Top Law Schools

Hello, I am beginning to get my application ready to apply to law schools this fall and UVA is my top choice. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on whether or not I should apply to UVA early decision or if it would make more sense to apply regular decision and compare offers from other schools ? My gpa is a 3.86 and LSAT is 169. I am also a Virginia resident and of Hispanic decesent although not Mexican or Puerto Rican so I'm not sure if that makes any difference. My only goal after graduating from law school is to become a public defender and I already have multiple internship experiences with a couple different Pd offices. I think I should be able to write a fairly convincing personal statement conveying my desire to become a public defender while describing some of my charactersistics that I believe would make me a good law student and public defender.

So basically, I'm just not sure if I would have a decent shot at getting in to UVA regular decision and being able to compare financial offers with other schools, or whether I need to ED to have a good shot at acceptance? Thanks for any advice!

kosullivan23 wrote:My only goal after graduating from law school is to become a public defender and I already have multiple internship experiences with a couple different Pd offices.

If this is your only goal do not attend UVA sticker. Go to another decent school for free.

As a VA resident with those stats, you definitely don't need to ED to get in with $

The word UVA shouldn't be in the vocabulary of a 3.86/169 URM. Enjoy Harvard or Stanford.

Or if you really, really want to go to UVA, you should only do it on a full ride. Definitely do not ED there.

Monochromatic Oeuvre wrote:The word UVA shouldn't be in the vocabulary of a 3.86/169 URM. Enjoy Harvard or Stanford.

Or if you really, really want to go to UVA, you should only do it on a full ride. Definitely do not ED there.

This - use mylsn.info and see where you're getting in... but exclude URMs cuz you don't qualify

Oh, I guess I always assumed URM was non-white non-Asian. Yeah, you don't qualify, so Harvard and Stanford are probably long shots, though you should still apply. There are a really wide range of possible outcomes for those numbers, so still don't apply ED to UVA. Blanket the T14 come September 1 and see what happens.

Monochromatic Oeuvre wrote:There are a really wide range of possible outcomes for those numbers, so still don't apply ED to UVA. Blanket the T14 come September 1 and see what happens.

Yep. Also, depending on what you were scoring on PTs leading up to the LSAT, how much time you will have this fall, if you still have your prep materials, etc., retaking may be worth it.

retake and gun for H