**OPINION POLL** - Out of undegrad >2 years...

[nothingetsby]

Do you think the law schools review an application differently if the candidate has been out of school for >2 years (and in the working world)? Do GPA/LSAT matter less?

All thoughts are welcome! (just helping pass the time while we all wait for our admissions determinations!)

[arism87]

You could actually use the poll function, lol.

As for whether LSAT/GPA matter less- I think not really, but hopefully candidates 2+ years out of UG have had more time to come up with some impressive softs/experiences.

[DoubleChecks]

Do you think the law schools review an application differently if the candidate has been out of school for >2 years (and in the working world)? Do GPA/LSAT matter less?

All thoughts are welcome! (just helping pass the time while we all wait for our admissions determinations!)

GPA matters less the longer you've been out...LSAT prob matters more (due to GPA weighing less)

WE helps, but overall, id say numbers are still going to always be the crux of the app process

[artichoke]

Do you think the law schools review an application differently if the candidate has been out of school for >2 years (and in the working world)? Do GPA/LSAT matter less?

All thoughts are welcome! (just helping pass the time while we all wait for our admissions determinations!)

My two cents would be: no, I don't think they review an application differently.

By the way, you can actually create a poll on TLS... Just for future reference

[IAFG]

WE is the new norm. 65% of UVA c/o 2013 has at least a year of WE, 72% of HLS c/o 2013 has been out of college at least a year. it's too common to be a game-changer or even really mitigate a bad GPA, like people claim it once did.

[ahduth]

artichoke, is that UP? It's really been bothering me. Do people really love UP?

[taxguy]

I have spoken to a number of admission people about this. What everyone said is that the greater the number of years an applicant is out of college , the less the GPA matters. This does NOT mean that they ignore the LSAT score however. They also noted that soft factors become even more important to the decission.

[nothingetsby]

oh sweet--thanks for the heads up about the poll function, LOL. i guess the thread is still doing the trick though, LOL.

[artichoke]

artichoke, is that UP? It's really been bothering me. Do people really love UP?

It is! And yes, everyone from my hometown (at least everyone that got out at some point in their lives) loves and misses it. Where are you from?

[cortnf]

[artichoke]

Guess who's coming to saaaaauna, heikki lunta! heikki lunta!

[ahduth]

Guess who's coming to saaaaauna, heikki lunta! heikki lunta!

Umm... what exactly is going on here. Is cortnf a UP person too?

I hail from a small town on Lake Michigan. We produce little of note other than the Chicago Cubs.

[northwood]

its not as uncommon as you think to be out of ug 2 or 3 years before going to law school. The longer you are out of UG, the more WE you should have, though.

[OperaSoprano]

WE gives you a chance to stand out and make yourself interesting, and all things being equal, employers prefer to hire students who have some type of relevant work experience (of course you will still need the grades, depending on your law school!) You would have to be out of school for a number of years, or do something truly spectacular, for it to have much effect on your LS application, though. WE is a good thing, but not a game changer for most people.

(WE can make your life a ton easier at OCI and other interviews if you can point to things you've done that would make you a good fit for the firm, company, or nonprofit. Mine both helped and hurt me in interviews, but on balance I was really glad to have it.)

[whymeohgodno]

Retake.

[HITeacher2]

It depends a lot on what you did those two years as well. Were you a Rhodes Scholar or a beach bum?

[pasunepipe]

.

[northwood]

it doesnt really matter what you do. if you can spin it so that you have experience doing anything law related, then it should help some. Teaching is a good option. A lot of admissions people that I ve talked to look at teaching as a plus. Especially if you worked with disabled, and want to go into educational law, or disabilities law.

[cortnf]

Guess who's coming to saaaaauna, heikki lunta! heikki lunta!

Umm... what exactly is going on here. Is cortnf a UP person too?

I hail from a small town on Lake Michigan. We produce little of note other than the Chicago Cubs.

no no. i'm what "da yoopers" (those from the UP) call a "troll", because i live "below the bridge"