Please help with some school choice decision Forum

[jing87]

So far I got into:(per year)
W&M 15k scholarship
W&L. 35k scholarship
Indiana U 25kscholarship
UF 18k (in state )
And some others like Alabama, fsu, u Miami...
Waitlisted:
UMN
UCLA
Northwestern ( on hold)
Notre Dame
U of Washington

I am an international student and have been lived at FL for a few years . My undergrad GPA is horrible (below 3.0), but fortunately since I got it oversea it doesn't count. I got my master here in US. Both degrees are from engineering.
I don't have any family or ties at US, so I guess going to which state doesn't matter to me. My goal is getting a big law firm job at a big city doing IP law. After I read this forum it seems hard to impossible if I go any of the school accepted me already.
So my question are, with that goal,
1.which school on the acceptance list can give me a better shot?
2.which school (schools) on the waitlisted list worth a sticker?
3. Should I retake? ( my LSAT score is 166 and I feel pretty lucky since I started learning English only 4 years ago, so I am not sure retaking can improve too much)

Please give me some advice , I am very confusing here. Thanks

[rinkrat19]

I'm confused about your scholarship numbers. $1.5k is $1500, which is a very small number for scholarships. I've never seen scholarships like these. Do you mean $15,000? And are your numbers per year or a 3-year total?

[jing87]

I'm confused about your scholarship numbers. $1.5k is $1500, which is a very small number for scholarships. I've never seen scholarships like these. Do you mean $15,000? And are your numbers per year or a 3-year total?

Sorry my mistake .
It should be 15k, 35k, 25k, and 15k per year.

[rinkrat19]

Ok. More information that would be helpful:

1. What your total cost of attendance (including cost of living), minus the scholarship, would be at each school.
2. What the scholarship stipulations are at each school that offered you $$.
3. If you can't get biglaw, where you would be happy living. (Because all of these schools are regional. Northwestern is the only exception, and it's only national to a degree.)

A 166 after only 4 years of English is pretty impressive, I have to say. And I would think that your language skills are still improving. You would certainly open up more options with 4-5 more points. A higher LSAT with the engineering degrees could make you a very attractive candidate for some of the lower T14, which would hugely increase your biglaw chances.

[jing87]

Ok. More information that would be helpful:

1. What your total cost of attendance (including cost of living), minus the scholarship, would be at each school.
2. What the scholarship stipulations are at each school that offered you $$.
3. If you can't get biglaw, where you would be happy living. (Because all of these schools are regional. Northwestern is the only exception, and it's only national to a degree.)

A 166 after only 4 years of English is pretty impressive, I have to say. And I would think that your language skills are still improving. You would certainly open up more options with 4-5 more points. A higher LSAT with the engineering degrees could make you a very attractive candidate for some of the lower T14, which would hugely increase your biglaw chances.

Thanks for your response
1. All the schools accpepted me estimated their living cost will less than 20k a year.
2. Only W&L has stipulates for $- 3.15 GPA which is top 70% according to their past year number.
3. I like big cities like Chicago, Boston or DC

[Needajob1]

So far I got into:(per year)
W&M 15k scholarship
W&L. 35k scholarship
Indiana U 25kscholarship
UF 18k (in state )
And some others like Alabama, fsu, u Miami...
Waitlisted:
UMN
UCLA
Northwestern ( on hold)
Notre Dame
U of Washington


I am an international student and have been lived at FL for a few years . My undergrad GPA is horrible (below 3.0), but fortunately since I got it oversea it doesn't count. I got my master here in US. Both degrees are from engineering.
I don't have any family or ties at US, so I guess going to which state doesn't matter to me. My goal is getting a big law firm job at a big city doing IP law. After I read this forum it seems hard to impossible if I go any of the school accepted me already.
So my question are, with that goal,
1.which school on the acceptance list can give me a better shot?
2.which school (schools) on the waitlisted list worth a sticker?
3. Should I retake? ( my LSAT score is 166 and I feel pretty lucky since I started learning English only 4 years ago, so I am not sure retaking can improve too much)

Please give me some advice , I am very confusing here. Thanks

Florida is an awesome top rated school that is affordable and difficult to get in to. If you already live there, then go there especially with 18,000 yr. I go to school in Florida too and it's very well respected. The best in Florida! This will probably sound wrong, but if your Asian and you get off the waitlist at UW or UCLA...go there! Big Asian influence in WA and Cali, and being Bi-lingual will be a plus. My home state is WA! I don't think any school is worth sticker so FL, UW, or UCLA with the most money is the best bet. Don't re-take LSAT if you can get in to those schools unless you want to wait till next year to get more money or unless you get a committment out of one of the schools that "if you get 170, you will get a full scholarship". Just my opinion.

[K Rock]

Florida is an awesome top rated school that is affordable and difficult to get in to. If you already live there, then go there especially with 18,000 yr. I go to school in Florida too and it's very well respected. The best in Florida! This will probably sound wrong, but if your Asian and you get off the waitlist at UW or UCLA...go there! Big Asian influence in WA and Cali, and being Bi-lingual will be a plus. My home state is WA! I don't think any school is worth sticker so FL, UW, or UCLA with the most money is the best bet. Don't re-take LSAT if you can get in to those schools unless you want to wait till next year to get more money or unless you get a committment out of one of the schools that "if you get 170, you will get a full scholarship". Just my opinion.

Stop.

[052220151]

Florida is an awesome top rated school that is affordable and difficult to get in to. If you already live there, then go there especially with 18,000 yr. I go to school in Florida too and it's very well respected. The best in Florida! This will probably sound wrong, but if your Asian and you get off the waitlist at UW or UCLA...go there! Big Asian influence in WA and Cali, and being Bi-lingual will be a plus. My home state is WA! I don't think any school is worth sticker so FL, UW, or UCLA with the most money is the best bet. Don't re-take LSAT if you can get in to those schools unless you want to wait till next year to get more money or unless you get a committment out of one of the schools that "if you get 170, you will get a full scholarship". Just my opinion.

Stop.

Seriously. That was straight babble.

[nebula666]

Florida is an awesome top rated school that is affordable and difficult to get in to. If you already live there, then go there especially with 18,000 yr. I go to school in Florida too and it's very well respected. The best in Florida! This will probably sound wrong, but if your Asian and you get off the waitlist at UW or UCLA...go there! Big Asian influence in WA and Cali, and being Bi-lingual will be a plus. My home state is WA! I don't think any school is worth sticker so FL, UW, or UCLA with the most money is the best bet. Don't re-take LSAT if you can get in to those schools unless you want to wait till next year to get more money or unless you get a committment out of one of the schools that "if you get 170, you will get a full scholarship". Just my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9kpTvm6CYA

[hobie2515]

If both your degrees are in Engineering why wouldn't you stick with that? Probably a more lucrative and rewarding career (speculation).

[jing87]

If both your degrees are in Engineering why wouldn't you stick with that? Probably a more lucrative and rewarding career (speculation).

I don't have passion for engineering. I went to college for engineering because my dad wanted me to. Then I came to US grad school for engineering because science&engineering majors are easy to get full ride. Without full ride, I couldn't afford tuition and living at US.

[Doorkeeper]

W&L at 35k per year scholly looks like your best option currently if one can get IP with an Engineering Masters from there. That being said, none of your options are particularly attractive.

I'd pray to get off of hold at Northwestern.