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I think re-taking to 168 will net you the 120k from UCLA. Thats super doable, imho.

I won't berate you but I will tell you to re-take. If you're debt averse it's the only option.

Tiago Splitter wrote:I won't berate you but I will tell you to re-take. If you're debt averse it's the only option.

other than Pepperdine. I would sit out and re-take. You can end up at UCLA/USC with a lot of $ or full ride at a UC.

allonsy wrote:Long time lurker here

These are the only options I'm considering:
1. Pepperdine @ full ride (yes, I'm aware of the dismal employment stats but a full ride is hard to turn down and I won't settle for anything less than being in the top 15% of my class)
2. UCLA @ sticker (ugh, so much debt)
3. Re-take and wait until next year, hope I get a significant scholarship offer from UCLA or USC (I'm 25... can't stand the thought of waiting another year, but I'm confident I can get my LSAT above 170 if I spend more time studying and practicing)

Current Stats: 164/3.76 (w/ really strong softs)

Other relevant details:
Not so interested in BigLaw
I'm extremely debt-averse

What would you do? (what's the point, you're all going to berate me and tell me to re-take anyway)

Re-take.

Now, beyond that. A full ride isn't free, you have to factor in housing, food, utilities transport.
Second what does I won't accept anything less than top 15% mean.... DO you mean you will drop out if not top 15% after 1L? That might be acceptable if you were able to live with family and not pay for housing.

Third: you almost certainly don't have strong softs, almost no-one does.

TL:DR- Re-take and apply to UCLA and USC.

Depending on your goals, UCLA at a solid discount is a very fine option. Regardless of your goals, UCLA at sticker is insane.

With your GPA, a re-take to even 168 should get you at least a half tuition discount. 75K is a big deal. Do it.

I had that LSAT and a significantly worse GPA than you, and USC offered me 107K, just to give you an idea.

Retake Retake

retake

also re-take

That GPA+169 got me 120K at USC/UCLA. And I didn't really try to negotiate with them, a full ride at UCLA might have been attainable. Answer is obvious IMO.

Also, real talk- you probably won't be top 15% at any school (not that that would be particularly meaningful at Pepperdine), 25 isn't old (I was way older than that and when I decided to retake/reapply), full rides to TTTs arent hard to turn down because they aren't worth a whole hell of a lot, and it makes no sense to consider UCLA at sticker if you are debt averse.

.

allonsy wrote:Thanks all for the replies and the surprising lack of beratement. I have seen some posters really get picked apart on here before.

Don't know if anyone else has had this experience, but literally everyone I know is trying to convince me that I'm crazy for not accepting the full ride at Pepperdine, while at the same time everything I read on TLS tells me to re-take /reapply. It's difficult to make a decision with so many different voices shouting at me. I take TLS more seriously because, obviously, my friends/family/co-workers have no clue what it means to attend anywhere lower than UCLA/USC.
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These people do not know anything about the legal hiring market.

allonsy wrote:Thanks all for the replies and the surprising lack of beratement. I have seen some posters really get picked apart on here before.

Don't know if anyone else has had this experience, but literally everyone I know is trying to convince me that I'm crazy for not accepting the full ride at Pepperdine, while at the same time everything I read on TLS tells me to re-take /reapply. It's difficult to make a decision with so many different voices shouting at me. I take TLS more seriously because, obviously, my friends/family/co-workers have no clue what it means to attend anywhere lower than UCLA/USC.

I know I'm not old, but I'm restless to begin already...

I was 27 when I decided to forego USD and try again. Can't say it was a bad decision. The big difference is that you have the GPA to get a near full ride to the best school in the region, so you can get much better job prospects without having to take on a lot more debt or move across the country.

People think you're crazy for turning down a full ride because they think all lawyers are rich ballers. You know better.

FWIW you have two months to put in a serious effort towards a June re-take. Given what you've scored already another 4-5 points isn't going to take that much time, so if you can dedicate yourself between now and June you might be able to get that scholarship to UCLA without having to sit out a year.

Cellar-door wrote:

allonsy wrote:Long time lurker here

These are the only options I'm considering:
1. Pepperdine @ full ride (yes, I'm aware of the dismal employment stats but a full ride is hard to turn down and I won't settle for anything less than being in the top 15% of my class)
2. UCLA @ sticker (ugh, so much debt)
3. Re-take and wait until next year, hope I get a significant scholarship offer from UCLA or USC (I'm 25... can't stand the thought of waiting another year, but I'm confident I can get my LSAT above 170 if I spend more time studying and practicing)

Current Stats: 164/3.76 (w/ really strong softs)

Other relevant details:
Not so interested in BigLaw
I'm extremely debt-averse

What would you do? (what's the point, you're all going to berate me and tell me to re-take anyway)

Re-take.

