165 LSAT, 760 GMAT, 3.59 GPA and 3 Years W/E, JD or MBA? Forum

[brightbluesky]

165 LSAT, 760 GMAT, 3.59 GPA and 3 Years W/E, Law or Business School?


So here is my deal. Like many of us, I want to have excellent job security and a diploma from a prestigious school. I was always interested in law school and had my mind set on it. I took the LSAT's three times, a cancel, 165, studied for six months and then got another fucking 165 (LGS raped me). Now, since waiting is not an option for me (I want to get back to school), should I apply for a JD (with current scores) or an MBA in the fall.

My major in college (top 10 UG non ivy) was math and economics and I have a 760 on GMAT (98th percentile). Two years working at an international consulting company with experience in Hong Kong, New Delhi, and Singapore. My company produces Tuck, Whartan, UVA MBAs by the dozen so have great connections.

I always wanted to go to law school but believe my 165 LSAT will not get me into a school worth giving up the prospects of a Harvard, Upenn, Columbia, Stanford MBA. Do you think its advisable that I go the business school route only and screw law school?


my Passion is in the law but money is more important.

[lawschooliseasy]

Do what you really want/love to do. If you really, really want to go to law school, then go. With your test scores and GPA you won't be out on the street no matter what you do. If you are sincerely interested in business school and launching a business career, it sounds like you have a terrific opportunity to do so. But if you aren't passionate about it, better to pass on some prestige and $$ in favor of what will make you happy.

[savagecheater]

You're one of the few people I'd ever say this to: get the MBA.

3 years of WE and your GMAT should be able to net you a spot at a respectable institution. I'd rather have a Wharton GMAT than a Fordham JD (probably where you'd end up), which is pretty much what your choices appear to be.

Unless you can somehow swing yourself into Northwestern, I'd go for the MBA.

[JD_Bound]

If I were you, I'd go with the MBA. That's just my opinion though.

[Always Credited]

The fact that you're debating this makes me question you.

[Knock]

165 LSAT, 760 GMAT, 3.59 GPA and 3 Years W/E, Law or Business School?


So here is my deal. Like many of us, I want to have excellent job security and a diploma from a prestigious school. I was always interested in law school and had my mind set on it. I took the LSAT's three times, a cancel, 165, studied for six months and then got another fucking 165 (LGS raped me). Now, since waiting is not an option for me (I want to get back to school), should I apply for a JD (with current scores) or an MBA in the fall.

My major in college (top 10 UG non ivy) was math and economics and I have a 760 on GMAT (98th percentile). Two years working at an international consulting company with experience in Hong Kong, New Delhi, and Singapore. My company produces Tuck, Whartan, UVA MBAs by the dozen so have great connections.

I always wanted to go to law school but believe my 165 LSAT will not get me into a school worth giving up the prospects of a Harvard, Upenn, Columbia, Stanford MBA. Do you think its advisable that I go the business school route only and screw law school?


my Passion is in the law but money is more important.

MBA for sure. 98th percentile, great experience, and great contacts, which i've come to realize might be the most important thing of all. Good luck, get that MBA, and don't look back. If you're still interested in a JD later you can always try and "backdoor" your way into the school's law school, provided it isn't Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc.

[seasurf]

Kinda in the same boat as you. I have awesome work experience but not as high of a GMAT or LSAT. Maybe Cornell's JD/MBA program for you? Perhaps you can get into Northwestern JD/MBA program. You could possibly get into a t14. Why dont you apply to both and weigh the options. You may be at the point where you chose between Gtown law or Harvard MBA (I would chose the ladder).

Good luck bro

[TheBigMediocre]

I didn't take the time to see if this has been pointed out yet, but you should definitely go to Whartan.

[chadwick218]

Depending on your undergraduate school and work experience, you should be a lock for NU's JD/MBA program.

[brightbluesky]

Depending on your undergraduate school and work experience, you should be a lock for NU's JD/MBA program.

Program is ridiculously expensive (I think 68k a year) and you cannot work during a summer (hence internship money lost). I probably will apply but never really thought about a JD/MBA. From what I understand, it does not help or hurt you and its an additional year expense (if you do a 4 year option)

[Durhamdude]

Dont go to a law school unless its a top 5. With your numbers and the state of the legal market, a top tier business degree is a far better alternative. Otherwise, you be stuck with a law degree from a school like BU or BC (both only ok choices) that wont get you anywhere near a Columbia/Whartan/Stanford/Tuck MBA. You would be incredibly stupid to consider law school with only a 165 lsat (especially given your GMAT score)

[Stringer6]

TLS = know-it-all snobs that don't know a lot

[TheBigMediocre]

TLS = know-it-all snobs that don't know a lot

You're new here, aren't you?

[trudat15]

165 LSAT, 760 GMAT, 3.59 GPA and 3 Years W/E, Law or Business School?


So here is my deal. Like many of us, I want to have excellent job security and a diploma from a prestigious school. I was always interested in law school and had my mind set on it. I took the LSAT's three times, a cancel, 165, studied for six months and then got another fucking 165 (LGS raped me). Now, since waiting is not an option for me (I want to get back to school), should I apply for a JD (with current scores) or an MBA in the fall.

My major in college (top 10 UG non ivy) was math and economics and I have a 760 on GMAT (98th percentile). Two years working at an international consulting company with experience in Hong Kong, New Delhi, and Singapore. My company produces Tuck, Whartan, UVA MBAs by the dozen so have great connections.

I always wanted to go to law school but believe my 165 LSAT will not get me into a school worth giving up the prospects of a Harvard, Upenn, Columbia, Stanford MBA. Do you think its advisable that I go the business school route only and screw law school?


my Passion is in the law but money is more important.

