Top Law Schools

I'm on the waitlist for both ND and UMich (few other T20s) but these are my top two schools. I currently work and have some compelling reasons to defer until next year . My plan would be to work and save some more money while i take care of the other things going on in my life (my reasons for a deferral = Family + work). Would it be wise to defer or just retake the LSAT? I'm sitting on a 163/3.4 - work in consulting/ibanking with an entrepreneurship background. I'm only 2 years our of UG.

Assuming i get off the waitlist at one or both and can get a deferral, what are the opinions on this vs retaking the LSAT and reapplying?

I think i could score much higher LSAT, but i also don't want to risk not getting into a top school, otherwise i wont go to LS - too high risk IMHO. I'm thinking of retaking even if i defer just to try and score a bit higher scholarship although this isn't a guarantee.

I have very good softs (varsity athlete at top public, startup experience in school, currently coach in free-time, etc) and great recommendations from work (boss and clients) as well as a few personal/educational ones which are very strong.

definitely retake.

also how did you get an ibanking job with a 3.4 UGPA

jbagelboy wrote:definitely retake.

also how did you get an ibanking job with a 3.4 UGPA

I ask myself that all the time. I think a mixture of my resume and somehow doing a decent job of selling myself during the interview (especially since i wasn't a business major).

jbagelboy wrote:definitely retake.

also how did you get an ibanking job with a 3.4 UGPA

Probably hard to believe, but most companies have a GPA cutoff around 3.0-3.2

retake and reapply, even if you do get in off the waitlist. Upping that LSAT would do wonders.

NanaP wrote:

jbagelboy wrote:definitely retake.

also how did you get an ibanking job with a 3.4 UGPA

Probably hard to believe, but most companies have a GPA cutoff around 3.0-3.2

Lol not V20 ones, except maybe from MIT. Many big banks and consulting firms won't look at you lower than 3.7 & summer intern experience -- or personal/family connections, of course. Mckinsey draws only 3.9s from a selection of like 8 schools. Getting one of these gigs with a 3.4 is impressive to me

jbagelboy wrote:

NanaP wrote:

jbagelboy wrote:definitely retake.

also how did you get an ibanking job with a 3.4 UGPA

Probably hard to believe, but most companies have a GPA cutoff around 3.0-3.2

Lol not V20 ones, except maybe from MIT. Many big banks and consulting firms won't look at you lower than 3.7 & summer intern experience -- or personal/family connections, of course. Mckinsey draws only 3.9s from a selection of like 8 schools. Getting one of these gigs with a 3.4 is impressive to me

Like i said, i think i just got lucky. Entrepreneurial experience with starting a number of my own businesses in UG plus other softs while in school, and my ability to sell myself during the interview all helped.

smaller ibanks in smaller markets just have a 3.0 cutoff, know plenty of guys out of my undergrad bschool with 3.3-3.6 in small shops around the southeast/atlanta region