This is a very short-sighted viewpoint, and one that is very dangerous. I am a K-JD student and I was fortunate to get a good job, but in hindsight I should have retaken and reapplied. I left points on the table in my retake, which means I left tens of thousands of dollars on the table for a retake. Even if I had just retaken and still wound up at the same school, I could have gotten a full ride.GokartMozart315 wrote:i find it strange that so many people suggest sitting out a law school cycle and retaking. most people aren't just going to put off their next career move for another year; if you're applying to law school that's likely your life plan, and you clearly aren't pleased with the status quo. delaying for a year is a very extreme move; i think for most people, myself included, you're going to go with the best option among the schools you have, and that's all there is to say about it
Here's three reasons why time off is good:
1) We're talking about a career here, and to potentially sacrifice millions of dollars of future earnings and go into hundreds of thousands of debt just to avoid taking a year off is financially reckless. For example, if OP were to retake the LSAT again and get 4-5 more points, he could go to a MUCH better law school and have a far better shot at a six-figure job. The career earnings for a median graduate of the T14 who goes to a biglaw firm could easily be millions of dollars greater than someone who graduates median at a T2/3 school. That's not elitism or anything, that's a fact. In the short term, taking a year off and retaking can and does net people tens of thousands of dollars more in scholarship money. This isn't really relevant to this particular OP's position, but it is relevant to a lot of people. The benefit in delaying can be extremely great, while the harm in delaying a year is minimal (in fact, it may actually be helpful... see below).
2) Getting work experience can help a person get a job once you get to law school. I don't 100% agree with this thread, but the general gist is accurate: http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 1&t=180496
3) From a personal maturity standpoint, taking a year off is usually the way to go. I've never met anyone who thought their time off hurt them, but there are plenty of people who wish they had done so. Even though going straight through was a good move for me, I realize I probably made the wrong call going straight through when I matriculated two years ago.