Reapplying next cycle vs. Columbia/Duke Forum

[livermouse]

My LSAT is 179 and my GPA is <3.4. I'm also a URM (AA). I applied in late January and was rejected from Harvard and Yale. I'm waitlisted at Columbia and Duke (priority reserve), my top choices after HYS. I plan on visiting both these schools and writing LOCI.

If one of these schools accepts me off the waitlist, I'll be torn between attending and reapplying next cycle with an earlier application and some legal experience under my belt (I'll volunteer at a DA's office and hopefully find a legal assistant job at a firm). Can anyone give me advice? Are my chances at Harvard realistic, and worth waiting a year for?

[SD619]

Wait a second..

You're telling me you got rejected and waitlisted with a 179?! As a URM?

One of two things:
1.) your gpa is like a 1.5 (I guess that's technically below a 3.4)

2.) You killed someone


Why reapply if you can't improve your numbers?

[jnwa]

My LSAT is 179 and my GPA is <3.4. I'm also a URM (AA). I applied in late January and was rejected from Harvard and Yale. I'm waitlisted at Columbia and Duke (priority reserve), my top choices after HYS. I plan on visiting both these schools and writing LOCI.

If one of these schools accepts me off the waitlist, I'll be torn between attending and reapplying next cycle with an earlier application and some legal experience under my belt (I'll volunteer at a DA's office and hopefully find a legal assistant job at a firm). Can anyone give me advice? Are my chances at Harvard realistic, and worth waiting a year for?

It seems like Harvard has been really down on low gpa k-jd's so a year off probably gets you in. I got rejected as well with a similar gpa and a 173 as an AA urm. However the waitlists at Columbia and Duke indicate that you either killed someone or wrote a really bad ps.

[livermouse]

Wait a second..

You're telling me you got rejected and waitlisted with a 179?! As a URM?

One of two things:
1.) your gpa is like a 1.5 (I guess that's technically below a 3.4)

2.) You killed someone


Why reapply if you can't improve your numbers?

My GPA isn't that much lower than 3.4, and my C+F is clean. People with my numbers have gotten into HLS in the past, but I don't know what kind of softs they had. The number of high LSAT scorers has increased for this cycle, and I applied late, so I'm guessing/hoping schools are trying to get their GPA stats up, and that if I apply earlier next cycle, I'll have a chance.

It seems like Harvard has been really down on low gpa k-jd's so a year off probably gets you in. I got rejected as well with a similar gpa and a 173 as an AA urm. However the waitlists at Columbia and Duke indicate that you either killed someone or wrote a really bad ps.

Yeah the WL at Columbia was disappointing, I thought my LSAT would get me in. I'm on the priority waitlist at Duke, and I didn't write them a Why X. I don't think my ps was bad, I think they just want to make sure I really want to attend. Are you going to try for Harvard next cycle or stick to one of your acceptances this year?

[jnwa]

Yeah the WL at Columbia was disappointing, I thought my LSAT would get me in. I'm on the priority waitlist at Duke, and I didn't write them a Why X. I don't think my ps was bad, I think they just want to make sure I really want to attend. Are you going to try for Harvard next cycle or stick to one of your acceptances this year?

I'm pretty debt averse and got a full ride to Michigan which is an outcome I prefer over Harvard so I'll be headed there. If you really want to go to Harvard though I'd say screw Duke and Columbia and apply early next cycle. Your numbers should get you in, hell my numbers gave me a good shot according to mylsn. Also I don't know how widely you applied or your comfort with debt but I'd you'd prefer good money at a t14 id apply to all of them early next cycle as well and write why x's for everyone outside t6.