Odds of Acceptance?!?! Forum

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unchem2010

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Odds of Acceptance?!?!

Post by unchem2010 » Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:21 pm

Let me first start out with a disclaimer that I know my stats are not good (2.7 from UNC Chapel Hill in chemistry and 154 LSAT). But, I have a PhD in Chemistry (3.90) worked as a Lab Manager, published over 30 peer-review science articles, published a legal article, passed the patent bar, and work at a top 30 law firm as a patent agent (for 3 years) and the firm is paying for me to go. The trick is, it has to be part time and I have to commute from midtown Manhattan. Obviously, Fordham would be a top choice (though unlikely) followed by Rutgers, Seton Hall and Brooklyn (and NYLS though I'm trying to not consider it). The firm doesn't REALLY care where I go to law school, because it's the PhD and firm experience they care about... but for future prospects, I want to go somewhere decent. I am taking the LSAT again in January and practice testing in the mid-160s.

Any thoughts? Any advice? Any suggestions? Are any of these school attainable or worth a shot, or will I be relegated to NYLS?

Thanks!!!

solarbear

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Re: Odds of Acceptance?!?!

Post by solarbear » Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:35 pm

Is there any way you can push it back for a year? A January LSAT is quite late in the application cycle for most schools, and it seems like you understand how big of a difference 10+ points on LSAT would make for your admissions prospects.

If you have the luxury of waiting a year, I would take it in January (and maybe even June) and really focus on getting that score up. You clearly have the ability to do well on the test -- it's just a matter of executing, and Fordham vs. NYLS will make a world of difference in your legal career if you ever have to move firms.

QContinuum

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Re: Odds of Acceptance?!?!

Post by QContinuum » Mon Oct 08, 2018 5:54 pm

You have fantastic softs between your law firm WE, your legal article, and your Ph.D. If you can get your LSAT to 165+ (i.e., above Fordham's 75%) - obviously the higher the better - you should have a realistic chance of being admitted. I don't want to be overly enthusiastic, since a 2.7 GPA is really very low - Fordham's 25% GPA is 3.4! - but I do think that, given your softs, you should definitely try for Fordham if you can get your LSAT up. As the poster above has noted, attending Fordham vs. NYLS will make a world of difference if you ever want to lateral down the road.

Hit the PowerScore bibles and crank until you master it - given your chem Ph.D., I've no doubt you can master the LSAT with enough work!

unchem2010

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Re: Odds of Acceptance?!?!

Post by unchem2010 » Tue Oct 09, 2018 10:29 pm

Thanks for the info! Much appreciated. The firm is expecting me to enroll in the coming fall, and like I said, they don't particularly care about the school. Do either of you think that a GPA addendum that basically takes ownership of the undergrad gpa and is honest about it, I was probably more lazy than I should have been, would be helpful? Showing remorse and the ability to put that in the past (10 years ago almost at this point)... Is that strategy at all effective?

thanks!!!

QContinuum

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Re: Odds of Acceptance?!?!

Post by QContinuum » Wed Oct 10, 2018 12:03 am

unchem2010 wrote:Thanks for the info! Much appreciated. The firm is expecting me to enroll in the coming fall, and like I said, they don't particularly care about the school.
My old firm said this too - but in practice, from my personal observations, they still tended to give T1 grads more of the benefit of the doubt than T3/T4 grads.
unchem2010 wrote:Do either of you think that a GPA addendum that basically takes ownership of the undergrad gpa and is honest about it, I was probably more lazy than I should have been, would be helpful? Showing remorse and the ability to put that in the past (10 years ago almost at this point)... Is that strategy at all effective?
No, I wouldn't do that. Addenda are really only helpful in explaining factors completely outside your control - medical issues, family challenges.

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