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I've been given great advice here before and so I'm back! My LSAC GPA is a 3.88 and my LSAT is a 164.

I'm at a point where I'm starting to second guess my LSAT performance. I took it with the flu (my nightmare come true) but, since I scored within my practice test range, I opted to not re-take and just press on. I've been accepted into a fair amount of schools and feel that I would be happy to attend a few of them but I am having trouble rationalizing the cost. I knew that law school would be expensive but now I'm thinking that there may be more that I can do to lessen the expense. Right now I have a handful of options:

1.) Enroll in a master's program at my present institution - not for grade boosting purposes. It's a program that previously interested me so I wouldn't be doing it just for the sake of buying time, though that would be a component. It would take me a year to complete and cost about $10k pre-financial aid. If I did this I would plan to take the June LSAT, and if necessary, the October LSAT. I would also move to get my applications in as early as possible. (Also, if it matters, I anticipate my LSAC GPA rising after this current semester's grades come out.) This route would definitely throw some hurdles my way but it's not impossible.

2.) Stop fretting and be satisfied with what I've achieved. If so, any recommendations on where I should head? Schools that are on the top of my list right now are:

• University of Texas - Not anticipating aid.
  University of Washington - Some aid possible, waiting to hear.
  University of Arizona - Full Ride (inclusive of out of state tuition)
  UC Hastings - $30k (3 year)
  Lewis and Clark - Some aid possible, waiting to hear.
  Loyola (LA) - $88.5k (3 year plus stipend)

Of course, this list could change should I get accepted into a school I'm still waiting to hear from but I'm not counting on anything and therefore not taking it into consideration. I don't have a strong preference when it comes to location except that I want out of the NE. I'd like to focus on public interest law.

I want to throw it out there that I can't take a complete break from my studies because doing so would put me at risk of not returning. I'm self funded and paid my way through undergrad by working full time. When I was forced to take a hiatus between my sophomore and junior years it took me three years to put the money I needed together to get back on track and I don't want a repeat performance!

Thanks in advance.

barklm wrote:I've been given great advice here before and so I'm back! My LSAC GPA is a 3.88 and my LSAT is a 164.

I'm at a point where I'm starting to second guess my LSAT performance. I took it with the flu (my nightmare come true) but, since I scored within my practice test range, I opted to not re-take and just press on. I've been accepted into a fair amount of schools and feel that I would be happy to attend a few of them but I am having trouble rationalizing the cost. I knew that law school would be expensive but now I'm thinking that there may be more that I can do to lessen the expense. Right now I have a handful of options:

1.) Enroll in a master's program at my present institution - not for grade boosting purposes. It's a program that previously interested me so I wouldn't be doing it just for the sake of buying time, though that would be a component. It would take me a year to complete and cost about $10k pre-financial aid. If I did this I would plan to take the June LSAT, and if necessary, the October LSAT. I would also move to get my applications in as early as possible. (Also, if it matters, I anticipate my LSAC GPA rising after this current semester's grades come out.) This route would definitely throw some hurdles my way but it's not impossible.

2.) Stop fretting and be satisfied with what I've achieved. If so, any recommendations on where I should head? Schools that are on the top of my list right now are:

• University of Texas - Not anticipating aid.
  University of Washington - Some aid possible, waiting to hear.
  University of Arizona - Full Ride (inclusive of out of state tuition)
  UC Hastings - $30k (3 year)
  Lewis and Clark - Some aid possible, waiting to hear.
  Loyola (LA) - $88.5k (3 year plus stipend)

Of course, this list could change should I get accepted into a school I'm still waiting to hear from but I'm not counting on anything and therefore not taking it into consideration. I don't have a strong preference when it comes to location except that I want out of the NE. I'd like to focus on public interest law.

I want to throw it out there that I can't take a complete break from my studies because doing so would put me at risk of not returning. I'm self funded and paid my way through undergrad by working full time. When I was forced to take a hiatus between my sophomore and junior years it took me three years to put the money I needed together to get back on track and I don't want a repeat performance!

Thanks in advance.

You've got some pretty nice choices...

cool of law wrote: You've got some pretty nice choices...

Thanks cool! I go from being really happy about my options to second guessing myself. Due in no small part to seeing some of the amazing things that people have done on TLS! It was really this site that made me stop and reconsider what I was doing.

I would put down a deposit at a school then I would retake the LSAT in June. If you do better then reapply next year, if not then dont look back and go to school in the fall. I think texas is a great option if you dont raise your LSAT score.

Between the masters degree with a retake & Univ. of Texas law school, in my opinion. Would help to know more about the masters program.

Do you have an area you'd really like to end up after law school? Both UT and UW look attractive, and both own their respective home markets as far as I know.

Before he got the banhammer, I think General Tso spoke out against UC Hastings, though my memory isn't totally clear on that.

At any rate, congrats! You have good options as-is. If you were able to raise your LSAT significantly, you'd probably have much better options, but your long-term goals play into whether that's worthwhile for you.

beidoun wrote:I would put down a deposit at a school then I would retake the LSAT in June. If you do better then reapply next year, if not then dont look back and go to school in the fall. I think texas is a great option if you dont raise your LSAT score.

Sounds like a plan. My only issue is, do some schools get ticked off at people depositing and then retaking the LSAT?

fakemoney wrote:

beidoun wrote:I would put down a deposit at a school then I would retake the LSAT in June. If you do better then reapply next year, if not then dont look back and go to school in the fall. I think texas is a great option if you dont raise your LSAT score.

Sounds like a plan. My only issue is, do some schools get ticked off at people depositing and then retaking the LSAT?

Most schools expect some people who deposit to not end up matriculating. I am also not sure if they would know that you were retaking. They would know after you got your score back but its not like they can rescind your offer cause you retook the LSAT. And if its a better score it doesn't matter if they're mad because you will be reapplying to better schools.

beidoun wrote:

fakemoney wrote:

beidoun wrote:I would put down a deposit at a school then I would retake the LSAT in June. If you do better then reapply next year, if not then dont look back and go to school in the fall. I think texas is a great option if you dont raise your LSAT score.

Sounds like a plan. My only issue is, do some schools get ticked off at people depositing and then retaking the LSAT?

Most schools expect some people who deposit to not end up matriculating. I am also not sure if they would know that you were retaking. They would know after you got your score back but its not like they can rescind your offer cause you retook the LSAT. And if its a better score it doesn't matter if they're mad because you will be reapplying to better schools.

This sounds like a good plan - I hadn't considered it before. That way I leave my options as open as possible.
Thanks for the suggestion and follow-up information beidoun!

clintonius wrote:Do you have an area you'd really like to end up after law school? Both UT and UW look attractive, and both own their respective home markets as far as I know.

Before he got the banhammer, I think General Tso spoke out against UC Hastings, though my memory isn't totally clear on that.

At any rate, congrats! You have good options as-is. If you were able to raise your LSAT significantly, you'd probably have much better options, but your long-term goals play into whether that's worthwhile for you.

As of right now my primary criteria is just to get west! I've been in the NE my entire life and am 100% ready to get out of here. I don't have family ties or anything keeping me here so no concerns about me wanting to return one day. I do have a sister in WA which increases the attractiveness of UW and L&C but I wouldn't make a decision based solely on this.

Another thing I would like is to live in a community with more diversity. (Believe it or not, upstate NY is lacking in this department.)