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GPA: 3.35 from UNC-CH
LSAT: 163 (with only a month of study)
Non-URM
NC resident

I have 4 years of work experience as a licensed broker for a major brokerage firm, 5 by the time I would start LS. Does this WE distant me a little from my GPA, or will the simple numbers game be used? I would love to go back to UNC, but they are such GPA whores that I don't have big hopes at all. I made a poor decision in taking the LSAT too soon, with only a month of hardcore studying, and managed a 163. I am applying next cycle, so should I take the Oct LSAT and hope to reach high 160s/170 and hope that will do it? Due to family issues, I am staying local so my best LS options are UNC/WFU, with some other safety schools close by.

Thanks for any recommendations.

Retake.

definitly retake. 1 month of studying for the LSAT? what were you thinking?

I think you're good. 5 years of work experience will distance you from your GPA. I 163 is pretty solid for UNC and WF. I know UNC has rules about the number of admitted students being from in-state, I think WF does too. I would focus on getting your application together and making it spot on. Get it in early, really early. Then contact the admissions office and ask about the your package.

Are you making a career change, or moving into the legal portion of your current field? If you moving from a Broker/Dealer to say FINRA or the SEC as a compliance guy or investigator then make sure that the adcom knows this. That kind of focus goes a long way for the adcoms. You are considered a non-traditional student....

Of course if you think you can do better with study and working full time in preparation for the LSAT then do so. It will only help you get cash money for school, as long as it doesn't hurt your application quality...

jt1341 wrote:definitly retake. 1 month of studying for the LSAT? what were you thinking?

Good question. I really wasn't. Looking back it was a bad decision, but I was actually PTing in the high 160s. The nerves just got to be on test day. With more study time and knowing what taking the real test is like, I know I can get higher. I'm just worried about having 2 LSATs, but it seems like a lot of people on here have taken multiple tests.

mhernton wrote:I think you're good. 5 years of work experience will distance you from your GPA. I 163 is pretty solid for UNC and WF. I know UNC has rules about the number of admitted students being from in-state, I think WF does too. I would focus on getting your application together and making it spot on. Get it in early, really early. Then contact the admissions office and ask about the your package.

Are you making a career change, or moving into the legal portion of your current field? If you moving from a Broker/Dealer to say FINRA or the SEC as a compliance guy or investigator then make sure that the adcom knows this. That kind of focus goes a long way for the adcoms. You are considered a non-traditional student....

Of course if you think you can do better with study and working full time in preparation for the LSAT then do so. It will only help you get cash money for school, as long as it doesn't hurt your application quality...

Thanks a lot for your comments. I'm in a very weird situation, as I was a poli major at UNC, wanting to go the LS route after graduation. But once I reached senior year, I knew I wasn't ready to jump straight to LS, I wanted some real world experience, so I got into finance and actually really liked it. Now I'm ready to get back to my first love, and whether I tie in my finance background, I haven't figured that out yet.

Taking it twice isnt as bad as you think, i would definitly study a bit more and re-take and reach the score you know you can