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I have a 3.72 at a state school with a double major in political science and philosophy. Assume I have okay softs, decent LOR's and PS, etc. I got a 172 in October and retook in December for the 173. I've applied pretty late in the cycle. I've sent apps in to...

Harvard (reach)
Columbia
Chicago
NYU
UPenn
Virginia
Duke
Cornell
Georgetown

Honestly I only applied to a few of them because they sent me fee waivers. I'm most interested in CCN.

My questions are:

1. What are my chances at CCN (particularly CLS and NYU) with my numbers this late in the cycle?

2. If I strike out this year should I be pretty safe next year if I apply early?

Thanks.

This late in the cycle is tough to predict, but I would guess one or two of CCN and the rest on down. Applying early next cycle would probably land all but HYS.

Wait and apply early next cycle. I wouldn't be surprised if you landed either H or S.

jwrash wrote:Wait and apply early next cycle. I wouldn't be surprised if you landed either H or S.

Really? I thought I'd need 176+ for HYS with my GPA.

I've thought about applying next year, but I'm graduating in the spring and I don't know what I'd do for the next year. Then again if I applied in the fall my GPA would be a few points higher and I'd have another shot at the LSAT...

redsoxfan2495 wrote:

jwrash wrote:Wait and apply early next cycle. I wouldn't be surprised if you landed either H or S.

Really? I thought I'd need 176+ for HYS with my GPA.

I've thought about applying next year, but I'm graduating in the spring and I don't know what I'd do for the next year. Then again if I applied in the fall my GPA would be a few points higher and I'd have another shot at the LSAT...

second retake would probably mean out at harvard...stick with the 173

edit: should be enough for CCN anyway if you apply early

redsoxfan2495 wrote:

jwrash wrote:Wait and apply early next cycle. I wouldn't be surprised if you landed either H or S.

Really? I thought I'd need 176+ for HYS with my GPA.

I've thought about applying next year, but I'm graduating in the spring and I don't know what I'd do for the next year. Then again if I applied in the fall my GPA would be a few points higher and I'd have another shot at the LSAT...

With that GPA and a retake, you are out of HYS without an absolutely amazing soft. Both are known to not be friendly to retakers and have soft floors at 3.8.

redsoxfan2495 wrote:I have a 3.72 at a state school with a double major in political science and philosophy. Assume I have okay softs, decent LOR's and PS, etc. I got a 172 in October and retook in December for the 173. I've applied pretty late in the cycle. I've sent apps in to...

Harvard (reach)
Columbia
Chicago
NYU
UPenn
Virginia
Duke
Cornell
Georgetown

Honestly I only applied to a few of them because they sent me fee waivers. I'm most interested in CCN.

My questions are:

1. What are my chances at CCN (particularly CLS and NYU) with my numbers this late in the cycle?

2. If I strike out this year should I be pretty safe next year if I apply early?

Thanks.

I recently decided to withdraw my apps and not go to law school, but FWIW I applied in early November with a 3.71/172 from a state school, and now have a 3.73 after a fall grades update. Did not bother applying to Harvard, and haven't heard back from the top 10, except a Chicago waitlist and a Columbia fall grades request. However, I got into all of DCG (wrote a Why Duke, didn't bother applying to NW because of no work experience). I would think that the slightly higher LSAT score would only help in pushing you into CCN. Hope this helps, and good luck.
ETA: I wrote this post in the mindset that you should apply early next cycle. CCN definitely isn't guaranteed with your numbers, and applying earlier would only help, provided you didn't rush to complete your apps.