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Hello TLS!

I am 27 years old, my numbers are 166 and 3.29, and I applied on January 31st due to problems with my transcripts. Right now my only serious option is Emory with 150K CoA. This number could be revised down a bit depending on the type of job my wife finds. I haven't heard back from SMU, but after getting WLed at Tulane yesterday, I'm not optimistic about my chances there.

I'd like to start law school this fall due to my age and lousy job, but I'd also like to finish law school without crushing debt. If I were in a position to clerk or do Biglaw it would obviously be nice, but my real goal is to make a decent living while practicing. Emory offers both opportunities to top students, but I'm not sure what happens at to the median or worse. Oh, and I have no geographic preferences.

Given all this, should I wait another year, give the LSAT another shot and get my apps in early, or go to Emory?

Yes. Aim for 170+ and snag a T14. Emory at 150k is a pretty bad idea considering how badly hit Atlanta got hit by the recession.

Whyme, assuming my highest score doesn't change should I expect more acceptances/scholly money next time around? I'd love to break 170 and I spectacularly bombed the games section on my 166, but I don't feel planning around a score improvement.

I'd also appreciate any sources you could point me to about the Atlanta legal market. I've heard anecdotally it's bad several times, but never with any data.

Thanks for your response!

jaegertron wrote:Whyme, assuming my highest score doesn't change should I expect more acceptances/scholly money next time around? I'd love to break 170 and I spectacularly bombed the games section on my 166, but I don't feel planning around a score improvement.

I'd also appreciate any sources you could point me to about the Atlanta legal market. I've heard anecdotally it's bad several times, but never with any data.

Thanks for your response!

I wouldn't expect more $ next time around. 170 is the magic number as with it you can break into T14 schools like Northwestern, UVA, Michigan, and Georgetown with ED. And you really need a 170 because of your low GPA.

As for the Atlanta market it's only anecdotal evidence. But Emory released employment data that showed only 60% employment upon graduation. Their placement into biglaw (six figure jobs) was only 21.18% for the class of 2010. Safe to assume that most people who missed the biglaw boat are making only around 50k due to bimodal salaries in law.

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/20 ... tatistics/ for the biglaw numbers.

I actually think you did pretty well for yourself with your numbers (166/3.2) in getting Emory, but if you crack 170 it probably would open a new world of options. I'm thinking that you may need 172+ to be safe for lower T14 with your GPA (unless you have strong softs). Strategic applications (researching where and when to EA/ED etc) could help though.

Looking back, I think taking another year and retaking the LSAT would have been a wise thing for me to do. I REALLY didn't want to take another year off (I was unemployed for one thing), but I wasn't fully satisfied not getting T14. My numbers were 166/3.5, and I didn't even break T25 (though I didn't apply strategically to do so). I did get a T20 waitlist, but I withdrew because I had decided on the lower-T1 school I am now at (with more than half scholly). I think there were some advantages to my decision, but I have had a strong desire since almost day 1 to be in a position of transferring. I still hope to be able to transfer, but I feel like going to a school that I wanted as a top choice would have made things so much easier for me socially and academically. My desire to transfer has basically haunted me, even though I wouldn't say that I was necessarily planning to transfer when I came here. Now I'm facing the prospect that it may not happen, and realizing how much easier retaking the LSAT would have been v. trying to be in a position of transferring (though retaking admittedly would have been a real pain).

I think you did really well for your current numbers to be honest.

As with all situations like this the only advice that makes sense is retake in June, if you get over a 167 I would probably hold off and reapply otherwise go to Emory or if you got significant scholarship at a lower ranked school i might do that but I'm extremely debt averse

I'm in a very similar situation to the OP, though things are complicated by my being on several waitlists and having UC Irvine as a potential option (with 40% merit scholly at UCI). As I can't increase my GPA (I graduated, and am not too willing to do grad school apps), an my LSAT score would likely not increase if I retook it....I wonder if there would be much difference made in simply applying earlier (I applied in November). What do you guys think? Would Emory/other schools give more aid/acceptances if I applied earlier than Nov? Your answer to that question may help the OP make a decision too.

