Take Hastings or Loyola or Reapply? Forum

[ml1212]

I should have known I'd be in this predicament given my LSAT score was not at all but I wanted and I applied late in January but I applied anyway and now need some help. I had a 3.73 GPA, 1st LSAT 162, retook (after PTing around 167) and got a 161 (due to death in RC) anyway...Mexican-American, working in interesting finance job for about 2 years. I am from the bay area, but would be open to practicing in LA or major metropolitan area in the east coast (though the schools below don't have name recognition outside of their respective areas really)

Options I am considering are:

* Hastings in w/ no money, but they have a good public interest repayment program which is what i want to do so that makes things much more attractive

*Loyola LA with $96k over three years

*one more brutal LSAT retake and apply early in the cycle in fall; however this means turning down offers in hopes of doing better on LSAT after two takes that haven't gone well....

help please!!! helpful advice much appreciated!

[bdole2]

If I were you I would retake. Your GPA is pretty good, with an improved LSAT you could be looking at UCLA / USC or Cal.

[apollo2015]

Retake and ED UVA.

If you want to work in San Francisco, go to Hastings. If you want to work in Los Angeles, go to Loyola.

[bdole2]

Retake and ED UVA.

If you want to work in San Francisco, go to Hastings. If you want to work in Los Angeles, go to Loyola.

Again, apollo, shut up. Not funny and not useful.

[moneybagsphd]

* Hastings in w/ no money, but they have a good public interest repayment program which is what i want to do so that makes things much more attractive

Hastings alum always tell me not to go to Hastings.

[whenwin]

You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't retake. 3.73 + 167 + MA would put you in line for some T-14 acceptances. Way better than your current options.

[t14fanboy]

You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't retake. 3.73 + 167 + MA would put you in line for some T-14 acceptances. Way better than your current options.

[Wart]

Definitely retake, unless you're absolutely thrilled with going to either of those two.

[bk1]

Retake/reapply.

[calawdude]

If you retake, I can't see you getting anything lower since you've had almost identical scores twice. Keep in mind, though, that you didn't score higher the second time around, and even with distractions, people generally know what they know so I'm not sure if you'll score higher the third time around--just something to think about.

Since it can go either way (in my opinion), it comes down to whether you want to delay it for another year. If you don't mind doing that, then I would say retake and apply early--like as early as possible.

If you don't want to delay it for another year, I think you should choose Hastings. You're from the Bay Area and the the public interest loan forgiveness program kinda negates the cost / lack of scholarship funds.

Hope this helps you put things in perspective. Either way, good luck!

[nelaw2010]

Retake!!!

With a 3.7 and M/A, retake is the best best. But study for at least 6 months.

[ml1212]

thought some folks would say retake, but wow, seems like consensus, really so many retake/reapply???... like calawdude warned though I am worried I won't do better since I did even worse last time. granted i hadn't studied a ton, but I was PTing a lot better than i did. Also, if im going to really study well, puts me at October test, and then is that applying too late? in terms of reapplying how does that even work? i still have some LOR rights and basically same personal statement? nothing else about me is going to drastically change in the next 6 months or so.

I don't mind delaying...but I'd really like to go this next year...ahhh

given public interest does it really matter between hastings and UCLA,etc?? - looks like out of school public interest anywhere is salary around 50-60K??

[bdole2]

thought some folks would say retake, but wow, seems like consensus, really so many retake/reapply???... like calawdude warned though I am worried I won't do better since I did even worse last time. granted i hadn't studied a ton, but I was PTing a lot better than i did. Also, if im going to really study well, puts me at October test, and then is that applying too late? in terms of reapplying how does that even work? i still have some LOR rights and basically same personal statement? nothing else about me is going to drastically change in the next 6 months or so.

I don't mind delaying...but I'd really like to go this next year...ahhh

given public interest does it really matter between hastings and UCLA,etc?? - looks like out of school public interest anywhere is salary around 50-60K??

Your salary might not be better in PI coming out of UCLA, but your job prospects will be. Also, if you score better on the LSAT you will get more scholarship money at a school like Hastings if you really want to go there.

[ml1212]

can i really score better though? i know it takes time of just religious drilling but i have taken almost all recent tests out there and dont know how useful the older material is (esp. in RC which is downfall). what are stats of people scoring better on their third try? and i gotta think that it just looks bad to take it three times and then will look awful and kill all my chances of anything if i do the same/worse. then do i risk not even getting into hastings or anywhere again?

[t14fanboy]

Only you can decide how well you will do. Reapplying will not hurt your chances to schools you had already been admitted to before.

[ml1212]

i've been in and out of this process since june 2010 when i first took lsat. getting weary i guess and almost ready to just bite the bullet at my options...but i think i could score better given actually studying more

[calawdude]

Applying in Oct. is still good. I don't think you should apply any later than that, though, because you're hoping for better acceptance offers than last time. You want your application this year to be much better than last year's, and time of application completion is important, so the earlier, the better.

I also agree with bdole2 about the job prospects coming out of UCLA/Hastings. Your public interest salary might not be higher if you come out of UCLA, but your job prospects will probably be better.

[ml1212]

applying in october would be ok as in taking the LSAT in october and having everything ready to go as soon as LSAT came in would be ok?

[bdole2]

applying in october would be ok as in taking the LSAT in october and having everything ready to go as soon as LSAT came in would be ok?

yes

[apollo2015]

Retake and ED UVA.

If you want to work in San Francisco, go to Hastings. If you want to work in Los Angeles, go to Loyola.

Again, apollo, shut up. Not funny and not useful.

Peace, bro.

[calawdude]

applying in october would be ok as in taking the LSAT in october and having everything ready to go as soon as LSAT came in would be ok?

yes

I agree. Have everything ready (proofread, error free, and all ready) so that all you need to do is just send out.

Best of luck, my friend. You started studying for the LSAT/thinking about law school practically the same MONTH I did, so I feel you when you say you would love to start this fall and not waste anymore time. I'm probably a little older than you are, though, so maybe time is a bit more on your side than is mine.

[ml1212]

thanks for all the input everyone - i really appreciate it. still not sure, but lots to think about....just concerned about forgoing Hastings for the unknown.

and thanks calawdude, might be younger, but just doing parts of this law school thing for more than 2 years now is getting old haha you going in the fall?

[ml1212]

Fordham now thrown into my mix - not sure if that should change things or not. I am pretty sure I'd like it there, seems to be doing decent in terms of employment placement - long-term I don't think I'd want to be in new york, but for 5 years or so out of school it'd be great. I know its not top 14, but I would think still strong enough name recognition?

thoughts appreciated!!!

[flem]

Fordham now thrown into my mix - not sure if that should change things or not. I am pretty sure I'd like it there, seems to be doing decent in terms of employment placement - long-term I don't think I'd want to be in new york, but for 5 years or so out of school it'd be great. I know its not top 14, but I would think still strong enough name recognition?

thoughts appreciated!!!

No

Retake and reapply is TCR

[drmguy]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=183053

One of the takeaways from the employment data is "holy crap hastings"