Why not a Northwestern JD/MBA. You only need to report your GMAT score, which is very competitive there. The MBA program is top 3 in the country (even higher than Wharton this year), and their law school is 11. It's a three year program, instead of the usual 4.

[TheBigMediocre]

The MBA program is top 3 in the country (even higher than Wharton this year), and their law school is 11.

B-School rankings don't mean nearly as much as LS rankings. It still is (and probably always will be) HWS ->>> The Rest

[d34d9823]

No question, the career opportunities in business are far superior with those stats.

I do wonder why your desires are not lined up with your abilities. You clearly have the potential to kick ass in B-school, while your LSAT leaves something to be desired. Yet you want to go to law school. Why is that?

If your heart is set on law, I would wait and retake. That LSAT is not going to open the career opportunities you want, especially given that a top 3 B-school is possible with those stats. Another option would be going to B-school, working a few years, and assessing whether you're happy with your choice. Also, I know people use law school to backdoor their way into top B-schools, I don't know if you can do the same the other way (i.e. start at Harvard B-school and try to get admitted into the dual degree)?

[nbafan135]

I would say try to get into a great MBA program and see if you can backdoor into the jd/mba. this would work best for schools where the business school is much more prestigious than the law school such as upenn

[ajmanyjah]

I do wonder why your desires are not lined up with your abilities. You clearly have the potential to kick ass in B-school, while your LSAT leaves something to be desired. Yet you want to go to law school. Why is that?

The hilarity of law school students assuming they understand the predictive value of psychological test is unparalleled except for perhaps business administration majors thinking they are qualified to become managers.

Not to mention, getting above 2 StDev above the mean means the relative differences between LSAT scares become less and less predictive.

I mean, seriously, when did a 165 on the LSATs indicate a lack of ability.

[d34d9823]

I do wonder why your desires are not lined up with your abilities. You clearly have the potential to kick ass in B-school, while your LSAT leaves something to be desired. Yet you want to go to law school. Why is that?

The hilarity of law school students assuming they understand the predictive value of psychological test is unparalleled except for perhaps business administration majors thinking they are qualified to become managers.

Not to mention, getting above 2 StDev above the mean means the relative differences between LSAT scares become less and less predictive.

I mean, seriously, when did a 165 on the LSATs indicate a lack of ability.

Well, it's certainly not a lack of ability - it's top 2% or something like that which is quite good. What it is is a lack of ability relative to his business potential. To get equivalent LS prospects to his great shot at T3 B-schools, he would need near 180.

I love how people consistently bash the LSAT when it's the single best predictor of 1L performance. I work in a manufacturing facility and regress data for a living. If I find an input variable with a 0.4 correlation, I take that to the bank. I think discussion on this is impossible though, because peoples' viewpoints invariably correspond to whether they got a good LSAT or not. Given the nice bell curve of LSAT scores, it's not surprising that the predictive ability of the test is unfairly devalued.

[Stringer6]

I love how people consistently bash the LSAT when it's the single best predictor of 1L performance.

so a 165 would predict 1L performance in the 92nd percentile, plus or minus a few points? something like that?

the horror.

[Knock]

I love how people consistently bash the LSAT when it's the single best predictor of 1L performance.

so a 165 would predict 1L performance in the 92nd percentile, plus or minus a few points? something like that?

the horror.

It's definitely not that specific, but I think it is a worthwhile test, albeit one that can be improved. I think it is more useful for determining if you can "hang".

[OG Loc]

I love how people consistently bash the LSAT when it's the single best predictor of 1L performance.

so a 165 would predict 1L performance in the 92nd percentile, plus or minus a few points? something like that?

the horror.

It would predict 92nd percentile at a school with a 150 median LSAT. It would predict about 75th percentile or less for most schools worth going to.

[d34d9823]

I love how people consistently bash the LSAT when it's the single best predictor of 1L performance.

so a 165 would predict 1L performance in the 92nd percentile, plus or minus a few points? something like that?

the horror.

Yes, actually, out of all LSAT takers. Unfortunately, many of those people will not attend law school, and ITE good jobs are only available to graduates of top schools. Students at those schools are likely in the top 1% to 1/2% on the LSAT.

That 165 will get OP into a perfectly good T1 school, which would be a coup for most people. The fly in the ointment is that his B-school opportunities are on par with HYS for law.

[brightbluesky]

No question, the career opportunities in business are far superior with those

If your heart is set on law, I would wait and retake. That LSAT is not going to open the career opportunities you want, especially given that a top 3 B-school is possible with those stats. Another option would be going to B-school, working a few years, and assessing whether you're happy with your choice. Also, I know people use law school to backdoor their way into top B-schools, I don't know if you can do the same the other way (i.e. start at Harvard B-school and try to get admitted into the dual degree)?

I would have to wait until June 2011 for the LSAT. Those sexy interns raped me, not in a good way. I don't think you can backdoor your way into a jdmba from harvard, Stanford, Yale or Columbia biz school. Any success stories from this would be greatly appreciated.

[camstant]

If money is what matters most to you and you are playing the odds, then the MBA is what you want. BUT if you aren't going to be happy doing it maybe ls is were you should be. You just need to be realistic about your employment prospects coming out of the ls you will be attending, as many have suggested already, but it's not a death wish by any means.

Also, just because you got 92nd %ile on the LSAT and 98th on GMAT should not make you consider whether you have more or less of a capacity for either career (in fact, it's ridiculous to suggest it)-- it sounds like you will do just fine either way you decide.