Metaread wrote:I'm in a very similar situation to the OP, though things are complicated by my being on several waitlists and having UC Irvine as a potential option (with 40% merit scholly at UCI). As I can't increase my GPA (I graduated, and am not too willing to do grad school apps), an my LSAT score would likely not increase if I retook it....I wonder if there would be much difference made in simply applying earlier (I applied in November). What do you guys think? Would Emory/other schools give more aid/acceptances if I applied earlier than Nov? Your answer to that question may help the OP make a decision too.

November isn't that late at all, so I can't imagine an appreciable difference.

whymeohgodno wrote:

jaegertron wrote:Whyme, assuming my highest score doesn't change should I expect more acceptances/scholly money next time around? I'd love to break 170 and I spectacularly bombed the games section on my 166, but I don't feel planning around a score improvement.

I'd also appreciate any sources you could point me to about the Atlanta legal market. I've heard anecdotally it's bad several times, but never with any data.

Thanks for your response!

I wouldn't expect more $ next time around. 170 is the magic number as with it you can break into T14 schools like Northwestern, UVA, Michigan, and Georgetown with ED. And you really need a 170 because of your low GPA.

As for the Atlanta market it's only anecdotal evidence. But Emory released employment data that showed only 60% employment upon graduation. Their placement into biglaw (six figure jobs) was only 21.18% for the class of 2010. Safe to assume that most people who missed the biglaw boat are making only around 50k due to bimodal salaries in law.

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/20 ... tatistics/ for the biglaw numbers.

Emory has always placed about ~20% of its class into biglaw. Last year was more of the same.

Also six figure jobs =/= big law (and vice versa).

OP- as opposed as I am to massive amounts of debt, you will likely not do much better by waiting unless you retake. Unless of course, you would consider a larger scholarship to a lower ranked school. If you would consider doing so, you may be able to get a better overall deal.

Arrrrgh, close poll so far!

Just to be clear, I have no problem living and working in a smaller market like Atlanta or Twin Cities if I can manage my debt there. I would go to a lower ranked school if it had a much lower CoA for me. I didn't get that this cycle unless I hear differently from SMU.

My sense is that with an additional year's WE and applications in early I will get acceptances rather than WLs at Emory's peer schools and more substantial scholarships from lower ranked schools. Plus, if I improve my LSAT score, I might get a surprise equivalent to my Emory acceptance this time around!

On the other hand, I am intensely ready to go to LS and face all its challenges, I like Emory, I like Atlanta and I like the people I met there. Enron123 or anyone else voting Emory, could you make a case for why Emory now is worth the money?

150k debt is too much coming out of Emory where you will most likely be employed in a small firm making 30-60k. The obvious answer is retake/reapply.

Aberzombie1892 wrote:

whymeohgodno wrote:

jaegertron wrote:Whyme, assuming my highest score doesn't change should I expect more acceptances/scholly money next time around? I'd love to break 170 and I spectacularly bombed the games section on my 166, but I don't feel planning around a score improvement.

I'd also appreciate any sources you could point me to about the Atlanta legal market. I've heard anecdotally it's bad several times, but never with any data.

Thanks for your response!

I wouldn't expect more $ next time around. 170 is the magic number as with it you can break into T14 schools like Northwestern, UVA, Michigan, and Georgetown with ED. And you really need a 170 because of your low GPA.

As for the Atlanta market it's only anecdotal evidence. But Emory released employment data that showed only 60% employment upon graduation. Their placement into biglaw (six figure jobs) was only 21.18% for the class of 2010. Safe to assume that most people who missed the biglaw boat are making only around 50k due to bimodal salaries in law.

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/20 ... tatistics/ for the biglaw numbers.

Emory has always placed about ~20% of its class into biglaw. Last year was more of the same.

Also six figure jobs =/= big law (and vice versa).

OP- as opposed as I am to massive amounts of debt, you will likely not do much better by waiting unless you retake. Unless of course, you would consider a larger scholarship to a lower ranked school. If you would consider doing so, you may be able to get a better overall deal.

Tell me of these six figure jobs that aren't biglaw. Other than boutique firms and extremely hard to find midlaw positions, it's biglaw or enjoy 50k.

Don't have much advice about your choice, but if you're basing your $150,000 cost of attendance figure on Emory's published figures, know their cost of living numbers are wildly inflated so students can take out as much debt as they want.