2.173 / 171 Forum

[writeaboutnow]

I know my GPA will drag me down, that being said, do you think I have a shot at Fordham? If not what about Cardozo, Brooklyn, Rutgers-N, and Seton Hall?

EDIT: non-URM from a large state school.

[WanderingPondering]

I guess TLS wisdom says you should ED UVA and send an app to NU if you have work experience. After that, Washington U in St Louis could work.

If it were me, I'd apply to to every school from UVA down. Your cycle is pretty imposible to predictable. Someone will bite for that LSAT.

[togepi]

With that combo you need to spread your seed far and wide

I think UVA and NU are out of reach (unless you have WE)

From there:
George Washington
Washington University in St. Louis
Minnesota
Illinois
SMU
Alabama

(just some extreme splitter friendly schools I know off the top of my head)

[writeaboutnow]

Thank you for the advice -- one caveat though, due to family commitments I need to stay in the NYC area (from CT down to Philly), any suggestions based on this?

[sunynp]

Thank you for the advice -- one caveat though, due to family commitments I need to stay in the NYC area (from CT down to Philly), any suggestions based on this?

Do you want to maximize your chances of getting a job? Just asking.

[Dustin.]

I know my GPA will drag me down, that being said, do you think I have a shot at Fordham? If not what about Cardozo, Brooklyn, Rutgers-N, and Seton Hall?

EDIT: non-URM from a large state school.

None of these schools are really worth attending. Even if you could attend for free, your chance of gaining meaningful employment as an attorney would be very low.

See this:

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/

[writeaboutnow]

I appreciate the replies....While I (obviously) do want to maximize my chances of getting a decent job, I have a wife with a job and a 2 year lease. I can't just uproot myself and move to St. Louis or wherever. I appreciate that for many on this board, location is not a problem, for me it is. That being said, you don't think even Fordham would be worth attending? Could I even get in?

[fatduck]

I appreciate the replies....While I (obviously) do want to maximize my chances of getting a decent job, I have a wife with a job and a 2 year lease. I can't just uproot myself and move to St. Louis or wherever. I appreciate that for many on this board, location is not a problem, for me it is. That being said, you don't think even Fordham would be worth attending? Could I even get in?

can you get in to fordham? maybe. let's call it 1 in 5.

should you go to fordham at sticker? noooooooooope

[WanderingPondering]

Not to be rude, but why do you want to go to law school?

You're obviously a relatively smart guy (as evidenced by your LSAT), but the odds are stacked against you for law school admissions because of your grades. Why not go into finance? If you're decent at math you work at an investment bank or a hedge fund in NYC or something. You'll actually make real money and won't have the debt. If you can crush the LSAT, you can get a CFA and be better off (and in NYC), IMO.

[20130312]

You're obviously a relatively smart guy (as evidenced by your LSAT)

lol

[writeaboutnow]

Not to be rude, but why do you want to go to law school?

You're obviously a relatively smart guy (as evidenced by your LSAT), but the odds are stacked against you for law school admissions because of your grades. Why not go into finance? If you're decent at math you work at an investment bank or a hedge fund in NYC or something. You'll actually make real money and won't have the debt. If you can crush the LSAT, you can get a CFA and be better off (and in NYC), IMO.

Because I want to be a lawyer. I wish I had a more detailed answer but I really don't. I've wanted to be a lawyer for the majority of my life, I find the study of the rules we all live by to be extremely interesting and important. I had my problems in college, which, suffice to say, I handled in a pretty shitty manner. Now after a few years of working and distancing myself from my grades, I'm hoping I can still get to the place I've always wanted to be.

EDIT: Also, I'm shit at math.

[WanderingPondering]

You're obviously a relatively smart guy (as evidenced by your LSAT)

lol

Aw, come on. You have to admit that a 170+ shows some indication of hard work and/or natural intelligence. I'm not saying it's MENSA worthy, but if you can a score like that I believe you can do fairly well in a number of other non-technical fields.

