Transfering Schools and Splitting GPA Forum

[WhatOurBodiesAreFor]

What kind of softs would you consider strong?
i have 2 years experience at an accounting firm
experience doing accounting at an oil company and software company
I also have a summer internship for the coming summer at JP Morgan in NYC

If you an established professional and are clearly an asset to your firm, these can be above average softs and appealing for the non-T6. But just having these softs and nothing more (read: I got these positions via dad and my LORs are mediocre), you will just be another candidate. Crucially, as a splitter, you do not want to be just another candidate. So, if this is the case, it may hurt you.

Killer softs are things like URM, military, Rhodes, olympic medal, ridiculous feat X, or from wealth, fame, or prestige. Great softs are things like Research Fulbright, PhDs, overcoming significant adversity.

But it really comes down to the overall picture you paint of yourself. Therefore, to attribute some sort of value to each individual soft would be a mistake in most cases. (Exceptions being: in the case for someone clearly headed for academia, having Ivy League degrees, publications, etc. - the more of these types of things he has the better suited he'll be. Same goes for someone interested in business. MBAs, quality WE, and connections will each be accounted for).

But a large percentage of us won't come to law school with our path already laid out for us and we won't have the killer softs mentioned above. Therefore, the most important thing we can do in our application is not to highlight some kind-of-cool internship/WE we have but to paint a positive picture of ourself. Traits like motivation, good-heartedness, and curiosity come to mind. We should also show maturity and that we are bound to succeed.

All of this is not to say that your experience isn't valuable. It's just that there is a good possibility that someone, for example, with identical numbers but has spent the past year teaching in Japan will look more appealing to law schools if only because the picture he paints of himself is more appealing in some abstract, intangible way.

I am a 0L and this is just my take on the issue. But I do feel confident that there is a lot of truth to this. I have been outperforming my numbers a bit this cycle. Because my softs are only decent by any tangible measure, I attribute this to my more non-traditional background and the positive and mature narrative I created of myself in my application.

[20141023]

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[ManOfTheMinute]

If you an established professional and are clearly an asset to your firm, these can be above average softs and appealing for the non-T6. But just having these softs and nothing more (read: I got these positions via dad and my LORs are mediocre), you will just be another candidate. Crucially, as a splitter, you do not want to be just another candidate. So, if this is the case, it may hurt you.

Killer softs are things like URM, military, Rhodes, olympic medal, ridiculous feat X, or from wealth, fame, or prestige. Great softs are things like Research Fulbright, PhDs, overcoming significant adversity.

But it really comes down to the overall picture you paint of yourself. Therefore, to attribute some sort of value to each individual soft would be a mistake in most cases. (Exceptions being: in the case for someone clearly headed for academia, having Ivy League degrees, publications, etc. - the more of these types of things he has the better suited he'll be. Same goes for someone interested in business. MBAs, quality WE, and connections will each be accounted for).

But a large percentage of us won't come to law school with our path already laid out for us and we won't have the killer softs mentioned above. Therefore, the most important thing we can do in our application is not to highlight some kind-of-cool internship/WE we have but to paint a positive picture of ourself. Traits like motivation, good-heartedness, and curiosity come to mind. We should also show maturity and that we are bound to succeed.

All of this is not to say that your experience isn't valuable. It's just that there is a good possibility that someone, for example, with identical numbers but has spent the past year teaching in Japan will look more appealing to law schools if only because the picture he paints of himself is more appealing in some abstract, intangible way.

I am a 0L and this is just my take on the issue. But I do feel confident that there is a lot of truth to this. I have been outperforming my numbers a bit this cycle. Because my softs are only decent by any tangible measure, I attribute this to my more non-traditional background and the positive and mature narrative I created of myself in my application.

OP should state in his PS that he will most likely be in the top 5% of his class if admitted just to demonstrate how motivated he is to the adcomms.

TITCR

[LRGhost]

What kind of softs would you consider strong?
i have 2 years experience at an accounting firm
experience doing accounting at an oil company and software company
I also have a summer internship for the coming summer at JP Morgan in NYC

Why don't you stick with JPM? It's going to cost you less than LS and if you do well, you can work there a couple years and get an MBA if you want.

FWIW, if you score well on your LSAT, you're competitive at MVP. But I'd be wary going in to school thinking you'll instantly be top third and get big law. Obviously be confident but be cautious. If you graduate with no debt and get big law, congratulations, you win. You can honestly turn a high pressure job into something tolerable that gives you good money.

[longlivetheking]

I do not expect to be outside of the top 5% of my class at law school

I too, do not expect to be outside the top 99% of my class at law school.

[soontobelawschooler]

If you an established professional and are clearly an asset to your firm, these can be above average softs and appealing for the non-T6. But just having these softs and nothing more (read: I got these positions via dad and my LORs are mediocre), you will just be another candidate. Crucially, as a splitter, you do not want to be just another candidate. So, if this is the case, it may hurt you.

Killer softs are things like URM, military, Rhodes, olympic medal, ridiculous feat X, or from wealth, fame, or prestige. Great softs are things like Research Fulbright, PhDs, overcoming significant adversity.

But it really comes down to the overall picture you paint of yourself. Therefore, to attribute some sort of value to each individual soft would be a mistake in most cases. (Exceptions being: in the case for someone clearly headed for academia, having Ivy League degrees, publications, etc. - the more of these types of things he has the better suited he'll be. Same goes for someone interested in business. MBAs, quality WE, and connections will each be accounted for).

But a large percentage of us won't come to law school with our path already laid out for us and we won't have the killer softs mentioned above. Therefore, the most important thing we can do in our application is not to highlight some kind-of-cool internship/WE we have but to paint a positive picture of ourself. Traits like motivation, good-heartedness, and curiosity come to mind. We should also show maturity and that we are bound to succeed.

All of this is not to say that your experience isn't valuable. It's just that there is a good possibility that someone, for example, with identical numbers but has spent the past year teaching in Japan will look more appealing to law schools if only because the picture he paints of himself is more appealing in some abstract, intangible way.

I am a 0L and this is just my take on the issue. But I do feel confident that there is a lot of truth to this. I have been outperforming my numbers a bit this cycle. Because my softs are only decent by any tangible measure, I attribute this to my more non-traditional background and the positive and mature narrative I created of myself in my application.

OP should state in his PS that he will most likely be in the top 5% of his class if admitted just to demonstrate how motivated he is to the adcomms.

TITCR

1+ write in PS

[longlivetheking]

What kind of softs would you consider strong?
i have 2 years experience at an accounting firm
experience doing accounting at an oil company and software company
I also have a summer internship for the coming summer at JP Morgan in NYC

Why don't you stick with JPM? It's going to cost you less than LS and if you do well, you can work there a couple years and get an MBA if you want.

FWIW, if you score well on your LSAT, you're competitive at MVP. But I'd be wary going in to school thinking you'll instantly be top third and get big law. Obviously be confident but be cautious. If you graduate with no debt and get big law, congratulations, you win. You can honestly turn a high pressure job into something tolerable that gives you good money.

obviously this guy ain't FoF/IBD/S&T/Front office in JPM.