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Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 5:46 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 5:51 pm
by TheFactor
It would be much easier to improve your LSAT 15 or 16 points than to transfer into the T14 from one of these schools. Going to any school with intentions of transferring is a terrible idea.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 5:53 pm
by CanadianWolf
Assuming that hard work, determination & desire will assure a top 10% ranking in any ABA accredited law school is a touch naive, in my opinion.

Attending a low ranked law school with a goal of transferring to a Top 14 law school is a bit unrealistic.

Have you written/taken the LSAT only once ? Is so, consider taking a prep course & retaking.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 5:57 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 6:00 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 6:01 pm
by CanadianWolf
As Stetson is your only option, attend Stetson if you are determined to go to law school this year. Forget talk of transferring to a Top 14 law school or of working in biglaw. Just do the work & wait for your first year grades while enjoying a beautiful part of the country.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 6:05 pm
by bk1
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote:That will be impossible, I took the LSAT 3 times in the last year (June '10, Oct '10, December '10). Cancelled once and got a 154 both other times. I know I'm capable of a much higher score, but the 3 limit per 2 years is stopping me from taking it again and I don't want to take any time off.
Why did you do so poorly on the LSAT?

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 6:33 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 6:42 pm
by blsingindisguise
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote:
bk187 wrote:
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote:That will be impossible, I took the LSAT 3 times in the last year (June '10, Oct '10, December '10). Cancelled once and got a 154 both other times. I know I'm capable of a much higher score, but the 3 limit per 2 years is stopping me from taking it again and I don't want to take any time off.
Why did you do so poorly on the LSAT?
In all honesty, I don't want to make excuses for myself but it was a combination of two things: A) I didn't take it serious enough, and B) the test happened to fall on my two hardest quarters at UCLA --and I didn't want to take time off to study (in retrospect I wish I did).
Why are you so against taking time off before law school? You could work, save money, and study your ass off for the LSAT. Do you realize that you're going to have to work WAY harder to even have a shot at transferring to a T14 than you probably would to get a significantly better LSAT and attend a school that won't be career suicide? You have a decent GPA from a decent school. Don't waste it.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 6:57 pm
by bk1
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote:In all honesty, I don't want to make excuses for myself but it was a combination of two things: A) I didn't take it serious enough, and B) the test happened to fall on my two hardest quarters at UCLA --and I didn't want to take time off to study (in retrospect I wish I did).
What makes you think you would do well in law school? I'm serious. You were immature and impatient in regards to the biggest part of the law school application process not once but three separate times. Why do you think it is a good idea to go to law school when all the indicators say that you aren't really prepared for it? I mean if you were to go to Stetson, you would be paying almost two hundred thousand dollars (source: http://www.law.stetson.edu/tmpl/admissi ... spx?id=420) to go to a school where barely half of the graduates actually get full time jobs as lawyers (source: --LinkRemoved--).

I agree with the others that say you should take time off. Let yourself mature, and retake the LSAT again in a couple years (or retake it sooner if you can get a waiver to allow you to take it a fourth time in 2 years). Paying sticker at a school like Stetson is a bad idea and it would behoove you to wait before going to law school.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:08 pm
by Corwin
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote:
TheFactor wrote:It would be much easier to improve your LSAT 15 or 16 points than to transfer into the T14 from one of these schools. Going to any school with intentions of transferring is a terrible idea.
That will be impossible, I took the LSAT 3 times in the last year (June '10, Oct '10, December '10). Cancelled once and got a 154 both other times. I know I'm capable of a much higher score, but the 3 limit per 2 years is stopping me from taking it again and I don't want to take any time off.
Sorry to be blunt, but you really screwed yourself. If you want to go to law school you should take time off and retake the LSAT. If you really, really, really don't want to take time off then you can take the $70K gamble and try to get top 5% for L1. Just be prepared to drop out after your first year and have a plan to pay $70K back.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:54 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:16 pm
by 094320
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:20 pm
by paratactical
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote: Is it worth it to get a "late start" into law and go to a much better school? I think I'm capable of getting at least 164+, is that 10 point difference and two year break worth it?
YES

