Berkeley ($$$) or Retake for HYS - Big Gov Forum

[ssanonymous]

Edit: I think my app is an extreme outlier, so I'll mull this over. Thanks guys!

[whereskyle]

There's just so much room for improvement on your LSAT. If you're not in love with berk, then improve that score. I have seen berk's name next to some bristow fellows, but the clerkship numbers are disappointing.

[untar614]

u got 120k at berk with a 3.75/164?! are u URM? else you must have some pretty incredible softs? Did you single-handedly liberate a less developed country from dictatorship?

Only Yale offers that great of a clerkship shot, and idk how good ur shot is with that GPA. though if ur softs or potential urm status are that amazing, maybe. What I want to know is, is there something on your app super amazing that you could account for really good outcomes a second time? If not, I'd be concerned an option as good as 120k at berk might not come around again.

[ssanonymous]

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[Doorkeeper]

You're probably not getting into HYS with a 3.75 GPA as a non-URM unless you get a 174-176 on the LSAT. Your softs would have the be ridiculous - multiple academic publications, Rhodes/Marshall Scholar, founding a multimillion dollar charity in Sudan, or working in the White House - to get HYS with 170/3.75. That or super connections via famous professors or family.

I would take Berkeley.

[sinfiery]

I'm not sure but statistically, a 170 doesn't change much for HY as far as the USNWR goes. It may help your app, but not substantially.

Softs/need matter for money at Berkeley and numbers seem to have almost no effect. A combination of softs and numbers matter for CCNMVP so odds are, without a 171, you won't be getting a substantial scholarship and odds of a full ride are very slim even with a 172+ because of your gpa.

If you retake, it is to get a 170 for a much better chance at S or a 172/3 for a much better chance at HY. (After kingafield cycle, we learned if your softs are good enough, they would accept you regardless. )

Past that, you likely won't see any better offers and may have a much worse cycle next time, even if you score better, but not enough so.

I say deposit at Berk and retake in June. Otherwise you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself to substantially increase your score.

But if you need HYS to achieve your only goals for going to lawschool then there is no reason to go to Berk

goodluck, hope it works out