Take a Year Off or Stick with Current Options Forum

[Butter]

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[RunnerRunner]

No debt with current options and you want NYC (Biglaw I'm assuming?). This may be one of the few times my advice is not to reapply. Congrats!

[hairbear7]

Will you not have any debt because your parents are paying the total COA or because you received full rides at all three schools and parents/savings will cover COL?

[Butter]

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[NoBladesNoBows]

[Butter]

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[NoBladesNoBows]

[Traynor Brah]

Stick with it. Retaking would be a good idea in this circumstance only if you had something decent lined up. The scholarship increase/income from the year off it probably not going to be more valuable than the extra class year as an atty.

At the same time, if you have a bunch of family money, taking a year to chill and retake and travel and what not also sounds like a good idea. But because you're contemplating working a retail job or something, then I'm assuming there isn't that much family money. But a retake would probably result in scholarships to at least negate the money spent chillin, too.

You're good either way.

[hairbear7]

You have good options, but definitely retake and reapply imo. A few more LSAT points means full rides and you get to save that inheritance! That's party money; don't blow it on school when you could actually go for free

[Butter]

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[hairbear7]

To help me more accurately conduct my risk-benefit calculation please address the following:

(1) How to study considering that I have already gone through the most recent 25+ practice tests, albeit not since last spring
(2) How to study RC specifically
(3) If a simple retail job will hurt my application, considering I already have very weak softs
(4) The possibility that I do worse or end up with the same score due to "acts of God"
(5) That I already wrote strong essays, but will likely have stronger ones

1/2: see the LSAT forum.
3: won't matter
4: it's possible, but won't matter. Schools will still only care about your highest score
5: stronger is better

[Butter]

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[Mack.Hambleton]

mylsn.info

pretty obvious even one or two more points means more acceptances and money

[Butter]

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[Mack.Hambleton]

well you'd have a year to improve that, a year of full time work experience >> any bullshit people did in college

but it also shouldn't matter much, if you have the numbers getting half tuition at CCN shouldn't be hard even with middling softs

[adil91]

well you'd have a year to improve that, a year of full time work experience >> any bullshit people did in college

but it also shouldn't matter much, if you have the numbers getting half tuition at CCN shouldn't be hard even with middling softs

Is working at retail real work experience though? If I were you OP id go , I hate working retail

[Mack.Hambleton]

If you have a 3.95 you should be able to find something better than retail, or do americorps or something

[Butter]

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[Redamon1]

Live a little. http://www.idealist.org

[Mack.Hambleton]

If you have a 3.95 you should be able to find something better than retail, or do americorps or something

How does one go about getting one of those jobs, keeping in mind that they will be indisposed during June and need July-Septmeber to study?

ETA: I am sincerely interested

You aren't going to be studying eight hours a day, and if you are you're doing something very wrong

[foreverlost]

If you have a 3.95 you should be able to find something better than retail, or do americorps or something

How does one go about getting one of those jobs, keeping in mind that they will be indisposed during June and need July-Septmeber to study?

ETA: I am sincerely interested

It's not bad, I did it and a lot of the positions start in August/September. feel free to PM if you have questions http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps

[Butter]

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[CanadianWolf]

Depends upon how much you want a better shot at Harvard and Columbia. Virginia with a 50% tuition scholarship is a great deal & can get you NYC biglaw, but Harvard and Columbia should get you NYC biglaw.

[k5220]

If you have a 3.95 you should be able to find something better than retail, or do americorps or something

How does one go about getting one of those jobs, keeping in mind that they will be indisposed during June and need July-Septmeber to study?

ETA: I am sincerely interested

It's not bad, I did it and a lot of the positions start in August/September. feel free to PM if you have questions http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps

My AmeriCorps job started the end of Sepetember, and was actually posted on craigslist instead of the general AmeriCorps directory. I think temporary public service-oriented positions are probably your best bet, and would bring up the quality of your softs a little. (Probably not super-impactful, but all my acceptance letters that had written notes on them mentioned my AmeriCorps experience). The AmeriCorps site, craigslist, and idealist are all good places to look. (Also, plenty of people including me work or attend school or both during LSAT study. Fitting in a job search a few hours a week should not be a big deal. You could probably postpone your job search, but I see no real reason why you would have to).

Taking a year off is a pretty good experience even if you don't improve your LSAT score (and low risk since a lower LSAT score or additional low-quality experience won't hurt your app). In a situation where you've identified areas where you could improve on your LSAT and have such a high GPA, it seems like an especially good idea. You're only a few LSAT points away from Columbia/NYU, and even more than that could get you into HYS.