I need some REAL advice please...158/2.21 Forum

[SplitLife]

My main question is: Which law schools do I have even the slightest shot at getting accepted to?

Please do not tell me to re-take (I just did this past Saturday...expecting 160-163) and please do not tell me how shitty 3rd tier schools are.

I am simply asking for experienced TLS'ers to point me in the direction of schools that may bite on what I do have to offer:

-Solid all-around application (PS, resume, LORs)...I know they are solid, so please take that as a given in your response formulation.
-ADHD diagnosis 2/3 of the way through my junior year of undergrad. My pre-diagnosis GPA is a 1.8 and my post-diagnosis GPA is a 3.2 which includes Dean's list twice (3.5 & 3..

Overall, the application is solid, the trash GPA has a reason behind it, and the LSAT score is what it is.
I'd like to be sending out applications this week so that they can be evaluated as soon as my December LSAT score is received.

Please, only positive and helpful advice is what I am looking for. Not because I am timid or anything like that, only because I have heard/read most of it if not all. Also, I know what I SHOULD do as far as take some time off to work and separate myself from the GPA, etc. Once again, my questions is: If I HAD to apply this cycle in my current situation, where should I take a shot?

If you have a question or would like me to explain anything more in depth before you try to help me out with an insightful answer, feel free to post below or PM me.

[Lincoln]

Assuming you are not aiming at a big city, try for a school in your local market that has a good alumni network.

Why are you dead set on law school, if I may ask?

[jeremydc]

You know what bro, if you are set on Law school, go for it.

I would apply to small TTT with decent connections. If your app is as strong as you make it out to be, try Drake, its a decent TTT with solid networking within the city.


Screw whatever negativity may end up in this thread. Go for it .

[IAFG]

Why do you do this to us?! You KNOW that anyone who knows what they're talking about is going to tell you you're making a terrible mistake. If you insist on doing it anyway, go look at the 75%ths for LSATs and see where you're a splitter. TLS don't know shit about the admissions practices of bottom feeder scam schools.

[Megamanvix]

Where do you want to practice and do you want the big city, town, or rural are the main questions to be asked before answering your question.

[mrtoren]

A 158 is tough to work with..a 158 with a 2.21 is even tougher. Assuming you don't drastically improve on your LSAT score, even though you might, you're going to be hard pressed to find a decent program that will take you. I think full-time attendance is out of the question. Your numbers just aren't there at the moment...think part-time, probably in smaller, rural markets. That GPA will haunt you the entire cycle though.

[89vision]

Well, I can understand the GPA thing. I had a 3.5, 3.2, and 3.0 three semesters in a row before I my meds started to kick in, two of which I had a serious drug problem as well. Since then I didn't have less than a 3.5 (I go to a top 40 private). You probably need to boost the LSAT. If you didn't study that much, you should really hit the books. Studying will add points to your score. My first diagnostic from a proctored practice test was a 141, my best practice tests after I started studying was 167, with a 164 average. Studying for it blows, but it is really worth it. Some schools will accept the Feb. test. If you do break 160, you'll probably have a chance at a few 50-100 schools.

Where do you want to practice? For Cleveland, there are only 2 laws schools, meaning CSU is relatively competitive in the city. Pittsburgh also has two, but the second one is awful. Des Moines has two, and Drake apparently does pretty well placing. I would suggest looking at schools in places you want to practice, and how many law schools are in that city. Apply to places you received fee waivers from as well. Check out LSN to see where you would fit. Maybe if you ED's somewhere that could help. Here's TLS's ranking with the range of GPAs and LSATs:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/rankings.html

You may have a chance at Hawaii, WVU, Maine, Gonzaga, etc;, but you should apply to a lot of schools and see what happens. Make sure everything else in your application is strong, obviously. Work on your PS, do the optional essays, visit prospective student days, and show genuine interest in the schools you are applying.

I think a 158 is workable, but the GPA is dragging you down. That's hard to overcome.

That's my opinion, but I'm far from an expert on these things. Good luck.

[STLMizzou]

Sorry, fellow ADD'er here diagnosed junior year too (although I don't know if I should blame the ADD or just give credit to the drugs)

Agreed, find a medium market city school with really good alumni connections (SLU maybe? Most of WAshU goes out of state, and Mizzou law is not known for doing well in St. Louis market.)

Do that and kick ass in law school and you may have a chance.

Another possibility is take a year or two off and work as a clerk/paralegal. Use that time to study for the LSAT and make sure the realities of legal practice is really for you. The experience will give you a bump in admissions, and if it does for you what it did for me it will reaffirm your faith that the legal profession is the one for you.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Here is the advice TLS can give given the restrictions in your OP:

[005618502]

Which region do you want to end up in? Until you answer that our answers cannot be very helpful.

[vanwinkle]

Which region do you want to end up in? Until you answer that our answers cannot be very helpful.

This. Even if you ignore the "don't go" advice, in the range of schools that will take you, your job options will be limited pretty much to the city the school is in. If there's a particular city/state/region you want to work in, that's highly relevant.

