I don't know what to do Forum

[Lwoods1020]

I really want to live and practice in SC, but am looking at 100 k in debt inc housing after 3 years. Penn State is good, but not exactly what I want.

[timbs4339]

In order to receive the best feedback in this forum, please provide as much of the following information in your original post as possible:

-The schools you are considering
-The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each. COA = cost of tuition + fees + books + cost of living (COL) + accumulated interest - scholarships. Here is a helpful calculator.
-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings
-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any)
-Your general career goals
-Your LSAT/GPA numbers
-How many times you have taken the LSAT

[phillywc]

Do you have any connections to PA? Do you want to practice in PA?


No? Don't go to Penn State.

[Lwoods1020]

In order to receive the best feedback in this forum, please provide as much of the following information in your original post as possible:

-The schools you are considering
-The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each. COA = cost of tuition + fees + books + cost of living (COL) + accumulated interest - scholarships. Here is a helpful calculator.
-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings
-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any)
-Your general career goals
-Your LSAT/GPA numbers
-How many times you have taken the LSAT

Penn - 20 k for year for expenses, housing food etc

SC- 37 K

The cost above will be accounted for by loans


I want to live and practice and SC but in this economic climate, I am having issues justifying 100 k. I also have connections (employment and political) in SC, not in PA

I either want to go into legislation and government work or family law

159 LSAT, taken once - choked in the last 5 mins of every section
3.75 GPA

Awesome softs.

[Lwoods1020]

Do you have any connections to PA? Do you want to practice in PA?


No? Don't go to Penn State.

I wouldn't mind PA, I am from the North, it's just not my optimal choice. And zero connections. I appreciate your insight. The 100 K is looming.

[Winston1984]

Retake, especially if you choked.

[Lwoods1020]

Retake, especially if you choked.

I was pting around 162-163, but I felt like December was too late. And my apps have been in since November, how is now not too late?

[stillwater]

Softs don't matter.

Also, retake.

[Lwoods1020]

February is way too late though?

[Gustave]

It's never too late. You should apply for the 2015 cycle, retake in June and (if necessary) October, and spend the next few months studying for the LSAT, saving to reduce that CoA, enjoying life and reading poetry. Your LSAT is pretty much the only factor your can directly control for the next 10+ years of your life. Don't settle for what it sounds like is a less than satisfactory outcome because you're afraid of taking a year. Walk away from the table and come back better equipped next year.

The problem is that your expectations aren't matching your outcomes. And your expectations seem currently aligned with what you know about yourself (strong softs, capable student, potential for great LSAT score) and not what an adcom cares about (LSAT+UGPA+Likelihood to matriculate if accepted as perceived by essays.) Get those two aligned by retaking and you'll be ever so grateful in 2015, 2020, 2040 and beyond.

[deadpanic]

How strong are your connections? A lot of people overestimate how strong they really are.

100k is too much for SC anyhow. The legal market there is small and parochial. There are just not that many legal jobs in SC. USCe is fine if you are from there and want to practice there, but not at that price and with only loose ties.

[JuTMSY4]

Penn - 20 k for year for expenses, housing food etc

SC- 37 K

The cost above will be accounted for by loans


I want to live and practice and SC but in this economic climate, I am having issues justifying 100 k. I also have connections (employment and political) in SC, not in PA

I either want to go into legislation and government work or family law

159 LSAT, taken once - choked in the last 5 mins of every section
3.75 GPA

Awesome softs.

How on earth does living in SC cost 37k per year? Or are you saying 37k per year which includes the 20k PER YEAR in tuition - if so, your poll is misleading. When I was in law school, living outside of a major metropolitan city, I spent waaaay less on living expenses. 37k is more than many 1st year lawyers gross in a year, let alone net. That number is ridiculous. Even the 20k in Carlisle or state college is too high.

[PepperJack]

Unless it's something like your parent is a partner, connections really only help when you're already in hiring range and it's between you and someone with similar statistics. Family law for 100k is a bad idea, because you'll make very little till you have a name if you get a name. You're 99.99% not going to be a congress woman.