Now, beyond that. A full ride isn't free, you have to factor in housing, food, utilities transport.
Second what does I won't accept anything less than top 15% mean.... DO you mean you will drop out if not top 15% after 1L? That might be acceptable if you were able to live with family and not pay for housing.

Third: you almost certainly don't have strong softs, almost no-one does.

TL:DR- Re-take and apply to UCLA and USC.

That is what I mean. Really what I mean is, if I can't graduate in the top 15% of my class, then my job prospects are just laughable at that point and I can save some face and drop out. But that would be more of a time waster than waiting another year for a re-take, wouldn't it? And if I think I can make top 15%, I should probably focus that energy on kicking butt next time I take the LSAT.

Sounds like I just made up my mind.

allonsy wrote: That is what I mean. Really what I mean is, if I can't graduate in the top 15% of my class, then my job prospects are just laughable at that point and I can save some face and drop out. But that would be more of a time waster than waiting another year for a re-take, wouldn't it? And if I think I can make top 15%, I should probably focus that energy on kicking butt next time I take the LSAT.

Sounds like I just made up my mind.

Good choice, and good luck!

TLSFTW

allonsy wrote:Thanks all for the replies and the surprising lack of beratement. I have seen some posters really get picked apart on here before.

Don't know if anyone else has had this experience, but literally everyone I know is trying to convince me that I'm crazy for not accepting the full ride at Pepperdine, while at the same time everything I read on TLS tells me to re-take /reapply. It's difficult to make a decision with so many different voices shouting at me. I take TLS more seriously because, obviously, my friends/family/co-workers have no clue what it means to attend anywhere lower than UCLA/USC.

I know I'm not old, but I'm restless to begin already...

People will only berate you if you ask for advice, get advice, and then refuse to even consider said advice.

If you thought you had done your absolute best on the LSAT I would say Peperdine. But, you think you can get a 170. Get that 170 and enjoy better options.

Tiago Splitter wrote: I was 27 when I decided to forego USD and try again. Can't say it was a bad decision. The big difference is that you have the GPA to get a near full ride to the best school in the region, so you can get much better job prospects without having to take on a lot more debt or move across the country.

People think you're crazy for turning down a full ride because they think all lawyers are rich ballers. You know better.

FWIW you have two months to put in a serious effort towards a June re-take. Given what you've scored already another 4-5 points isn't going to take that much time, so if you can dedicate yourself between now and June you might be able to get that scholarship to UCLA without having to sit out a year.

Is a June re-take for a better scholarship offer really a possibility at this point? I haven't heard of or considered this option until you mentioned it, but I must admit it is very tempting. I wonder if there's any anecdotal evidence of this sort of thing happening, specifically at UCLA...

allonsy wrote:

Tiago Splitter wrote: I was 27 when I decided to forego USD and try again. Can't say it was a bad decision. The big difference is that you have the GPA to get a near full ride to the best school in the region, so you can get much better job prospects without having to take on a lot more debt or move across the country.

People think you're crazy for turning down a full ride because they think all lawyers are rich ballers. You know better.

FWIW you have two months to put in a serious effort towards a June re-take. Given what you've scored already another 4-5 points isn't going to take that much time, so if you can dedicate yourself between now and June you might be able to get that scholarship to UCLA without having to sit out a year.

Is a June re-take for a better scholarship offer really a possibility at this point? I haven't heard of or considered this option until you mentioned it, but I must admit it is very tempting. I wonder if there's any anecdotal evidence of this sort of thing happening, specifically at UCLA...

It happens. Use the search function if you want to load up on anecdotes.

allonsy wrote:

Tiago Splitter wrote: I was 27 when I decided to forego USD and try again. Can't say it was a bad decision. The big difference is that you have the GPA to get a near full ride to the best school in the region, so you can get much better job prospects without having to take on a lot more debt or move across the country.

People think you're crazy for turning down a full ride because they think all lawyers are rich ballers. You know better.

FWIW you have two months to put in a serious effort towards a June re-take. Given what you've scored already another 4-5 points isn't going to take that much time, so if you can dedicate yourself between now and June you might be able to get that scholarship to UCLA without having to sit out a year.

Is a June re-take for a better scholarship offer really a possibility at this point? I haven't heard of or considered this option until you mentioned it, but I must admit it is very tempting. I wonder if there's any anecdotal evidence of this sort of thing happening, specifically at UCLA...

I retook in June and got additional $$$ from UCLA. The scenarios are not exactly the same, but I do not think the distinction is important.