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My information:
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Yes. You would be making a terrible decision to pay sticker at a school that can't get you into the market you want to work. Even more with PI because PI hiring is a tiny number of students many of whom will have the chance tomake connections through volunteering, interning, externing or so clinics locally.

PI is difficult to get because the government doesn't have money, the non- profits don't have money and the people who are already on LRAP are holding onto their jobs for 10 years, when there used to be considerable turnover .

Someone else can advise as to what you should do instead.

If you go to Cornell at sticker be prepared to end up going hard for biglaw in NYC. That will be your best and possibly only way to manage your debt outside of the 20 year IBR or PAYE programs.

Idk Cornell is a biglaw-focused school, and while Im sure they have some great PI networks, they will be NYC focused. If you really want TX or CA, I would retake (sounds like you arent 100 confident in the efficacy of your prep), apply and shoot for UT with CoA under $100K or an outside shot at Boalt w/matching scholly (or even SLS if you increased). If you are 1/2 Native American, you should definitely qualify as URM. That may account for the Cornell acceptance with sub median LSAT.

Given your geographic/employment preference, $230K is a ton of debt for a school that predominantly services new york city

I've spoken to many current Cornell law students and they all seem to say that Cornell is lacking in the PI sector. The school, as a whole, is very much geared towards firm jobs (sometimes at the expense of other types of jobs like clerkships or PI). It also feeds into NY primarily.

I think sticker would be defensible if you were gunning for New York or if you were gunning for biglaw. But gunning for PI outside New York is just a risk I would not personally take, no matter how much I love the school.

Can't believe UT dinged you though. That sucks. Did you apply late? C&F? You are a double URM (I think) so that's curious to me.

What kind of PI? Not all types are equally competitive. Although, your mind could certainly change once you start doing law school.

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Unfortunately, it seems like you already know the answer - going to Cornell to do P.I. isn't a good fit. Doubly so at near-sticker price. It seems like retaking for NYU or even Berk with $$ would be the best option for you here, especially since you're a splitter, you have a retake left, and you indicated that immprovement is possible.

When you say older, how old do you mean?

I'm no expert on this sort of thing, but it seems to me like you're not being treated as a URM by the schools. A 3.7/163 URM should probably have gotten into Texas. If you reapply next year I would try for a diversity statement or something like that.

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Don't do it. With those career goals you're better off going to nearly any school in a market that has alums and professors with connections to the organizations. (Only half-joking when I say that, for instance, if you wanted to do that kind of PI in NYC you'd practically be better off going to Brooklyn or Cardozo!)

Anyway: as other posters say: retake. I was a non-traditional applicant who put off law school for even longer in order to retake. Best decision I ever made. Pm if you want details. Good luck!

Hrun wrote:Responding to some questions.

I'm interested in working in legal aid or for a nonprofit that focuses on immigration issues. However, I'm not opposed to PD or a government job.

I'm in my eary 30s.

I applied in mid-january.

Let's ignore the NA issue since although I identify as one, I'm not a registered member. Actually, I'm an immigrant from Central America.

No C&F.

I don't know how you get those jobs from Cornell but other people will. I know there are some PI career fairs.

But I know in New York the immigration clinic I do some pro bono work with in the city has no room to even take volunteers - simply no office space. I think those jobs are hard to come by everywhere and not worth the risk of Cornell sticker.

Is Cornell at sticker under performing for a 163/3.7 URM, especially if OP is part Native American?