2.3 GPA, 157 LSAT. Forum

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[Bobnoxious]

Here's an example...

I will most likely be attending what is affectionately known on these forums as a TTT (Third Tier Toilet), even though the school isn't even ranked so it doesn't even rise to the level of third tier. That USNWR changed their ranking system hasn't quite sunk in yet, but that's neither here nor there.

My TTT of choice?

University of Memphis - For a traditional student, this would likely be a terrible choice if they would like to maximize their chances at employment. However, I'm a nontraditional student with a wife, kids, and a mortgage. I also have a 3.84+ gpa and *expect* to score somewhere north of 165 on the LSAT between now and December. Since I plan on staying here in Memphis, the law school here is just fine. It doesn't rise to the level of regional, but it is fairly good when it comes to its graduates getting jobs. Not great, but good compared to many T3/4 school, and better than UT-Knoxville or U of Mississippi as far as Memphis jobs go.

IF I didn't have roots here (If I knew then what I knew now) I'd be looking at schools like IU-Bloomington.

Either way you go...DO YOUR RESEARCH and know what you're getting yourself into. There's so much to say about law schools and the market for new grads that there are many, many books on the subject, as well as blogs just overflowing with information. Use the forum search, use Google, and see how your mindset changes. It will change, whether or not you change your mind about going to law school.

Maybe you could get lucky with IU-Indianapolis and their part time program.

[hopingtoattend]

I have offered Iowa, Wisconsin and UIUC to try for if you can raise your LSAT.

At the same time, you may have to face that your GPA may preclude you from attending a school at a price that most posters on here would say is a good investment.

And I have no idea why they use flame here. It's just what people use. Should not bother you that much.

I can only afford to go to a school inside of either Wisconsin or Illinois and I would like to try Wisconsin (UWM law), but they require two letters of recommendation and I'm currently sitting at one. UIUC is the same story.

Is there another section of these forums where I could go to get advice on which school I should attend? The consensus here seems to be... unhelpful. You've told me where to NOT go, but haven't offered many great on ideas on where to go.

You should at least go to a decent Midwest school (WUSTL/UIUC/UMN/UW/OSU/Iowa/Indiana) with a scholarship. Score 165-167+ and I bet one or two will take a chance on you.

I'm afraid my choices are limited to schools in Illinois or Wisconsin and that leaves me at UWM.

Here's an example...

I will most likely be attending what is affectionately known on these forums as a TTT (Third Tier Toilet), even though the school isn't even ranked so it doesn't even rise to the level of third tier. That USNWR changed their ranking system hasn't quite sunk in yet, but that's neither here nor there.

My TTT of choice?

University of Memphis - For a traditional student, this would likely be a terrible choice if they would like to maximize their chances at employment. However, I'm a nontraditional student with a wife, kids, and a mortgage. I also have a 3.84+ gpa and *expect* to score somewhere north of 165 on the LSAT between now and December. Since I plan on staying here in Memphis, the law school here is just fine. It doesn't rise to the level of regional, but it is fairly good when it comes to its graduates getting jobs. Not great, but good compared to many T3/4 school, and better than UT-Knoxville or U of Mississippi as far as Memphis jobs go.

IF I didn't have roots here (If I knew then what I knew now) I'd be looking at schools like IU-Bloomington.

Either way you go...DO YOUR RESEARCH and know what you're getting yourself into. There's so much to say about law schools and the market for new grads that there are many, many books on the subject, as well as blogs just overflowing with information. Use the forum search, use Google, and see how your mindset changes. It will change, whether or not you change your mind about going to law school.

Maybe you could get lucky with IU-Indianapolis and their part time program.

I'm in a similar situation as you: I have roots here and I can't afford to go to a school outside of Illinois or Wisconsin because I live in an area where I could feasible reach all of the schools that one would even consider going in either state. I'm just looking for a reasonably priced school with a decent employment rate. That's why I considered schools like SIU, NIU, DePaul, and Marquette. They're attainable schools with tuition that seem reasonable. They're not highly ranked, but I don't think they're "diploma mills" either at an average of 50% - 60% employment (with an average of 80% employment at all once you include part time).

[Mal Reynolds]

ITT is Chicago-Kent, I believe. Illinois Institute of Technology? Maybe?

It seems like (if not a flame) you are new here. If you go over to the "choosing a law school" forum you will see what the general consensus is about how much you should be willing to pay for each school. That should help you get the general perspective of the forum.

