a huge shock having witnessed her work ethic,” director of academic affairs Tracy Wagner remarked.
Neary has maintained relationships with several Blazers. “I see Maddie (Rowley) every once in a while, and I stay in contact with (fellow MQTT-U graduates) Abby Ryan and Liberty Riley. They’re doing really well,” she mentioned.
The 41-member Class of 2021 was a dual-credit machine with 13 students snagging at least 60 credits. The Class of 2022 and its 62 students anticipate accumulating even more. For its efforts, Marquette’s early college program earned an endorsement from the Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis this past April, making it the first Catholic high school in the state of Indiana to do so.
