I was supposed to get my undergraduate degree May 2014 but I needed to get an extension on my senior thesis. I just found out that I'm going to have to finish it (it factors into my GPA) before I apply to law school, because while I though I had an incomplete in my transcript as a placeholder, I actually have an F... I most likely won't be able to submit my apps until January.
My GPA will be 3.7 if I get an A or A- on my thesis (which would take from now until the end of the year), and it will fall to 3.67 or 3.68 if I get a B or B+. My September LSAT score was 172 and I am retaking it in December. HYS is likely out of reach, but I'm aiming for CCN.
Should I wait for next cycle or just apply in January and see what happens?
Will January be too late for me? Forum
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sespada
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2014 3:07 pm
Will January be too late for me?
Last edited by sespada on Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
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I<3ScholarlySweets!
- Posts: 279
- Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:56 pm
Re: Will January be too late for me? :(
I think you should take time off between college and law school.
Get some real work experience, and real life experience.
Apply June or next June.
Get some real work experience, and real life experience.
Apply June or next June.
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BankruptMe
- Posts: 822
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Re: Will January be too late for me? :(
By taking in January, you are missing out on some money, unless you seriously knock it out the park.
I was told this by atleast 5 different admissions officers.
I would take the test, see how high you get and probably work for a year and then retake. You do not want to waste that GPA
I was told this by atleast 5 different admissions officers.
I would take the test, see how high you get and probably work for a year and then retake. You do not want to waste that GPA
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sespada
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2014 3:07 pm
Re: Will January be too late for me?
Sigh, yeah, how much I get will really factor into where I go... You asked about January in particular?
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haus
- Posts: 3896
- Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 11:07 am
Re: Will January be too late for me?
Given the trend for number of applicants going down, it would seem quite possible that a January application could do just fine. Besides, if you are not happy with what is offered, you do not have to go to a school just because they accepted you.
From the conversations on the Spivy thread it does not seem that they view Juanaury to be a late application.
ETA: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=197451
From the conversations on the Spivy thread it does not seem that they view Juanaury to be a late application.
ETA: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=197451
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Rigo
- Posts: 16639
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Re: Will January be too late for me?
You're not at a disadvantage if you apply early January, especially given your soon-to-be good GPA and 172+.
I'm just not sure if you'd be able to get all your ducks in a row for early January. Applications are a lot of work if you haven't even started & I don't know what the turn around time is on your thesis being graded. But if those issues aren't problems, you don't have to sit out the cycle.
However, giving yourself more time to perfect your applications may be worth sitting out the cycle for. If you can't go complete before MLK Jr. Day, it might be prudent to wait.
I'm just not sure if you'd be able to get all your ducks in a row for early January. Applications are a lot of work if you haven't even started & I don't know what the turn around time is on your thesis being graded. But if those issues aren't problems, you don't have to sit out the cycle.
However, giving yourself more time to perfect your applications may be worth sitting out the cycle for. If you can't go complete before MLK Jr. Day, it might be prudent to wait.
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kcdc1
- Posts: 992
- Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:48 am
Re: Will January be too late for me?
I don't see a problem with applying in January. The advantage to early applicants seems to have waned or disappeared at most top schools, so I'd expect you to have success commensurate with your numbers and the quality of your application.
I would give you two notes of advice however.
(1) You said your goal is CCN. Many applicants attend the best-ranked school to which they are admitted, but I'd recommend taking a hard look at your goals, financial constraints, and regional preferences. If your goal is biglaw, outcomes at the #4 school and the #12 school are quite similar. There are some benefits attributable purely to prestige (for example, if you want to go into academia), but in most cases where an applicant is choosing between T14 schools, it's best to focus on cost of attendance, regional preference and employment outcomes. Don't chase prestige without purpose.
(2) I'd recommend working for at least one year and preferably 2-4 years before starting law school. I know that's an unpopular idea to a 22-year-old that doesn't have a job offer and isn't sure what they'd actually do. But having work experience and the professionalism/confidence that comes with that experience is a huge benefit to a law student. Law school admissions committees won't care a lot about your resume, but getting into law school is not your end goal. Your goal is to get a good job, which means you need to get good grades and interview well. By and large, K-JD's struggle in interviews relative to those that have 2+ years of professional experience.
Before you ignore this advice, draft the resume you'd use for OCI. Throw NYU Law at the top if you'd like. Now imagine you're preparing for a 2-week hiring speed dating process where your best shot to pay off your loans/make good money out of school hangs in the balance. In 20-minute intervals, you need to schmooze and convince interviewing attorneys that you're mature, professional and a good fit for the area of law in which they're hiring. Personally, this would have sounded daunting to me at 22, and I would have fallen flat on my face had I not worked before starting school.
I would give you two notes of advice however.
(1) You said your goal is CCN. Many applicants attend the best-ranked school to which they are admitted, but I'd recommend taking a hard look at your goals, financial constraints, and regional preferences. If your goal is biglaw, outcomes at the #4 school and the #12 school are quite similar. There are some benefits attributable purely to prestige (for example, if you want to go into academia), but in most cases where an applicant is choosing between T14 schools, it's best to focus on cost of attendance, regional preference and employment outcomes. Don't chase prestige without purpose.
(2) I'd recommend working for at least one year and preferably 2-4 years before starting law school. I know that's an unpopular idea to a 22-year-old that doesn't have a job offer and isn't sure what they'd actually do. But having work experience and the professionalism/confidence that comes with that experience is a huge benefit to a law student. Law school admissions committees won't care a lot about your resume, but getting into law school is not your end goal. Your goal is to get a good job, which means you need to get good grades and interview well. By and large, K-JD's struggle in interviews relative to those that have 2+ years of professional experience.
Before you ignore this advice, draft the resume you'd use for OCI. Throw NYU Law at the top if you'd like. Now imagine you're preparing for a 2-week hiring speed dating process where your best shot to pay off your loans/make good money out of school hangs in the balance. In 20-minute intervals, you need to schmooze and convince interviewing attorneys that you're mature, professional and a good fit for the area of law in which they're hiring. Personally, this would have sounded daunting to me at 22, and I would have fallen flat on my face had I not worked before starting school.