I know it is not what you want to hear, but nobody on this thread is going to tell you that any of those schools are a good idea.

Is there another section of these forums where I could go to get advice on which school I should attend? The consensus here seems to be... unhelpful. You've told me where to NOT go, but haven't offered many great on ideas on where to go.

I'm not a "flame" and I find your esoteric use of that word to be pretty grating. The rest of the internet would say "a troll" or "someone who is flaming". But that's neither here nor there.

Retarded flame.

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[Nova]

I can only afford to go to a school inside of either Wisconsin or Illinois and I would like to try Wisconsin (UWM law), but they require two letters of recommendation and I'm currently sitting at one. UIUC is the same story.

Get another one

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[hopingtoattend]

Why, again are you limited to those states?

That's where I live. My family is here and I have to take care of aging relatives. I'd like to earn my JD and start working, but I can't leave the general two state area.

[Bobnoxious]

I'm afraid my choices are limited to schools in Illinois or Wisconsin and that leaves me at UWM.

Then you're fucked. Work on changing your circumstances so you are mobile. Maybe that means moving to a city with a legal community that hires from the local school, living there for a year or so until you've established residency, and then apply. Where there's a will, there's a way. It's all about priorities, isn't it?

[hopingtoattend]

I'm afraid my choices are limited to schools in Illinois or Wisconsin and that leaves me at UWM.

Then you're fucked. Work on changing your circumstances so you are mobile. Maybe that means moving to a city with a legal community that hires from the local school, living there for a year or so until you've established residency, and then apply. Where there's a will, there's a way. It's all about priorities, isn't it?

Is attending NIU or SIU really going to fuck me over? Their tuition seems to be at ~$100K, their employment rate isn't that bad, and they'd accept me with my poor credentials. I realize it's not a guaranteed path to success, but I'm going to end up the sole caretaker of my mother and grandparents. I need to do something to get some kind of income before my mobility comes at the cost of a triple funeral...

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[hopingtoattend]

Why, again are you limited to those states?

That's where I live. My family is here and I have to take care of aging relatives. I'd like to earn my JD and start working, but I can't leave the general two state area.

You live in Illinois. Why is Wisconsin the other one? Not Iowa or Indiana, for example?

I don't live in Illinois. I live in southern Wisconsin and I drive back and forth to a suburb of Chicago to take care of my mother.

[Nova]

Is attending NIU or SIU really going to fuck me over? Their tuition seems to be at ~$100K, their employment rate isn't that bad, and they'd accept me with my poor credentials.

Thats really overpaying to go to a bad school. Would you be paying for cost of living too? thats another 50k.

100-150k for a TTT/T degree is getting ripped off.

[Clearly]

These jobs you have a coin flips chance at, what do you think they pay?

[hopingtoattend]

Is attending NIU or SIU really going to fuck me over? Their tuition seems to be at ~$100K, their employment rate isn't that bad, and they'd accept me with my poor credentials.

Thats really overpaying to go to a bad school. Would you be paying for cost of living too? thats another 50k.

100-150k for a TTT/T degree is getting ripped off.

What if I work really hard and find employment immediately, then work on paying off that tuition? What if I pay slightly less because of a great LSAT?

[Mal Reynolds]

Both of those schools only have half of their grads working in full time legal positions. And cost is north of 115k for both. That sounds like a horrible gamble. Retake the LSAT lest you condemn yourself to debtors prison.

[hopingtoattend]

Both of those schools only have half of their grads working in full time legal positions. And cost is north of 115k for both. That sounds like a horrible gamble. Retake the LSAT lest you condemn yourself to debtors prison.

I'm definitely going to retake the LSAT. The deadline for applications is March of next year. That leaves me at least one chance to retake the LSAT (possibly two). But once I do retake it, I'm still not sure which schools to apply for. Even with a guaranteed LSAT of 165+, it seems like the consensus here is that I shouldn't bother with any school.

[Bobnoxious]

I'm afraid my choices are limited to schools in Illinois or Wisconsin and that leaves me at UWM.

Then you're fucked. Work on changing your circumstances so you are mobile. Maybe that means moving to a city with a legal community that hires from the local school, living there for a year or so until you've established residency, and then apply. Where there's a will, there's a way. It's all about priorities, isn't it?

