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Also academic suspension, after which I returned and had a 3.33 for my final three terms. GPA at state school in two classes I took before returning was 4.0, and the school I returned to was an Ivy. Very solid recs, one from a course I took a year or so after graduating, which are very much not consonant with my overall academic record. No notable work experience, just tutoring. Main thing I am wondering about is whether or not I should take the test for a third time. I know I can do better, and I doubt I would get below a 172. Good chance I could get a 176+. Also, what would be the best schools I would have a fighting shot at?

based on this years cycle... Northwestern is probably your best shot at the T14

Honestly wouldn't retake. When your GPA is that low you won't get any real benefit going any deeper in the 99th. Also as dstars pointed out NU is normally your best (only?) bet with those #s, but you don't have work experience so that might hurt you at NU. If you're gunning for NU getting a year of WE would help more than going from 172 to 176

where are you from/goals... cause with that LSAT top regionals will be willing to hand you a ton of cash from the 19-30 range. Vanderbilt is possible too but UT, UCLA and USC will probably be out.

Also work experience is definitely recommended for NU however based on this years cycle they have been a bit more lenient on it than normal

Thanks for the replies - I appreciate the advice. Working for a year is certainly an option, though I am anxious to get back to school. I may prioritize programs with winter or spring enrollment for that reason, though there are definitely reasons not to take that approach of course. As for goals, I want to be an academic, and I would also want to transfer after the first year at the great majority of places I could get into.

legal academia is one of the toughest to break into. Do you have no interest of practicing at all? Also never go to a law school assuming you will transfer... dont go somewhere that you would not be happy getting a degree from

You guys make NU seem too ez to get into. I know its the standard spliltter advice, but no way OP is getting into northwestern k-jd w/ a 2.5 GPA. Come on. It's still a competitive institution.

OP, are you still in school? You need to take as many additional courses as you can prior to graduation and DON'T apply to law school until you've maxed out your GPA. Then work a little while to distance yourself from your poor undergraduate record. From any ivy, even with crap grades you should have a decent enough alumni network to get some job. Max out your GPA, work for a year, blanket from T10-T30 and hope for the best.

Law school isn't going anywhere. Don't focus on the retake -- focus on getting WE and improving your grades if you have the chance. There's no rush to apply, and it would be foolish to do so at this point.

ws81086n wrote:Thanks for the replies - I appreciate the advice. Working for a year is certainly an option, though I am anxious to get back to school. I may prioritize programs with winter or spring enrollment for that reason, though there are definitely reasons not to take that approach of course. As for goals, I want to be an academic, and I would also want to transfer after the first year at the great majority of places I could get into.

Academia seems like a horrible idea for such an extreme splitter. I'm mostly basing this off common sense and intuition, but I would imagine academics would be far less forgiving of a 2.5 in UG than just about any other employer. Firms will focus almost entirely on your law school performance because that's most indicative of your performance as a lawyer, but I can't see a professor feeling comfortable hiring someone as a professor who had a solid C GPA in UG. You've very likely burned that bridge already, even if you managed to transfer to HYS after 1L.

jbagelboy wrote:You guys make NU seem too ez to get into. I know its the standard spliltter advice, but no way OP is getting into northwestern k-jd w/ a 2.5 GPA. Come on. It's still a competitive institution.

Obviously NU has the most preftigious student body of the T14, just saying his numbers preclude him from consideration at peer schools. Hence he needs WE like I was saying. Also better hope you interview well because as that extreme of a splitter you're gonna have to fly out to Chi and kill an interview.

ws81086n wrote:I may prioritize programs with winter or spring enrollment for that reason, though there are definitely reasons not to take that approach of course.

Don't do this. There aren't many reasons to actually go with this approach. Wait it out.

ws81086n wrote:As for goals, I want to be an academic, and I would also want to transfer after the first year at the great majority of places I could get into.

As others have said, it's going to be difficult to become an academic with your UG GPA, though not impossible. However, definitely don't count on transferring to a significantly more prestigious institution than you initially enroll at - it's a crapshoot, at best, and you should make sure you'd be happy graduating from that first school before deciding to enroll.

Cobretti wrote:I'm mostly basing this off common sense and intuition, but I would imagine academics would be far less forgiving of a 2.5 in UG than just about any other employer. Firms will focus almost entirely on your law school performance because that's most indicative of your performance as a lawyer, but I can't see a professor feeling comfortable hiring someone as a professor who had a solid C GPA in UG. You've very likely burned that bridge already, even if you managed to transfer to HYS after 1L.

No.

Law schools don't even ask for UG transcripts for faculty positions, because they really don't care. They care about stuff that actually indicates scholarly and teaching potential, like publications, teaching evaluations, prestigious fellowships, federal clerkships, etc. At some point HR will ask for your UG transcript, to prove that you actually got the degree, but the faculty will have already decided to hire you by that point.

That said, this guy doesn't stand much of a chance at academia unless he transfers, since the lower t14 and beyond don't place many students in academia generally, and the academic job market is going to be absolutely abyssal over the next few years (because of falling student numbers). And as we all know, his chances of transferring to HYS are slim.