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Hello TLS! I posted this in a Canadian forum, but you guys seem a lot more active so i thought I'd give it a try here too

My Stats:
LSAT: 173
GMAT: 750
GPA: 3.5ish (lsac)

Philosophy major, white guy, decent extracurriculars (i.e. I was active but it was run of the mill stuff)...i'll only have about a year of full time work experience by the time I enroll...i'm leaning towards the University of Toronto because I'm averse to debt and I dont think many of my targets will like the fact I have so little work experience. I'm also pretty green w/ this whole process so forgive any ignorance I am sure to display.

So what are my targets in the US? any chance of $ or should I stay put in my igloo thanks!

You can aim higher.

MC Southstar wrote:You can aim higher.

I appreciate the vote of confidence, would you care to elaborate?

uwoguy3 wrote:

MC Southstar wrote:You can aim higher.

I appreciate the vote of confidence, would you care to elaborate?

I would, but I have no idea how streamlined various JD/MBA programs or how stringent business school admissions are (especially when it comes to work exp). Your #s make you solid for Penn or NYU law school, but I plead ignorance about the MBA side. Penn has a 3 or 4 year JD/MBA program if you can get in though.

I think your GPA and GMAT are pretty good, but do you have any extracurricular or leadership experience that would flesh out your credentials in an applicable way?

uwoguy3 wrote:Hello TLS! I posted this in a Canadian forum, but you guys seem a lot more active so i thought I'd give it a try here too

My Stats:
LSAT: 173
GMAT: 750
GPA: 3.5ish (lsac)

Philosophy major, white guy, decent extracurriculars (i.e. I was active but it was run of the mill stuff)...i'll only have about a year of full time work experience by the time I enroll...i'm leaning towards the University of Toronto because I'm averse to debt and I dont think many of my targets will like the fact I have so little work experience. I'm also pretty green w/ this whole process so forgive any ignorance I am sure to display.

So what are my targets in the US? any chance of $ or should I stay put in my igloo thanks!

Your realistic reach: Chicago/Booth or Columbia/Columbia. Excellent on both sides. Penn/Wharton will be a different kind of reach.

NYU/Stern should be an easy reach. NU/Kellogg can be an alternative on this level. Berkeley/Haas can be unpredictable.

Then it's Michigan/Ross.

@MC Southstar: thanks for the help, unfortunately most of my work has been entry level stuff, and outside of starting a club on campus I would hesitate to call the extended periods of binge drinking that pock-marked my undergraduate studies 'leadership experience'

@violinist: ya thats what I was thinking...if I dont nab HS (not likely with this GPA, see above), i'm thinking only UChi or Wharton are likely to sway me down south...NYU, Columbia and the rest are great but i'll take UofT unless I'm getting a top three b or l-school in your neck of the woods...thanks though, very informative!

any other takers...is the difference between UofT and the aforementioned programs that great? Obviously i'll be a little biased so feel free to chime in!

uwoguy3 wrote:@MC Southstar: thanks for the help, unfortunately most of my work has been entry level stuff, and outside of starting a club on campus I would hesitate to call the extended periods of binge drinking that pock-marked my undergraduate studies 'leadership experience'

@violinist: ya thats what I was thinking...if I dont nab HS (not likely with this GPA, see above), i'm thinking only UChi or Wharton are likely to sway me down south...NYU, Columbia and the rest are great but i'll take UofT unless I'm getting a top three b or l-school in your neck of the woods...thanks though, very informative!

any other takers...is the difference between UofT and the aforementioned programs that great? Obviously i'll be a little biased so feel free to chime in!

Your work experience is insufficient for Wharton, and questionable for the rest. You need to consider many more schools.

violinst wrote:

uwoguy3 wrote:@MC Southstar: thanks for the help, unfortunately most of my work has been entry level stuff, and outside of starting a club on campus I would hesitate to call the extended periods of binge drinking that pock-marked my undergraduate studies 'leadership experience'

@violinist: ya thats what I was thinking...if I dont nab HS (not likely with this GPA, see above), i'm thinking only UChi or Wharton are likely to sway me down south...NYU, Columbia and the rest are great but i'll take UofT unless I'm getting a top three b or l-school in your neck of the woods...thanks though, very informative!

any other takers...is the difference between UofT and the aforementioned programs that great? Obviously i'll be a little biased so feel free to chime in!

Your work experience is insufficient for Wharton, and questionable for the rest. You need to consider many more schools.

Perhaps, but I'm not enthralled with my current employment options. I would prefer to travel for a year and sow my oats at this point than work some soul-crushing job for a year...UofT is a stronger option (on both sides of the border) than many give it credit for...in any event save for a surprise acceptance at Penn/Chi/Columbia/H/S i think ill kick it in the great white north.

FWIW I'd sell my left nut for Stanford, i've been pale for far too long

Thanks again for your help and feel free to add anything else that comes to mind!

excuse my ignorance, but what exactly can you do with a JD/MBA anyway, how does it make you more marketable? and what type of jobs/pay do you get?

Concord/taft!

There's no way in hell you're getting Penn/Wharton. Sorry. The problem isn't on the JD side, it's on the MBA side. You probably have no problem getting into law school with those numbers, but you will have a problem getting into b-school. Might have a chance at NYU/Stern. Again, you have a fighting shot at NYU Law, but a slim to none (closer to none) shot at Stern.

Some schools let you apply for the joint program on one app, others make you fill out two applications and get into both schools simultaneously.

If you'd consider bolstering your WE credentials for a couple of years, Penn/Wharton is really your best options. However, I understand the desire to go to school now. In that case, Chicago/Booth, NYU/Stern, Michigan/Ross and NU/Kellogg are probably your best options. With your stats I wouldn't really settle for less, because in a year or two these schools are certainly attainable.

Most joint degrees dont start the MBA part untill 2L anyways, so for your 1L dont stress it too much.

chi/booth

Why not just get the JD now and the MBA part time while working latter?

lawrookie wrote:Why not just get the JD now and the MBA part time while working latter?

Getting any degree part time while working in the law is nigh impossible.

If working then why need it?

lawrookie wrote:Why not just get the JD now and the MBA part time while working latter?

one of the benefits of doing a jd/mba program is to save time and money. You get both degrees in 4 years instead of 5.