Is attending NIU or SIU really going to fuck me over? Their tuition seems to be at ~$100K, their employment rate isn't that bad, and they'd accept me with my poor credentials. I realize it's not a guaranteed path to success, but I'm going to end up the sole caretaker of my mother and grandparents. I need to do something to get some kind of income before my mobility comes at the cost of a triple funeral...

They won't actively fuck you over. However, going there will *likely* end up bad for you, like it does for many, many, many of their students. Nobody here can make the call for you. However, most of us will think it's a damned foolish, ignorant, desperate gamble with odds like you'll find in a casino; and you're basically gambling with $100,000 you are going to have to borrow. That's, umm, not bright. You *could* beat the odds, but the likelihood of it is, well, against you. If you decide to pull the trigger, best of luck to you, but I'd be hunting down other means of getting to where I want to go if I were you.

Your questions, "What if I work really hard...."
What if? Can you do it? Is it worth it? Howso? Would it be better to relocate the elders to another state so you had at least a shot at a better TTT? Would they go? If not, what does that say about what they want for you? In the end, it's your choice. Like I said earlier, do the research and make the call. That's your job.

[Mal Reynolds]

Both of those schools only have half of their grads working in full time legal positions. And cost is north of 115k for both. That sounds like a horrible gamble. Retake the LSAT lest you condemn yourself to debtors prison.

I'm definitely going to retake the LSAT. The deadline for applications is March of next year. That leaves me at least one chance to retake the LSAT (possibly two). But once I do retake it, I'm still not sure which schools to apply for. Even with a guaranteed LSAT of 165+, it seems like the consensus here is that I shouldn't bother with any school.

Who knows. You haven't even retaken. You're getting way ahead of yourself. Go study and stop this pointless thread.

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[hopingtoattend]

Both of those schools only have half of their grads working in full time legal positions. And cost is north of 115k for both. That sounds like a horrible gamble. Retake the LSAT lest you condemn yourself to debtors prison.

I'm definitely going to retake the LSAT. The deadline for applications is March of next year. That leaves me at least one chance to retake the LSAT (possibly two). But once I do retake it, I'm still not sure which schools to apply for. Even with a guaranteed LSAT of 165+, it seems like the consensus here is that I shouldn't bother with any school.

Who knows. You haven't even retaken. You're getting way ahead of yourself. Go study and stop this pointless thread.

This isn't a pointless thread. I'm gathering opinions and making a major life decision.

Why does everyone around here have such a bad attitude? I'm asking for advice. I know my GPA is bad. I know my LSAT isn't much better. I'm not a "flame" or whatever internal slang you've built up in seclusion of the rest of the internet. I just wanted some advice on law schools.

Thank you to everyone who helped and I hope the rest of you are banned from this forum because you're trolls with bad attitudes.

[Nova]

Take in Oct. Plan on applying to UW/UIUC and all the shit schools in WI/IL.

Then we can evaluate your offers in 6-9 months

[Clearly]

Both of those schools only have half of their grads working in full time legal positions. And cost is north of 115k for both. That sounds like a horrible gamble. Retake the LSAT lest you condemn yourself to debtors prison.

I'm definitely going to retake the LSAT. The deadline for applications is March of next year. That leaves me at least one chance to retake the LSAT (possibly two). But once I do retake it, I'm still not sure which schools to apply for. Even with a guaranteed LSAT of 165+, it seems like the consensus here is that I shouldn't bother with any school.

Good luck

Who knows. You haven't even retaken. You're getting way ahead of yourself. Go study and stop this pointless thread.

This isn't a pointless thread. I'm gathering opinions and making a major life decision.

Why does everyone around here have such a bad attitude? I'm asking for advice. I know my GPA is bad. I know my LSAT isn't much better. I'm not a "flame" or whatever internal slang you've built up in seclusion of the rest of the internet. I just wanted some advice on law schools.

Thank you to everyone who helped and I hope the rest of you are banned from this forum because you're trolls with bad attitudes.

[jbagelboy]

I would not try to go to law school with a 2.3. I'm sorry. Sometimes when you just fuck up too badly in college and fail that many classes, you close certain doors ...

I'd be happy to see you prove me wrong with a lucrative legal job in 4 years. However, I can't help but think that is one of the least likely scenarios.

I'm not trolling you. I'm just urging you to be realistic about your possibilities here and find another profession that doesn't require college transcripts.