Ohio State vs. Cincinnati Forum

[Theresa87]

I have been offered full tuition at Cincinnati and half tuition at Ohio State. Paying tuition at OSU would force me to take out an additional 37,000 in loans. I am interested in public interest law so the cost of attendance is extremely important. Any advice?

[Theresa87]

Also, I did not study and prepare for the admissions process as well as I would have liked. On one practice LSAT, I scored a 165, but only scored a 159 on the actual test. Should I possibly retake and reapply to better schools?

[Tiago Splitter]

Also, I did not study and prepare for the admissions process as well as I would have liked. On one practice LSAT, I scored a 165, but only scored a 159 on the actual test. Should I possibly retake and reapply to better schools?

Probably. By far the most important thing influencing your job prospects is your LSAT score. Not your law school admission chances, but your chances of working as a lawyer. I know that sounds crazy but that's how things work. If you really want to be a lawyer you need to put a lot of effort into the LSAT and you'll reap the rewards on the back end.

[OhBoyOhBortles]

Also, I did not study and prepare for the admissions process as well as I would have liked. On one practice LSAT, I scored a 165, but only scored a 159 on the actual test. Should I possibly retake and reapply to better schools?

Absolutely. You could have much better options than this. Ohio State isn't a bad option for someone interested in living in OH and working public interest, but you could have a much better financial aid offer from them with a higher lsat. Make sure you're well-prepared for October. Check out the LSAT Prep threads for help along the way.

[Theresa87]

When I began the admissions process, my goals were to get into a T14 or T6 school. It's hard to give up on that dream, but I am also ready to start law school and move away from my small hometown. I just graduated from undergrad. At my undergrad, getting into Ohio State with a scholarship was impressive. Many students in my field of study attended unranked universities in my home state. Family, friends, and professors are very proud, but by going there I would still be falling short of my initial goal.

[Tiago Splitter]

When I began the admissions process, my goals were to get into a T14 or T6 school. It's hard to give up on that dream, but I am also ready to start law school and move away from my small hometown. I just graduated from undergrad. At my undergrad, getting into Ohio State with a scholarship was impressive. Many students in my field of study attended unranked universities in my home state. Family, friends, and professors are very proud, but by going there I would still be falling short of my initial goal.

Who cares about other people at your college? A lot of people from every undergrad will end up in underwhelming careers, and for better or worse the average person these days thinks going to any law school is a key to instant riches. The reality, as you seem to know, is much different.

Especially given how young you are, there is no reason not to take the time to do this right. ANECDOTE ALERT: When I was 26 I decided law school might be a good idea. I took the LSAT on a whim and got into a few schools in the OSU/Cincy range. I realized in the spring before I headed out, as you are now, that law school job prospects are not what lay people think and that it's really important to maximize your LSAT score before going regardless of where you decide to attend. If I could retake and sit out a year at age 27 you can do so fresh out of college. Don't sell yourself short.

[KMart]

Also, I did not study and prepare for the admissions process as well as I would have liked. On one practice LSAT, I scored a 165, but only scored a 159 on the actual test. Should I possibly retake and reapply to better schools?

You were unprepared for the admissions process. Reapply in the early fall with a new LSAT in September and you'll do much, much better. You need to limit your costs. For PI, good PI, you need better schools. The only way to achieve both of these goals is by retaking. Work for a year. Save money.

At my undergrad, getting into Ohio State with a scholarship was impressive. Many students in my field of study attended unranked universities in my home state. Family, friends, and professors are very proud, but by going there I would still be falling short of my initial goal.

They can be impressed and proud all they want, but there's nothing honorable about being in debt with no JD-required job or no real prospect of paying off your debt. They'll be prouder if you attend a better school. Most laypeople don't understand law school employment is difficult and 45% (I think it might have changed with 2014 employment, but not by much) of graduates aren't employed in JD-required jobs.

Trust us, OP.

Edit - Scooped. Thiago Splitter speaks well, OP.

[Traynor Brah]

if you actually wanted to go T14 or T6 why did you not even study for the LSAT that seems pretty silly

I'm sorry you went to such a dump of an undergrad but I don't see why lowered expectations there = justification to go somewhere not good for law school. assuming you didn't got to U Phoenix or Arizona Starbucks State your undergrad has no real effect on admissions outcomes.

as to your current options, it's pretty tough to justify going to Cincinnati under really any circumstances. But if you want a PI gig, really any amount of debt beyond COL is not ideal, w/r/t Ohio State, which is a fine school for someone who wants to practice in Ohio, at the right price.

At the least, I would retake for a fully at OSU. If you really want to do PI, spending a year or two working for the particular cause you're interested in will do wonders for your employment prospects in LS, too. And it will get you used to being a poor. And help you to decide whether you actually want to do PI work for a career (as most people say this pre law school then never do anything resembling it)

[Theresa87]

[quote="Traynor Brah"]if you actually wanted to go T14 or T6 why did you not even study for the LSAT that seems pretty silly

I spent the summer before my senior year studying for the GRE before realizing that a Ph.D. program in political science was not the best choice for me as far as job prospects go... I spent about two months studying for the LSAT. My schedule only allowed me to spend a couple hours a night studying. This summer, I could live at home for free and devote all of my time to LSAT study for the October LSAT.

