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(Not really) But now that I have your attention.....


So I am currently considering ND and GULC for this year among the schools I got into. I am also held at Northwestern, and on wait lists at UVA, Penn, Michigan, Chicago and Columbia (still waiting on Duke). Realize getting off the wait list is highly unlikely and basically not happening at the latter two. I got a 164 on the Oct. 11 test and a 171 on the Dec. '11 test with a 3.44 LSAC GPA, hence, my apps weren't in until early January.

I want big law, at least immediately after graduation, to pay off debt. Preferably Chicago, although I would take another major market over my home market of Indianapolis.

I included ND and GULC on here to gauge everyone's opinion, but I am strongly leaning towards applying ED at Penn/UVA/Michigan early next cycle. I don't think ND gives me a very good shot at Biglaw and I loathe South Bend. My sister went there, though, for both undergrad and law school, so with the scholly my family is obviously pushing me very hard there.

I went to GULC for undergrad, and while I love DC and the city, I realized after visiting that I didn't like how big it was and the job prospects slightly worry me. I figure if I am a splitter, and if I am going to pay sticker at a T-14 school, it might as well be a place with the best job prospects I can give myself with a lower COL than DC.

Should I bite the bullet and go to ND? Am I worrying too much about GULC and how the class size would impact my experience? If I do wait a year, where should I ED? Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

ED. Notre Dame prospects aren't great and GULC at sticker would scare the shit out of me.

RE: ED to UVA, with your relatively strong numbers I'd apply RD and then switch your app to ED if you're waitlisted or rejected. I've read they're friendly about this. I don't know about the others. The only reason I suggest this is it seems like ED admits are less likely to get scholarship money for obvious reasons.

Ride out the waitlists and then ED next year if you don't get off any. Gtown at sticker isn't worth it and don't go to ND.

Tricky, dude. Tricky.




You know I'm going to say NU. Carry on.

Wait a year and apply ED to any of those three. I picked UVA, but that's only because it would be an absolute lock, whereas Mich or Penn aren't quite such a sure thing.

Have sex with each of the Adcoms at each law school to decide..

Didn't read entire OP. I am also W/L at UVA, and I thought somewhere in their FAQ they mention letting tem know if UVA is your first choice. Is ED still an option? That might be your best way to realistically maximize your chances at biglaw.

ETA: I'm also assuming non-URM. Are you K-JD this cycle?

Trust me, those Catholic girls at G-Town and ND know how to get down. Maybe better than the ones at other places.

Tom Joad wrote:Trust me, those Catholic girls at G-Town and ND know how to get down. Maybe better than the ones at other places.

You, I like you.

You bastard! .. Nicely done.

Any work experience? If you have around a year now, I would lean towards ED'ing NU next cycle (even if you don't get ED, you'll have demonstrated commitment and probably help getting $). Possibly retaking the LSAT in fall as well. NU seems like a good fit since you prefer Chicago. They also seemed to give decent $ to splitters this cycle.

You went to Georgetown for undergrad... any undergrad debt?

InGoodFaith wrote:Wait a year and apply ED to any of those three. I picked UVA, but that's only because it would be an absolute lock, whereas Mich or Penn aren't quite such a sure thing.

^This.

Or Penn and then switch your UVA app to ED if Penn is a no go.

No undergrad debt and current teacher. I'll also have a MS Ed in May, for whatever that is worth (aka nothing). My school has offered me a hybrid teaching/admin job for next year, so I don't feel like I would be losing anything by staying.

I thought about a Northwestern ED, but I don't feel that is very likely. Then I feel like I am stuck in a bind with either waiting for Northwestern RD or applying to UVA ED.

Thoughts?

jrthor10 wrote:No undergrad debt and current teacher. I'll also have a MS Ed in May, for whatever that is worth (aka nothing). My school has offered me a hybrid teaching/admin job for next year, so I don't feel like I would be losing anything by staying.

I thought about a Northwestern ED, but I don't feel that is very likely. Then I feel like I am stuck in a bind with either waiting for Northwestern RD or applying to UVA ED.

Thoughts?

It's a risk, though it seems like 3.45/171 is where green sets in a NU this cycle.

I completely understand the ED risk though. When I applied I was guaranteed not to get any T14 $. I ED'ed NYU (rather than NU/UVA) and got rejected. Ended up on 4 T14 waitlists and got in off 1 in June. I basically shot for the moon, missed, and barely ended up getting a T14. For you I'd say that you're basically risking a possible 50k-ish at NU (based on my casual glance at what people have gotten this cycle). It really is up to you how conservative/risky you feel like being with ED. I would personally play it a little riskier but that's my opinion. I think if you could raise your LSAT a point or more then it would be a lot less risky and I'd definitely ED NU in that case.

