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I'm taking a year off to make sure law school is what I really want to do. Does it matter what I do in my time off? Should I work in a law office or something? I mainly want to get a job and pay off my small student loans from undergrad and save up a little. I also want to try new things, but ultimately I think law school is where I want to be. I just think I need a break to mature and learn how to handle my own. Also I have people down my throats about taking a year off and how it's bad and I shouldn't do it... so that's kind of stressing me out, but main thing is I'm trying to do what I feel is best, and I think I need a break. It also releases a little pressure because I'm trying to hit that 3.8+ mark.

It doesn't really matter what you do. Just do something.

What do you mean about trying to hit 3.8+? Classes taken after you graduate don't count towards your LSAC GPA (which is the one that law schools care about).

People telling you that taking a gap year is bad are wrong, at least regarding LS applications, where it would have no effect to a slight positive effect, depending on what you do. (Assuming you do something.) It doesn't have to be law-related.

Jaqen wrote:What do you mean about trying to hit 3.8+? Classes taken after you graduate don't count towards your LSAC GPA (which is the one that law schools care about).

I would guess that he's a senior in college and wants his grades from second semester to factor into his GPA.

Jaqen wrote:What do you mean about trying to hit 3.8+? Classes taken after you graduate don't count towards your LSAC GPA (which is the one that law schools care about).

People telling you that taking a gap year is bad are wrong, at least regarding LS applications, where it would have no effect to a slight positive effect, depending on what you do. (Assuming you do something.) It doesn't have to be law-related.

I had a thought about this earlier; what if someone who is planning on taking a gap year decided to purposefully delay graduation by omitting a degree-required course from his/her spring schedule, thus allowing him/her to fill their gap with elective courses that are still technically being taken before a degree is conferred? Sort of like a super-senior year being taken purposefully with the intent of bolstering the GPA with a year of extra courses.

Edit: I forgot to ask the question I initially meant to ask. Would the aforementioned plan be more or less beneficial than just graduating, finding a job, and getting some professional experience (assuming one finds a job that could offer such experience)?

riverwater wrote:

Jaqen wrote:What do you mean about trying to hit 3.8+? Classes taken after you graduate don't count towards your LSAC GPA (which is the one that law schools care about).

I would guess that he's a senior in college and wants his grades from second semester to factor into his GPA.

Ah, yeah, makes sense.

inlovewithpiper wrote:I had a thought about this earlier; what if someone who is planning on taking a gap year decided to purposefully delay graduation by omitting a degree-required course from his/her spring schedule, thus allowing him/her to fill their gap with elective courses that are still technically being taken before a degree is conferred? Sort of like a super-senior year being taken purposefully with the intent of bolstering the GPA with a year of extra courses.

Edit: I forgot to ask the question I initially meant to ask. Would the aforementioned plan be more or less beneficial than just graduating, finding a job, and getting some professional experience (assuming one finds a job that could offer such experience)?

I mean, it's possible. You could tack on a minor or something. If you got straight As in the fifth year, it would almost certainly be more beneficial to your apps than working for that year. But you would be losing out on income (plus maturity etc.), while presumably taking out extra loans for tuition.

Taking a year off was the best decision of my life. Get work experience, save money, travel, pick up a new language, and just enjoy hanging with buddies and hitting up the bars. The biggest thing I learned was that the vast majority of people criticizing you for taking time off truly won't give a shit and won't be able to help you when you're unsatisfied with a decision you made or straddled with debt from a school you shouldn't have attended.

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