Top Law Schools

So I have been accepted at some great regional schools in my area with good $$.. close to free at a couple schools that I would have no problem attending. However, I have been thinking about sitting out a year and retaking the LSAT in June and possibly October. I am not particularly aiming for BigLaw but would not mind keeping that option open were it to come up (who wouldn't want to make that kind of $?). My original reason for wanting to go to law school was to do PI (DA or PD) work but it kind of amazes me how mastering this one standardized test (LSAT) can lead to a top school and high % chance of landing a job that pays market BigLaw salary. My question is, does my GPA (3.50) severely limit my options for T14? I feel pretty confident that I can get up to a 169/170 by June. Would this give me a realistic chance at any T14 or is my GPA too low that it wouldn't matter? Outside of the T14, I have already been accepted to the schools that I would like to attend with $$$. I just don't know if it would be worth it to sit out a year if I have a slim to none shot at T14 (really looking at UVA or Duke). I just don't want to sit out a year to be right back in the same situation and maybe only gain a couple thousand dollars at the same schools that I am already considering. Thanks for input!
164
3.5
Looking to stay in the Southeast

no

Your GPA won't hold you back at UVA or Duke with the right LSAT. Hit 170+ and you'd probably get both of them.

http://mylsn.info/r/pre-law/admissions/search/

http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com

Play around with these two sites. Paired with the right LSAT, your GPA does not lock you out of anywhere save probably HYS (maybe Berkeley too).

Back when twice as many people were applying lots of 3.5's got into T-14 schools. Take the time to do this right; law school isn't going anywhere and if anything apps will continue to drop.

I would strongly advocate waiting a year. I have a similar gpa (3.5X) and when my LSAT PT's started to slip below 170 2-3 weeks before the October 2012 test I decided to withdraw from the test on what I think was like the last day you could without it showing up on a report. I went back to studying, got just into the 170s in 2013, and so far this cycle I'm in at 3 T14's with 4 apps still out.

Moral of the story is, don't rush this for no good reason. It's easy within a few years of college to freak out about losing time, or things not fitting in with "the plan." From experience, trust me, that's stupid. I know what it's like to panic about jobs (hello graduating in 2009)...don't. Study hard and take the test again.

Also, if you want any advice feel free to PM me about it.