[20130312]

You're obviously a relatively smart guy (as evidenced by your LSAT)

lol

Aw, come on. You have to admit that a 170+ shows some indication of hard work and/or natural intelligence. I'm not saying it's MENSA worthy, but if you can a score like that I believe you can do fairly well in a number of other non-technical fields.

Actually...

LSAT effective 1982 (total percentile rank): 95

[writeaboutnow]

You're obviously a relatively smart guy (as evidenced by your LSAT)

lol

Aw, come on. You have to admit that a 170+ shows some indication of hard work and/or natural intelligence. I'm not saying it's MENSA worthy, but if you can a score like that I believe you can do fairly well in a number of other non-technical fields.

Actually...

LSAT effective 1982 (total percentile rank): 95

Ha! Interesting, but it doesn't seem like that will help with law school. Any real advice on how I could get into a school that would allow me to have a financially successful legal career? What are your thoughts on transferring?

[BigZuck]

You flamin' bro?

If you always wanted to be a lawyer you should have put forth some effort in college. Your low gpa coupled with your geographical restrictions unfortunately makes you, in the immortal words of Mr. Pancakes, disqualified. Sorry bro.

/thread

[writeaboutnow]

You flamin' bro?

If you always wanted to be a lawyer you should have put forth some effort in college. Your low gpa coupled with your geographical restrictions unfortunately makes you, in the immortal words of Mr. Pancakes, disqualified. Sorry bro.

/thread

I really do appreciate the brutal honesty. I'm not going to sit here and bitch about how hard life was in college, but some shit happened that derailed my life. I'm in a good place now and I want to start fresh, but this board (and your post specifically) makes me think that may not be doable. Overall, do you think Fordham is A.) A pipe dream, B.) Attainable but a horrible life choice at sticker price, or C.) A good match?

[20130312]

Overall, think Fordham is attainable but a horrible life choice at sticker price

[toothbrush]

o

[writeaboutnow]

And I'm assuming no one thinks trying to transfer up is a good idea?

[fatduck]

And I'm assuming no one thinks trying to transfer up is a good idea?

most schools don't accept 0L transfers

[buddingjd]

And I'm assuming no one thinks trying to transfer up is a good idea?

most schools don't accept 0L transfers

well played.

[writeaboutnow]

And I'm assuming no one thinks trying to transfer up is a good idea?

most schools don't accept 0L transfers

Ha yea your point is taken. I guess a better way to phrase what I mean is, assuming I have a reasonable baseline level of intelligence, if I go to a lower ranked school and follow the advice given by xeoh85 and others, do you think I have a better than average chance or being able to transfer? Or is law school exam grading really as unpredictable and subjective as some here would have me believe?

[toothbrush]

o

[Paul Campos]

And I'm assuming no one thinks trying to transfer up is a good idea?

most schools don't accept 0L transfers

Ha yea your point is taken. I guess a better way to phrase what I mean is, assuming I have a reasonable baseline level of intelligence, if I go to a lower ranked school and follow the advice given by xeoh85 and others, do you think I have a better than average chance or being able to transfer? Or is law school exam grading really as unpredictable and subjective as some here would have me believe?

Going to law school is a terrible idea for someone in your situation. Period. By far the most likely outcome is that you AND YOUR WIFE will end up with six figures of non-dischargeable debt, and either no legal job or a legal job you hate and which doesn't come anywhere close to paying enough to service your debt.

[20130312]

Ha yea your point is taken. I guess a better way to phrase what I mean is, assuming I have a reasonable baseline level of intelligence, if I go to a lower ranked school and follow the advice given by xeoh85 and others, do you think I have a better than average chance or being able to transfer? Or is law school exam grading really as unpredictable and subjective as some here would have me believe?

Honestly, you probably have a better chance than other students, but that still doesn't mean you have a good chance. If someone said you had a 15% chance of being in the top 10%, would you go at full price? You shouldn't hang your hat on transferring.