Advice on school choice/decision Forum

[alex22]

So Im from VA, went to a state school (3.7 business major, sociology minor), and got a great year long paid internship (ends in June) after graduating last spring. Took the LSAT in Feb for the first time and got a 161, which I wasn’t thrilled about but studying while working 60 hrs/week made consistent studying pretty impossible. My school situations are:

Richmond (25k/year scholly, could live at home, total COA/debt only around 65K)
W&L (15k Scholly, total COA/debt around 120K).
Waitlist William & Mary (probably little scholarship, total COA/ Debt around 105K)
Haven’t heard back from George Mason. (Likely get in with some scholarship, total COA/Debt around 125k)

In a perfect world, id study and re-take to get to a better school, but if I don’t go to school this fall I will get a full time job and I know myself well enough that trying to study again while working will not give me a big enough jump that I would need to get into t-14. I would need time to only study to make that kind of a jump. Just deciding where to go, or just go for the next job and probably get an MBA in the near future. Not 100% sure what I want to go with a JD, but I lean towards working for a firm, general counsel for a company, or maybe even public interest work. Id like to stay in Virginia, ideally Richmond or DC which makes URichmond attractive since it is very respected in Richmond and alumni ties are strong. Leaning towards Richmond for cost savings and strong personal network in Richmond, also considering depositing at Richmond and holding out for W & M off WL. Like W & L, but dip in rankings and employment data are scary and tough to justify for 2x the cost of Richmond and more then W & M if get off WL

Let me know. Thanks everybody

[Mack.Hambleton]

put in the effort to retake or just stick with your job

[BigZuck]

put in the effort to retake or just stick with your job

I agree, although I think he would have to get a job because his internship is ending. Probably won't get well paying firm work (and definitely won't be general counsel) out of Richmond and the other choices are too expensive.

Lots of people (re)take while working full time jobs, it's just something we have got to do sometimes to make law school make sense.

[PrideandGlory1776]

Re-take is the only viable option. Also I'd suggest taking it all three times don't give up if your second time doesn't produce significant improvement exhaust your full potential to the max

[Nova]

the retake filter is off now guys

[Tiago Splitter]

Law school requires far too much of an investment of time and money to half-ass the most important part of the admissions process. Start studying for a retake now, even just putting in a couple of hours on the weekends. Once your internship ends, don't rush into anything too time consuming and study hard for October. It sounds like you managed a 161 with minimal effort, so there's no reason why you can't get a 170+. Combine that with your very solid 3.7 GPA and you're gonna have great options next cycle.

[alex22]

put in the effort to retake or just stick with your job

I agree, although I think he would have to get a job because his internship is ending. Probably won't get well paying firm work (and definitely won't be general counsel) out of Richmond and the other choices are too expensive.

Lots of people (re)take while working full time jobs, it's just something we have got to do sometimes to make law school make sense.

Not disagreeing in any way and don't know how much it helps, but I do have a good amount of legal connections in Richmond and know a good amount of the firms in the area hired Richmond grads the past two years and the pay is good. Granted I would have to do really well there (goes without saying). also contemplating JD/MBA at Richmond to have more opportunities at law firms or corporate counsel.

[Tiago Splitter]

JD MBA isn't going to help you land a law firm job or in-house counsel position from Richmond. It'll just be a waste of time and even more money.

Assume that you will end up with grades around median. If the employment outcomes for a median student from Richmond aren't acceptable to you (and they probably shouldn't be) then don't go.

[alex22]

Law school requires far too much of an investment of time and money to half-ass the most important part of the admissions process. Start studying for a retake now, even just putting in a couple of hours on the weekends. Once your internship ends, don't rush into anything too time consuming and study hard for October. It sounds like you managed a 161 with minimal effort, so there's no reason why you can't get a 170+. Combine that with your very solid 3.7 GPA and you're gonna have great options next cycle.

I would like to hold off and do it in October as you said, but I cant afford to not have a full time job soon after my internship ends, simply for financial reasons. so whatever I do next will be time consuming and stressful, probably consulting or business related jobs (what I was interviewing for @ the end of undergrad)

[staysha]

If you're not going to retake, which you absolutely should, then Richmond.

[Nova]

If you're not going to retake, which you absolutely should, then Richmond.

yeah

retake >>>>>>>>>>>>(times infinity)>>>>>>>>>>>>>Richmond >> W&M >>>>> W&L/GMU

Besides,

Dude, Richmond Law!

[aboutmydaylight]

If you're not going to retake, which you absolutely should, then Richmond.

yeah

retake >>>>>>>>>>>>(times infinity)>>>>>>>>>>>>>Richmond >> W&M >>>>> W&L/GMU

Besides,

Dude, Richmond Law!

Oh my god my sides. Who thought this was a good idea?

[Nova]

Oh my god my sides. Who thought this was a good idea?

Jobs r good

[mandyjay11]

Oh my god my sides. Who thought this was a good idea?

Jobs r good

haha I can't deal with that text exchange. If someone was texting me like that I would definitely ignore them.

[twenty]

Just deciding where to go, or just go for the next job and probably get an MBA in the near future.

Not 100% sure what I want to go with a JD,

but I lean towards working for a firm, general counsel for a company, or maybe even public interest work.

This is the textbook profile of someone who should not go to law school. Figure out what you want to do, the likelihood of getting to do what you want to do coming from the school you want to go to, and decide if it's worth spending three years of your life plus 3 to 20 more years just to break even on your student loans to do.