What am I looking at? 4.0/173 Forum

[tk89raven]

Hey all,

I came close to applying in undergrad but held off. Graduated in 2012. I am thinking about applying this fall for fall 2015 matriculation. My LSAT is good through 2016. Stats: 4.0/173 (one testing attempt), age 24, gay white male, math/econ major. Currently a financial analyst; passed CFA Level II and working on Level III.

Should I have any expectation of scholly dollars to someplace nice? (Be frank). I am worried about student debt. Appreciate your comments!

[abl]

Solid shot at one of HYS. You should get pretty nice merit aid from CCN on down.

[eaternation]

Do you want Big law or greatly dislike your job? You'll be giving up 3 years of your life/employment/advancement/work experience and you already have a nice, steady job.

[tk89raven]

Do you want Big law or greatly dislike your job? You'll be giving up 3 years of your life/employment/advancement/work experience and you already have a nice, steady job.

Uhm, I guess I have a lot to wrestle with - probably would go biglaw because other options don't make economic sense (I make 100k now working 50 hrs a week; I dont want a pay cut. The loss of salary is one reason why I dont want to take the double-whammy of paying tuition). I guess I feel a little bit like a fish out of water and am evaluating options. It is hard to justify law in the short run but I suspect that I may be a better lawyer long-run than stock analyst. Law was always my plan and my brother did it and has been successful. I backed away from it after watching the profession struggle during the crisis years.

Certainly not something I'll decide on right away.

[abl]

Do it because it sounds like fun -- not because it seems lucrative. You're currently in a fairly lucrative field and sound fairly happy. If you can't imagine yourself being excited to take a well-fitting (to whatever your interests are) legal job at 80k/year, it's probably not the right profession for you.

That said, if you hate what you're doing and are looking for an out, I suppose it changes things. In that case, I'd encourage you to think more creatively about your interests: you seem like the sort of person who's going to be pretty successful doing whatever. But your post implies to me that you might be interested in law school for not the best reasons.

[dnptan]

In case you aren't trolling:

Generally there are better ways to earn money rather than going to law school -if that's what your prime motivation is, may I suggest business school? That CFA can help you more post-MBA and you can be earning a lot more down the road. Just realize that biglaw is in decline and you can't be sure when - or even if - it will ever recover.

But back to law. Retake the LSAT, get a 174+ (176 to be safe) and land that Hamilton at Columbia. HYS does not give merit scholarship. Seeing as you're making 100k/yr you won't get much in aid.

Chance-wise, I would say lock CCN down, Solid H, ??? S and coin-flip Y. Unless of course you have better softs under your sleeve.

[tk89raven]

Business school is the other option; it is almost certainly going to be one of either law or business school, unless the CFA turns out to be worth more than I suspect it is. I realize business school makes most sense for the typically-avaricious young person. For me in particular though it might not be, long-term, which is why I'm thinking of career-switching to law. I nearly chose law out of undergrad (if it weren't for the financial crisis I probably would have). My brother graduated top-of-class at one of the law schools you mention and landed a federal appellate clerkship and plenty of firm offers. We have similar dispositions and he's not any smarter than I am, which makes me think "huh, I could do that too." The question is whether that's better than my alternatives - a question I have not answered yet.

[thewaves]

If you like working in finance, continue on your path or get an MBA. If you want to practice law, get a JD. The debt and opportunity cost is definitely something to consider.

[brotherdarkness]

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[tk89raven]

I'm interested in law itself. I prefer reading and writing to spreadsheets and prognosticating.

I also think that it might be better (more fun? more money?) to be a really good lawyer vs a merely okay financial analyst. The biglaw hours and lifestyle are a deterrent though.

[dnptan]

You sound like the competitive type. If you law isn't really your thing, and you want to have a great relationship with your brother in the future, I recommend staying away from law. Being better is not worth damaging a relationship. The "if he can do it, so can I" mentality screams inferiority-superiority complex and may make it difficult to see what you really want out of life vs. what other people want in life. Focus on what makes you really happy, instead of trying to be the best. Being number one is a lonely position.

I just really hope bright people such as yourself make a choice to make the world as a whole a better place. People who have the capacity for tangible change are few and far between. Those who become a positive force are even rarer.

P.S. The way you talk is funny. Never met a real person who talks like that - where are you from?