Thats a great background.. depending on how much effort you are willing to put in, retaking and scoring just a few points higher *might* get you somewhere T6 since you have good work experience. Not to mention it should also make having to ED to get MVPB on up irrelevant, and greatly improved chance of getting money. Plus a much better shot a the NU ED leaving you no debt whatsoever.

jrthor10 wrote:No undergrad debt and current teacher. I'll also have a MS Ed in May, for whatever that is worth (aka nothing). My school has offered me a hybrid teaching/admin job for next year, so I don't feel like I would be losing anything by staying.

I thought about a Northwestern ED, but I don't feel that is very likely. Then I feel like I am stuck in a bind with either waiting for Northwestern RD or applying to UVA ED.

Thoughts?

Can't you ED NU and, if you don't get it, then ED UVA?

franklyscarlet wrote:Can't you ED NU and, if you don't get it, then ED UVA?

The boost from ED'ing at UVA diminishes the longer you wait.

franklyscarlet wrote:

jrthor10 wrote:No undergrad debt and current teacher. I'll also have a MS Ed in May, for whatever that is worth (aka nothing). My school has offered me a hybrid teaching/admin job for next year, so I don't feel like I would be losing anything by staying.

I thought about a Northwestern ED, but I don't feel that is very likely. Then I feel like I am stuck in a bind with either waiting for Northwestern RD or applying to UVA ED.

Thoughts?

Can't you ED NU and, if you don't get it, then ED UVA?

Yea, I could. I think my current ranking of those 3 schools is NU>Penn>>>UVA. Point being, I think I have a better shot at Penn ED than NU and would much rather end up at one of those versus UVA. Then again, 150k at NU....could be worth the risk.

Also, my body just visibly shuttered at the thought of taking that test a 3rd time. Yea, I know there is high reward involved, but then again, I see what happened to Jam this cycle, and it could all be for not.

Don't see retaking the LSAT as likely at this point.

You want Chicago, you applied in January to UChicago and were waitlisted? ED there next year, not one of the lower T14s. It's a real step up in employment prospects over the others, and you're likely to get at least a couple T14s if you apply early in next year's cycle (given your cycle this year, and that you'll have a year of work experience). Not sure why nobody else here has said this.

gotmilk? wrote:You want Chicago, you applied in January to UChicago and were waitlisted? ED there next year, not one of the lower T14s. It's a real step up in employment prospects over the others, and you're likely to get at least a couple T14s if you apply early in next year's cycle (given your cycle this year, and that you'll have a year of work experience). Not sure why nobody else here has said this.

Haven't seen any data points with similar #'s that have gotten ED at UChicago. At least in the last few years. If I am wrong, please let me know. Also, is there actually a big difference between Uchicago and Upenn employment prospects?

InGoodFaith wrote:Wait a year and apply ED to any of those three. I picked UVA, but that's only because it would be an absolute lock, whereas Mich or Penn aren't quite such a sure thing.

How do you know this? There are people on UVA's LSN this year who were splitters, ED, and got waitlisted. Like this person: http://lawschoolnumbers.com/HuskyLover or this person: http://lawschoolnumbers.com/tim0thy222

TLS's obsession with UVA boggles my mind. I will admit, the quick turnaround is very tempting. I myself struggled with EDing UVA or Penn. In my heart, even though I really liked UVA, I knew I wanted Penn more and could not bring myself to ED to UVA as the TLS dogma goes.

If I were you OP, wait out those WL and see what happens. If nothing, do some research on MVP and Northwestern, determine your favorite, and ED there.

No secks?

I'm sorry to hear about your erectile dysfunction man, it's tough out there for us...I mean you guys.

Quick addition. Michigan offers wait listed applicants the opportunity to defer for next year. Is this an option I should consider? Should I be worried about Michigan's employment stats for last year, or should I consider that an aberration?

jrthor10 wrote:Quick addition. Michigan offers wait listed applicants the opportunity to defer for next year. Is this an option I should consider? Should I be worried about Michigan's employment stats for last year, or should I consider that an aberration?

I'm assuming it's a binding deferred admission? In that case then it matters whether you feel it is worth sacrificing the possibility of a school that does slightly better in Chi (NU) or slightly better in biglaw overall (Penn). Or possible $ at NU or possibly doing better on the LSAT and getting CCN.