. Forum

[Betharl]

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[Nelson]

It's not 100%, but 3.70/170 should give you a decent shot at Northwestern with an early app. It would be sticker or close probably, but would give you a much better shot at Chicago biglaw than UIUC.

If you retake to a higher 170s score, I would strongly consider at least trying ED to Northwestern for the full ride. Also, 3.7s snagged UChi this cycle with ED and mid 170s LSATs.

[iowalum]

How did your PT's go? If you can get up to 172+ as you were hoping for retaking would probably be the answer. UIUC is a good school, but you have the potential to hit NU (with a good job next year) or UChi, etc. pretty hard.

If you just can't stand being out in the real world anymore it's not a bad way to go (very little debt, decent school), but why settle? Apply early, get your biglaw.

[Tadatsune]

applied late = bad

wait for next year.

[CanadianWolf]

Your 3.7/170 should get you into Michigan with a small ($10,000 per year) scholarship. Would you prefer the equivalent of a full tuition scholarship at Illinois or a small scholarship at Michigan ?

[Geon]

Your 3.7/170 should get you into Michigan with a small ($10,000 per year) scholarship. Would you prefer the equivalent of a full tuition scholarship at Illinois or a small scholarship at Michigan ?

In this market its uncertain if getting into UM at sticker would be worth it. Op should demand a full ride from UIUC

[romothesavior]

Retake, reapply. ED to NU.

Even if you don't improve, it is well worth it to reapply and do another cycle.

[Ludo!]

If your priority is biglaw, wait another cycle. Illinois will give you a decent shot if you are in the top 15-20% but I wouldn't take the risk if I were you.

[lauren_jame]

if you went to UIUC, you'd be among the top of the class. I know UIUC is not prestigious but you'd have an easier time getting good grades and getting biglaw. I don't think you understand the impact of debt and just how much you have to pay per month and for how many years (assuming you take on the average amount of debt at NU).

I have a family member who turned down Boalt to get large scholarship at UIUC and will be a SA at biglaw in chicago this summer.

Whatever decision you make, seriously consider the debt implications. Good luck.

[romothesavior]

if you went to UIUC, you'd be among the top of the class. I know UIUC is not prestigious but you'd have an easier time getting good grades and getting biglaw.

This is just absolutely not true at all.

[thelawyler]

if you went to UIUC, you'd be among the top of the class. I know UIUC is not prestigious but you'd have an easier time getting good grades and getting biglaw.

This is just absolutely not true at all.

Don't count on being top of any law class.

With that said, I also reapplied last year. And I also did so after doing much better on my June LSAT. And it was my 3rd time.

It was well worth it. I say do it. It was hard to find something to do for a year, but it's better than trying to find something to do for 40 years when you strike out in legal employment.

[Ludo!]

if you went to UIUC, you'd be among the top of the class. I know UIUC is not prestigious but you'd have an easier time getting good grades and getting biglaw. I don't think you understand the impact of debt and just how much you have to pay per month and for how many years (assuming you take on the average amount of debt at NU).

I have a family member who turned down Boalt to get large scholarship at UIUC and will be a SA at biglaw in chicago this summer.

Whatever decision you make, seriously consider the debt implications. Good luck.

Can you tell me who your family member is so I can tell them you're giving horrible advice on the Internet?

[romothesavior]

if you went to UIUC, you'd be among the top of the class. I know UIUC is not prestigious but you'd have an easier time getting good grades and getting biglaw.

This is just absolutely not true at all.

I want to expand on this a little for anyone who might be foolish enough to listen to it. There are two reasons that this is terribly wrong.

First, the odds of getting top grades at UIUC are not much higher than at say NU, Michigan, UVA, etc. The difference in the quality of students is not big enough to make for much of a difference (although with UIUC's scandal who knows what will happen). If you plucked someone from a T14 and put them at a T20 or lower Tier 1, would they do better? Yes, I'm sure they would. But not by a lot. Certainly not enough to make a big difference.

Second, the claim that a person would have an easier time getting biglaw at UIUC is simply outrageous. Let's say OP retakes, gets another two or three points, and goes to Northwestern. Let's assume for the sake of argument that a student at Northwestern would do a whopping 25% better at UIUC (this is downright outrageous and false, but we'll go with it for lauren_jame's argument). Guess what? That didn't help you. A median student at Northwestern will almost certainly have better biglaw odds than someone at the top 25% mark at UIUC.

tl;dr, nobody do this with her assumptions in mind.

[Ludo!]

tl;dr, nobody do this with her assumptions in mind.

+1 to everything Romo said. The idea that you are guaranteed to kill it at Illinois just because you got a 170 is absurd. The LSAT doesn't have that strong a correlation to law school grades. I know at least a couple 170+ LSAT scorers that ended up at median and below.

[Betharl]

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