I have been advised that for PI ranking of the law school is not extremely important, which is why I had not thought of reapplying until recently.

I was accepted at Emory and WUSTL with partial scholarships, and waitlisted at Vandy, but even with a partial scholarship (about 1/3 tuition), the schools are too expensive.

[jk148706]

I just graduated from undergrad. At my undergrad, getting into Ohio State with a scholarship was impressive. Many students in my field of study attended unranked universities in my home state. Family, friends, and professors are very proud, but by going there I would still be falling short of my initial goal.

this literally does not matter

I would not go to Cincy under conditions. OSU not unless full ride (or close) and want to work in Ohio

[downbeat14]

OP, make a poll with your two school options and a third option that says retake/reapply. You will get 90%+ retake/reapply.

[Theresa87]

Thank you for the advice to retake and reapply. I had not considered it as even an option until now. After a 155 on the first lsat and a 159 on the second, I was discouraged. The first LSAT I did not study for, and the second LSAT I studied for about two months but not effectively. I have the summer off, so I'm strongly considering studying full time for the June LSAT. If I make a significant change (like up to a 165), I may decide to reapply next year. If I do reapply, I could also study for about 4 months and take the October LSAT.

My GPA is a 4.0 also.

[jk148706]

Thank you for the advice to retake and reapply. I had not considered it as even an option until now. After a 155 on the first lsat and a 159 on the second, I was discouraged. The first LSAT I did not study for, and the second LSAT I studied for about two months but not effectively. I have the summer off, so I'm strongly considering studying full time for the June LSAT. If I make a significant change (like up to a 165), I may decide to reapply next year. If I do reapply, I could also study for about 4 months and take the October LSAT.

My GPA is a 4.0 also.

Holy.

If you have a 4.0 you absolutely HAVE to retake, especially if you scored a 155 without studying. Take as long as you need, but hit 170+ on the LSAT and you are going t14 at a very steep discount

[Mnav20]

If you are at all interested in T6, T14, you need to retake--especially with that 4.0. I am familiar with OSU's scholarship process and they tend to offer very few full rides (the Moritz Scholarship) but on the other hand, very few students pay sticker. So do not expect a huge jump in your scholarship at OSU, just because there is not much of a jump left. But what I keep coming back to is the 4.0 and that you could be getting serious $$$ from T14 schools with a better LSAT score. So unless you are dead set on practicing in Ohio and in non-BigLaw/non-hard to get jobs (and I'm understating how narrow the circumstances would be for you to attend OSU next year), you should retake.

[usn26]

Retake. Paying for OSU would be madness.

[CanadianWolf]

Retake the LSAT. Even a 4 point increase should dramatically improve your law school options since you have a 4.0 GPA.

[strugglebus]

Definitely don't waste that GPA. Take a year or two off, get work experience, prepare properly, and kill the LSAT. Screw $$$ at OSU; you'll get schollies from much better schools if you take the time to take the LSAT seriously.

[buckiguy_sucks]

Post removed.

[AReasonableMan]

A 159 and 165 is night and day, particularly in this range. If you scored a 165 on a practice test and had a bad day I don't think it's even a question. It's difficult to fathom a scenario outside of making partner in which 1 year of work is worth more than the difference b/w 159-165. Worst case, it's worth about 60k if you attend Ohio State, and best case it's worth the same amount while doubling your odds of getting your desired outcome (whether that be big law, PI, etc.) If you quantify going from a 30%-60% chance of landing your desired job, the difference may be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Something to bare in mind is the students at these schools aren't going to be substantially less qualified than those at top schools so when you account for the fact you'd need to be top quarter, there's an argument your odds are actually lower than if you went to a TTT where a majority of students will be in the bottom quarter of OSU irrespective of how much they study.

[Theresa87]

Thanks everyone for the input. I have decided to retake in October. Scored a 156 on a recent diagnostic, so it will be a long uphill battle, but I have the time and energy to put in the work

[KMart]

Thanks everyone for the input. I have decided to retake in October. Scored a 156 on a recent diagnostic, so it will be a long uphill battle, but I have the time and energy to put in the work

You have quite a few months of practice in front of you. Best of luck - wise choice!

[Mack.Hambleton]

Thanks everyone for the input. I have decided to retake in October. Scored a 156 on a recent diagnostic, so it will be a long uphill battle, but I have the time and energy to put in the work

good choice, look at the guides in the LSAT prep forum

[Theresa87]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who commented on here and gave me advice. That was advice I wouldn't have received from ANYONE else I knew personally. I had a lot of doubters, but I got my October scores back thursday and I scored a 173. I'm applying to T6 schools now!

[totesTheGoat]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who commented on here and gave me advice. That was advice I wouldn't have received from ANYONE else I knew personally. I had a lot of doubters, but I got my October scores back thursday and I scored a 173. I'm applying to T6 schools now!

WOW congrats! That's really flippin awesome! With a 4.0/173, the world is your oyster.

You should seriously do a writeup on how you came to the decision to wait and retake, and how you studied to get to your 173. Whatever you did to get from 159 to 173 was pretty darn successful.

[Tiago Splitter]

Big time congrats. Always fun when a thread ends like this.