Chances please! Forum

[ElBarto45]

***

[grades??]

Unfortunately TFA is nice but not gonna help. You will probably get into a few of the lower t14s, likely with minimal scholarship (like 10 a year max maybe from Cornell). I would retake, get a few points higher. If you get 172/173, you are looking at Duke/UVA/Michigan/Penn at a great discount. Probably half scholarship, with Cornell probably 75%. A few points really makes the difference here.

[Shyguy4]

I had similar stats (171 and 3.49) and I got Cornell 80K total scholarship, Georgetown 110K scholarship, and Michigan 45K scholarship and then full scholarship at WashU. I applied late in the cycle after taking December LSAT, but I was waitlisted at every other school in the T14. I knew I was on the border just by the numbers, but really thought I could sneak into the T6.

If I were you, I'd make sure your applications are sent out ASAP (if you're applying this cycle) because I really do think that makes a difference. By the time I had applied, I felt my 171 was far less valuable because school's had likely already grabbed the high lsat's they needed to keep their numbers up. Since you can't change your GPA at this point, retaking isn't a terrible idea but if you think you want to do public interest, then I would look at full-rides to T20s, which I think you will get.

Another point that is crucial is that you may think you know what you want to do, but it is possible that after some experience/1L year you will despise public interest work and actually find yourself looking to BigLaw (unlikely, but possible). I'm not saying that will happen or even has a chance of happening to you, but if you go outside the T14, it is MUCH less likely that BigLaw can be a fallback plan for you.

[RareExports]

You'll get in to all of T20 and you'll probably snag two or three lower T14.

I had nearly identical numbers (slightly higher on both and was in less competitive cycle) and got UVA/Duke/Mich. Ride out waitlists and apply to T20 schools for scholarship negotiation.