[Gooner91]

Penn - 20 k for year for expenses, housing food etc

SC- 37 K

The cost above will be accounted for by loans


I want to live and practice and SC but in this economic climate, I am having issues justifying 100 k. I also have connections (employment and political) in SC, not in PA

I either want to go into legislation and government work or family law

159 LSAT, taken once - choked in the last 5 mins of every section
3.75 GPA

Awesome softs.

How on earth does living in SC cost 37k per year? When I was in law school, living outside of a major metropolitan city, I spent waaaay less on living expenses. 37k is more than many 1st year lawyers gross in a year, let alone net. That number is ridiculous. Even the 20k in Carlisle or state college is too high.

I think it is including the 20k tuition + 17k CoL.

[JuTMSY4]

I think it is including the 20k tuition + 17k CoL.

yeah - I had to edit. Again though, it's 60k plus CoL.

[arklaw13]

Your gap is decent. Don't waste it with a low LSAT score.

[phillywc]

Your gap is decent. Don't waste it with a low LSAT score.

poast gap?

[Lwoods1020]

Yes the 37 k includes tuition, transportation, rent etc


gap? as in the gap I'm in now - I graduated in May and going next year to law school?

or my gap in my 3.75 GPA and decent LSAT score?



Is taking the LSAT in february and still enrolling in 2014 an option? And sending it to schools I've already applied to?

I would say more about my connections but I feel like I'd be disclosing too much about who I worked for in politics, it's a small state .

Thank you all, seriously for your help.

[Gustave]

"Gap" was a typo, and was referring to your very solid UGPA. Not whatever poast gap you may or may not have.

The February LSAT won't help with scholarships, which appears to be your chief concern. By March, almost all of the $$$ will have been dispersed.
TCR is study and save, retake in June and (if necessary) October and, if you're super set on South Carolina and don't already live in the Palmetto state, moving there to secure residency.
Get a 165+, apply before Turkey Day 2015, include Vandy and some other T-14's in your application pool, and life win. Report back to this thread in a year and offer to buy everyone who's productively helping a beer.

[arklaw13]

Yeah phone autocorrected GPA.

[timbs4339]

Very solid UGPA. You need to retake after more studying (continue to work on developing connections in the meantime) and enjoy a full-ride to SC with minimal debt, Vandy, or even T14 with enough of a bump. You're almost there, don't blow it now!

[Winston1984]

"Gap" was a typo, and was referring to your very solid UGPA. Not whatever poast gap you may or may not have.

The February LSAT won't help with scholarships, which appears to be your chief concern. By March, almost all of the $$$ will have been dispersed.
TCR is study and save, retake in June and (if necessary) October and, if you're super set on South Carolina and don't already live in the Palmetto state, moving there to secure residency.
Get a 165+, apply before Turkey Day 2015, include Vandy and some other T-14's in your application pool, and life win. Report back to this thread in a year and offer to buy everyone who's productively helping a beer.

I disagree with the Feb LSAT not helping with scholarships. From what I can tell, it can certainly help, especially with a school like South Carolina. It probably wouldn't make as much difference in the T-14, but it is definitely an option worth exploring. The question is whether OP can improve enough to make it worth it. OP, I would retake in Feb (assuming you have time to study) and if you get it up a few points then negotiate some more $$$ from South Carolina. If you don't have enough time to prep for this one, take the June LSAT, and if your score improves dramatically sit out a cycle. Not retaking at least once would be a huge mistake.

[TheSpanishMain]

Have you tried negotiating with South Carolina and using your Penn State scholarship for leverage? You definitely help their GPA median, so you might be able to wring more money out of them.

But yeah, either way, retake in February. Don't go to SC unless it becomes free/very cheap.

[Nova]

Aren't you above both SC's medians and above their gpa 75th?

Seems like you should be able to talk them down.

Retake in Feb/June for more leverage

[TheSpanishMain]

Also, research the possibility of acquiring SC residency after a year.