3.23, 166 URM Want to Practice in California, what do do Forum

[megmc]

What are my best bets?? Confused on what I should do, i applied to all the CA schools aswell as GW,GT, and thinking of throwing in an app at michigan as well

[Rahviveh]

What kind of URM?

[megmc]

mixed european and african

[Rahviveh]

Blanket the T14 + UCLA and USC

[megmc]

minus HYS i assume? you think i actually have a solid shot at some of the higher ranked T-14 C down?

[Rahviveh]

http://search.lawschoolnumbers.com/user ... Cycle=1112

Not a lot of consistency in results for your stats. The 3.2 will make things difficult but I think you will get some T14's to bite. HYS might be out, but if I were in your shoes I would still send apps.

[Dmini7]

You may have a shot at Harvard. I think 3.2 is their GPA Floor, and a URM just got their JS1 with a 162 (albeit a 3.8 GPA). If I were you, I would be willing to throw out that Hail Mary to Harvard.

[mr.hands]

You may have a shot at Harvard. I think 3.2 is their GPA Floor, and a URM just got their JS1 with a 162 (albeit a 3.8 GPA). If I were you, I would be willing to throw out that Hail Mary to Harvard.

Eh i strongly disagree. A 3.8 162 is a splitter for Harvard. OP is waay below both medians. Even as a URM, his chances are low

[megmc]

Ya I figured it would be more than a reach, what do you think are my realistic chances at the other t-14's?

[lisjjen]

Ya I figured it would be more than a reach, what do you think are my realistic chances at the other t-14's?

Strong. I got into Michigan and Cornell with a 161 (and a 3.75, but still).

[megmc]

O awesome, did you write a why Michigan or why Cornell? I wish I knew I wanted to go to law school as a freshman, I would have tried so much harder!!!

[lisjjen]

O awesome, did you write a why Michigan or why Cornell? I wish I knew I wanted to go to law school as a freshman, I would have tried so much harder!!!

I did not. Normally, a "Why X" essay is to convince schools that you aren't just a whimsy tossed undergrad and you actually know what you want to do with your life.

I had worked on the Hill by then and I have found that even a few months of work experience (not just a summer job) will catch an admission committee's eye.

[megmc]

Lucky you, thats quite impressive. I've had some part time experience at a law firm for three years (summers, breaks, family friend) and some other random post graduate jobs (family business & advertising agency) do you think it would be worth it to write one with my numbers? I know obviously it's not the same stature as working on the hill, but is it enough to bypass the essay?

[wbrother]

mixed europeanand african

You see what I did? If at all possible, maybe do that on your apps? (wait for more knowledgable people to respond) I'm an AA URM with a 3.21 and a 164. I've been accepted to georgetown and USC so far (and some other lower ranked schools that you probably wouldn't/shouldn't be interested in). I'm betting you'll do tremendously well with a 166.

[megmc]

I don't know if it's the best idea to lie about something as influential as that, could potentially come back and bite me in the ass. I truly associate with all the different parts of my ancestry so I don't mind putting them all on there Plus, I don't look full AA, so if for some reason they saw a picture of me next to my application claiming to be only AA, it might seem a little suspect.

But hopefully it works out anyways and congrats to you on getting into USC and GT, I have a friend who goes to GT right now and loves it. He actually just got a nice big law offer to come back to Los Angeles too which is pretty awesome. Did you write any of the supplementary essays for GT btw?

[Dmini7]

mixed europeanand african

You see what I did? If at all possible, maybe do that on your apps? (wait for more knowledgable people to respond) I'm an AA URM with a 3.21 and a 164. I've been accepted to georgetown and USC so far (and some other lower ranked schools that you probably wouldn't/shouldn't be interested in). I'm betting you'll do tremendously well with a 166.

Don't think the omission is needed. You still get the boost regardless if your mixed or not.

[BlaqBella]

People seem to forget that there are not just black Africans. By OP stating she/he is "african" can mean a variety of racial ethnicities. There are White and Asian Africans, too.

OP, what type of African are you (ie which country in Africa do you or your parents hail from and which African racial ethnicity do you align yourself?)

[megmc]

Yes, you are correct Blaqbella..My mothers mom is from the Sudan

[BlaqBella]

Yes, you are correct Blaqbella..My mothers mom is from the Sudan

Afro-Arab or Arab?

More importantly, how do you identify yourself?

[megmc]

I never really made that distinction, but she speaks arabic and married an italian/lebanese man, but she is black and family pictures of her family clearly show them as black as well..

[BlaqBella]

And how have you identified yourself all these years?

[megmc]

mixed of european, middle eastern, african really all the way since I was a child I would check all that apply on any forms or whatever. I have a much closer connection to my Sudanese/middle eastern heritage then to my italian side (besides having an italian last name)..I feel 100% comfortable and don't feel that I'm lying or doing anything unethical to gain an advantage so I think thats all that really matters

[twenty]

This is dumb.

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Check this box. Don't do what wbrother suggests, since 1) that's misrepresentative, and 2) you'll get the same boost anyway. Thus;

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Check this box, too.

It doesn't really matter how you "identify" yourself -- you either are these things, or you're not.

edit> accidentally called out dmini.

[megmc]

Yea thats what I did and have always done whenever both are available. Otherwise, I put the white/caucasian and black/african boxes

[BlaqBella]

It doesn't really matter how you "identify" yourself -- you either are these things, or you're not.

Wrong. One can be a mix of one or more racial ethnicities and only identify with one over the other.

This example has been brought to the attention of TLS numerous times where mixed/multi-racial applicants select to identify with one side of their heritage over others despite, for instance, having Afro/black in their blood.

Case in point: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... k#p6107303

Megmc, whatever you identify yourself as is what you should check off. Good luck in your cycle.