[traehekat]

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 4&t=172609

[tarp]

How about Quinnipiac?

[john1990]

You could intentionally delay graduation a year to inflate your GPA with easy classes. Put up a 3.8 and your gpa should jump. Besides that, you just need to do research on Lawschoolnumbers.com if you finish top of your class you can transfer up. Another thing to keep in mind is that most people on here are gunning for the $150,000 paycheck. If you are alright making half of that then go for it.

[ToTransferOrNot]

You could intentionally delay graduation a year to inflate your GPA with easy classes. Put up a 3.8 and your gpa should jump. Besides that, you just need to do research on Lawschoolnumbers.com if you finish top of your class you can transfer up. Another thing to keep in mind is that most people on here are gunning for the $150,000 paycheck. If you are alright making half of that then go for it.

Stop trying to ruin this person's life.

[traehekat]

You could intentionally delay graduation a year to inflate your GPA with easy classes. Put up a 3.8 and your gpa should jump. Besides that, you just need to do research on Lawschoolnumbers.com if you finish top of your class you can transfer up. Another thing to keep in mind is that most people on here are gunning for the $150,000 paycheck. If you are alright making half of that then go for it.

Stop trying to ruin this person's life.

lol but seriously, +1.

[john1990]

You could intentionally delay graduation a year to inflate your GPA with easy classes. Put up a 3.8 and your gpa should jump. Besides that, you just need to do research on Lawschoolnumbers.com if you finish top of your class you can transfer up. Another thing to keep in mind is that most people on here are gunning for the $150,000 paycheck. If you are alright making half of that then go for it.

Stop trying to ruin this person's life.

I stand by everything i say. I know people who went to T2 schools and are perfectly happy. I also know a guy from TTT who started his own firm for dui defense and is making a killing.

[MrAnon]

I would not do law school. You are handicapping yourself wayyyyy to much from the get go. There are hundreds of other professions and you are choosing one that judges you from the start based on a couple credentials that in your case are unhelpful for you. Be practical here.

[thelaststraw05]

I always find these threads amusing because I'm imagining your typical TLS posters sitting there typing:

RETAKE

hmmm... no...

RETAKE UNDERGRAD

no... can't say that...

DON'T GO

shit... that's right out too...

Umm, find a regional school? Attempt to profit survive?

[JamMasterJ]

You could intentionally delay graduation a year to inflate your GPA with easy classes. Put up a 3.8 and your gpa should jump. Besides that, you just need to do research on Lawschoolnumbers.com if you finish top of your class you can transfer up. Another thing to keep in mind is that most people on here are gunning for the $150,000 paycheck. If you are alright making half of that then go for it.

Stop trying to ruin this person's life.

I stand by everything i say. I know people who went to T2 schools and are perfectly happy. I also know a guy from TTT who started his own firm for dui defense and is making a killing.

anecdotal evidence is not evidence.

OP, look at 3rd tier schools who's LSN graphs show people getting in (hopefully with scholarships) with a similarly low gpa. These scholarships are going to be contingent on high grades, but the fact is, unless you have extremely high grades, your employability is nil, and you should drop out anyway. That way, you can commit one year at a lower cost with the understanding that if you don't get exceptional grades, you can drop out.


Again, not advising this, but it's the closest thing to a rationale that I can give you

[JamMasterJ]

Drake, Maine, Quinnipiac, Missouri, and Wyoming might be good places to consider

[john1990]

If you a NY resident you could do CUNY Queens its very affordable.

[JamMasterJ]

If you a NY resident you could do CUNY Queens its very affordable.

CUNYis exactly the type of school OP should avoid, because there is far too much competition from much better schools, whereas the others are isolated from competition for the most part.

[vanwinkle]

I stand by everything i say. I know people who went to T2 schools and are perfectly happy. I also know a guy from TTT who started his own firm for dui defense and is making a killing.

How long ago did these people graduate? It was a lot easier to find jobs from a T2 before 2009.

[bk1]

If you a NY resident you could do CUNY Queens its very affordable.

CUNYis exactly the type of school OP should avoid, because there is far too much competition from much better schools, whereas the others are isolated from competition for the most part.

I can see the logic, though I'm not necessarily sure I agree. So as a counterpoint:

Schools in the less popular areas (e.g. Wyoming/Maine/Idaho/etc) tend to be not much better when looking at LST for the actual percentage of grads that get full time legal work after graduation. While CUNY has a lot of competition there are at least a lot of jobs. In places like Wyoming/Maine you have very few jobs even if the competition is sparse. I'd also hazard that going to these less popular places will force you to face an even further uphill battle due to being an outsider. If you're from one of those places then I'd say go to the regional school with little competition if its cheap. If that isn't possible, I'd say go to a cheap regional school in larger urban area where you likely won't have as much of an outsider problem (e.g. CUNY/Rutgers?/ihavenoidea).

Again I'm not actually sure which response is credited. But I do guarantee the most important things are low debtload and minimal scholarship stipulations.