Should I go? Forum

[Sherl08]

My bio: 27 years old, harvard undergrad, 3 years working at big NYC firm. Left firm 2 years ago with intention of eventually applying to med school. Spent past 1.5 years taking pre-med reqs but still felt inclined towards law school, so now I have decided that I want to focus on health law and may like to obtain a mph, but my primary focus is getting into a jd program.

3 years ago, I did horribly on the lsat, first a 151, then a 153. Both times, I scored 100% on the logic games, but obviously didn't do well on the other sections. My gpa is 2.97. I have a D on my transcript and it was hard to bounce back from that. I have an A in calculus at Harvard, so I think that makes my transcript look a little better... the rest of my grades are mostly B's. To be honest, I clearly didn't try hard in college which I absolutely regret now, but I can't change the past.

I applied really late and so far I have been accepted at Widener (DE) and Drexel. I am waiting to hear back from Temple. I didn't even bother to apply to Villanova or Penn given my stats. I sent in my $70 application fee to the University of Maryland thinking it was just money down the drain, but today I found out I was waitIisted there. Needless to say, I am very excited since it has the #2 ranked health law program. Given that my stats are much lower than the median at Maryland, there was obviously something they liked about my application.

I want to practice law in the DE/PA/MD region and my family has close ties to the legal community in DE. My family is friends with several judges and a very close family friend is a partner and the chair of the corporate group of one of DE's most respected law firms. I met the chairman of this firm at a hockey game a few months ago and we got along well and I later heard that he had a favorable impression of me. I'm not saying any of this to brag, but I know how important connections are when trying to find a job. So, now I'm thinking that even if I went to Widener, I would still have a decent shot at a job upon graduation.

My question is, should I go to a school that I don't really like, (assuming I don't get into Temple or off the waitlist at Maryland), or should I try to retake the LSAT and apply early in the fall? Since I'm 27, I really don't want to wait any longer and currently hate my job and want to move on with my life.

[dpk711]

retake, also 27 is still relatively young

[glitter178]

lol at harvard ---------> widener

[bfaiken]

Maryland seems like a perfect fit for you...you want to practice health law, and you want to do so in the mid-Atlantic region. If you don't get off the waitlist, study your butt off and re-take. Most importantly, apply early this time instead of waiting until the end. Waiting one more year on the front end is easily worth it when you consider the long-term impact it will have over many years on the back end.

[scammedhard]

Without substantial scholarship, don't go and retake.

[AssociateX]

You went to Harvard and scored under 155 on the LSAT???! Wow!

[Case2L]

I will assume for the sake of argument that this is not a flame. I really think a bachelor's from Harvard will open far more doors than a JD from Widener. Obviously, if it really is your dream to be a lawyer, then go for it, but I would advise making better use of your Harvard undergrad than attending a 4th tier law school. Resume studying for the MCAT and shoot for med school. Heck, even a DO will put you in a better position in life than Widener or Drexel law (or any law school outside of the T14 for that matter).

[r6_philly]

I will assume for the sake of argument that this is not a flame. I really think a bachelor's from Harvard will open far more doors than a JD from Widener. Obviously, if it really is your dream to be a lawyer, then go for it, but I would advise making better use of your Harvard undergrad than attending a 4th tier law school. Resume studying for the MCAT and shoot for med school. Heck, even a DO will put you in a better position in life than Widener or Drexel law (or any law school outside of the T14 for that matter).

Widener would be fine for practicing in DE, especially given the connections that OP has in local courts/legal scene. I wouldn't pay for Widener though.

I think Widener would love to have a Harvard ug, try to get a free ride out of them.

[ballpop]

The big question is how in the hell do you get below a 3 from Harvard.

[bmore]

Interned at CMS (Medicare). There are a lot of lawyers there with degrees from both U of B and U of MD. If health is what you want, these are good choices (for the region).

[apollo13]

lol at harvard ---------> widener

I gotta second that. Seriously, you could do better than that.

[northwood]

Study over the summer and retake the test and apply in the fall. If you applid late and got in- then if you apply earlier ( and witha better lsat score) and get in- you have a better shot at scholly money.

[dissonance1848]

Bad trolling, do better. Harvard's LSAT average for all takers is 167. URM maybe?

If not, retake, try to get at least 167+ so you can get midwestern splitters (UIUC, WUSTL, IUB), 170+ for NU (given the WE).

[MyManKanye]

Bad trolling, do better. Harvard's LSAT average for all takers is 167. URM maybe?

If not, retake, try to get at least 167+ so you can get midwestern splitters (UIUC, WUSTL, IUB), 170+ for NU (given the WE).

He meant Harvard UG I think so unless you meant 167 for all Harvard UG's who take it that wouldn't be applicable.

Let me tell you from someone who has a lot of up and down grades on his transcript, Admissions people do not care about your A in Calculus, but they do notice that D. Your only chance is to bring that LSAT up signifcantly, which you could do with some practice. I'm sure a 160 isn't out of your reach especially if you get 100% on the games. The LR sections are just familiarity based. Do a dozen PTs and go get a 160. You could even hit 170 if your RC has come up (if you've been working in law for a few years I'd hope it has).