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:20 pm
by flexityflex86
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote:
bk187 wrote:
SeanNeedsAdvice wrote:In all honesty, I don't want to make excuses for myself but it was a combination of two things: A) I didn't take it serious enough, and B) the test happened to fall on my two hardest quarters at UCLA --and I didn't want to take time off to study (in retrospect I wish I did).
What makes you think you would do well in law school? I'm serious. You were immature and impatient in regards to the biggest part of the law school application process not once but three separate times. Why do you think it is a good idea to go to law school when all the indicators say that you aren't really prepared for it? I mean if you were to go to Stetson, you would be paying almost two hundred thousand dollars (source: http://www.law.stetson.edu/tmpl/admissi ... spx?id=420) to go to a school where barely half of the graduates actually get full time jobs as lawyers (source: --LinkRemoved--).

I agree with the others that say you should take time off. Let yourself mature, and retake the LSAT again in a couple years (or retake it sooner if you can get a waiver to allow you to take it a fourth time in 2 years). Paying sticker at a school like Stetson is a bad idea and it would behoove you to wait before going to law school.
The general consensus seems to be that I should take 1-2 years off and take the LSAT again. Is it worth it to get a "late start" into law and go to a much better school? I think I'm capable of getting at least 164+, is that 10 point difference and two year break worth it? I would seek full-time employment during the break, and I think my parents would allow me to stay at home so I wouldn't have to worry about cost of living too much.

Additionally, based on the test dates I've given in my earlier post, what is the earliest date I can take the LSAT again? June '12 or October '12?

Last question, what is generally the best LSAT prep course recommended by TLS? Cost is not a factor.

Thanks everyone for the advice and the reality check. My goals and plans have been drastically revised.
Yes.

Is it better to be in a position where 50% of you and your peers will make 100k in 5 years or be in a position where 80% of your peers will not make half of them in 5 years from now. I, for one, do not think a 154 is not that bad, and my LSAT scores are and started off way above that range, but you are above the average. However, getting big law is prob not happening, and transferring up is really rare. Passion is not worth jack unless it fuels work ethic, but nobody is going to give you points for being passionate and determined. Law school is a results, results, no crying in baseball enterprise.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:22 pm
by CanadianWolf
Not sure that cautionary advice about Princeton Review's LSAT prep course is warranted as I know of several students who recently (within the last 2 years) completed Princeton Review LSAT prep courses & scored in the 170s on their first sitting for the LSAT.
PowerScore is excellent.
Kaplan seems to get a lot of negative reviews.
TestMasters gets extreme reviews, but most are positive.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:25 pm
by CanadianWolf
An increase of 4 points or more on the LSAT is typically worth delaying law school for a year (the LSAT score is reported as a three point spread in addition to one's actual score). It may not be worth delaying law school if you have gotten into a reach law school or into your first choice law school & are satisfied with the financials.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:26 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:29 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
Also, how do I petition to take the LSAT for a 4th time in 2 years? I'd prefer to take one year off if I could.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:29 pm
by CanadianWolf
I know students who scored in the mid-150s after practice testing as much as 19 points higher. Gameday is a lot different than practice--you need to relax in order to test well.

To qualify for a fourth LSAT sitting within a two year period, you need agreement from a law school to "sponsor" you. Essentially, this entails contacting a law school admissions office & asking for permission to take the LSAT a fouth time in a two year time frame. Final approval rests with LSAC, but it is almost always granted.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:30 pm
by flexityflex86
so then retake it. i think you can get a law school to take care of it by saying you want to go there. obviously, coming on this site is going to jade you as this is a self selecting group, and everyone is going to laugh at stetson and your 154. however, the idea that it is dumb to go in planning to transfer is universally accepted as dumb.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:30 pm
by flexityflex86
CanadianWolf wrote:I know students who scored in the mid-150s after practice testing as much as 19 points higher. Gameday is a lot different than practice--you need to relax in order to test well.
what you call relax, fraternities call manning up, and not wetting your pants over a test you can take over and over.

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:35 pm
by CanadianWolf
Not really. Relaxing for tests means unfettered focus. But your definition is just as apt as mine. :D

Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:01 pm
by SeanNeedsAdvice
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Re: Need Advice

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:34 pm
by CanadianWolf
Ask Loyola, USC, Pepperdine or any other law school that you would like to attend. Just be honest & sincere in the reasons for your request.