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Ok I'm a 0L but I would say take the Dillard, get Berk to match it, or wait if you feel uncomfortable with UVA. I don't know what the the culture at UVA is like for LGBT but you might want to look into that. Otherwise a full ride is great if you're going to start out in biglaw and have no other "prestigious" aspirations. It's probably worth it to take the Dillard over almost anything Columbia can offer IMHO.

I doubt 1 year of Americorps changes your luck at Harvard or Stanford. You might want to contact Chicago; and then if you get it in try negotiating. There still might be some value in taking a couple years off, just to work and learn a little bit more about what you want in a work environment. Knowing what kind of work environment you want can go a long way towards knowing what practice areas you want. And picking the right practice area can really help you succeed.

That said, Dillard is a great deal. No guarantee it will be there for you in a year or two.

logicspeaks wrote:Ok I'm a 0L but I would say take the Dillard, get Berk to match it, or wait if you feel uncomfortable with UVA. I don't know what the the culture at UVA is like for LGBT but you might want to look into that. Otherwise a full ride is great if you're going to start out in biglaw and have no other "prestigious" aspirations. It's probably worth it to take the Dillard over almost anything Columbia can offer IMHO.

Berk doesn't consider UVA scholarships for their matching program and from what I've seen this cycle, its really a crapshoot.

OP did you apply late?

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james.bungles wrote:

Dr.Zer0 wrote:

logicspeaks wrote:Ok I'm a 0L but I would say take the Dillard, get Berk to match it, or wait if you feel uncomfortable with UVA. I don't know what the the culture at UVA is like for LGBT but you might want to look into that. Otherwise a full ride is great if you're going to start out in biglaw and have no other "prestigious" aspirations. It's probably worth it to take the Dillard over almost anything Columbia can offer IMHO.

Berk doesn't consider UVA scholarships for their matching program and from what I've seen this cycle, its really a crapshoot.

OP did you apply late?

yeah 1/30 and feb retake

Sorry, looks like I skipped that detail in the OP. If you're not comfortable attending UVA with the Dillard and you're set on some other school and have the resources to pay for it, then I don't see the harm in trying again next cycle.

However, all may not be lost this cycle. Ride out the WLs and see what type of money they give you. If its not to your liking and you are not set on UVA by then, just reapply.

Dillard is solid. I wouldn't wait, but I'm not very patient.

I voted to take the Dillard, but if I could I would change it to wait a year.

I think you can afford to retake that 172. Just two more points could get you your award goals at CCN and/or into HYS. I would plan to retake that 172. Study like mad. If you aren't consistently PT at 175 before the test you can always cancel before you sit and schools will never know you registered.

Also, your late application may have hurt you. I think the benefit of an early application and/or higher LSAT score next cycle warrants reapplying.

That being said, you can certainly attain BigLaw from UVA, so don't dismiss the Dillard just yet. If you are interested in other goals (academia, clerkship, boutique Lit) or want a better shot at V10 and V5 firms (which HYSCCN may give you a marginal boost) then reapplying is fine.

wait, you got a full scholarship at UVA and you think your cycle went shitty? jesus. that's a bit entitled bro (I mean I know you have great stats, but still.)

I think you should take the Dillard unless, as you say, you get lots of $$ off the Columbia or Chicago WL. I'd be curious to hear the Penn story. If Penn or Berkeley came close in aid to the Dillard that would be amazing.

While I think someone your age should spend some time away from school to gain other experiences, ect., it's not just so you can go to a different school. Getting a UVA JD for free is pretty terrific. It's a better deal than HCCN with some money. If you decide you want to become an attorney, I would go with the Dillard. If you are uncertain about that goal, then definitely take some time to yourself - more than one year maybe.

Best of luck.

buffalo_ wrote: I think you can afford to retake that 172. Just two more points could get you your award goals at CCN and/or into HYS. I would plan to retake that 172. Study like mad. If you aren't consistently PT at 175 before the test you can always cancel before you sit and schools will never know you registered.

I think OP has indicated in past posts that he's at his LSAT limit for two years.

Also, I cannot imagine legitimately telling someone to retake a 172. That's fuckking insane. I don't care if you know someone who's done it.

BillPackets wrote:

buffalo_ wrote: I think you can afford to retake that 172. Just two more points could get you your award goals at CCN and/or into HYS. I would plan to retake that 172. Study like mad. If you aren't consistently PT at 175 before the test you can always cancel before you sit and schools will never know you registered.

I think OP has indicated in past posts that he's at his LSAT limit for two years.

Also, I cannot imagine legitimately telling someone to retake a 172. That's fuckking insane. I don't care if you know someone who's done it.

Didn't know this. Take the Dillard. Earlier cycle won't help enough to make it worth it. UVA w/ Dillard is a sweet outcome.

It's not crazy if you are PT at 175 or know you messed up on and could have done better the day you got the 172. I retook a 172. I agree that it is not advice for everyone, but if OP thinks they can get higher and their goal is really HYS/CCN$$ then I think it is worth the risk.

If you're "not sure what the hell you want to do" the only better offers you could potentially get are CCN, P or B with full rides. I would take the Dillard over HYS for those goals.

Can you marry me after lawyers and we can be a power couple? That's what you should do.

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james.bungles wrote:

scottidsntknow wrote:Can you marry me after lawyers and we can be a power couple? That's what you should do.

yes

Obviously it's cinco de mayo and I may not be sober so clearly "lawyers" meant "law school."

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As someone with almost your exact same profile (nearly identical stats, graduated early KJD) I would advise you to take the Dillard. Even as someone who did get CCN with $$$ and HYS, the Dillard was still a tempting offer. UVA is a great school for both biglaw and is pretty good for clerkships/PI if you decide you want to go that route instead. Given that you seem fine with biglaw and don't have a burning desire for any "unicorn" jobs that are easier out of HYS, UVA for free is an incredible offer. Though I turned my Dillard down, if I were in your situation I probably would have taken it and been thrilled.

Sometimes TLS warps our perceptions and makes us think an exceptional cycle was only "meh". You got into a fantastic T-14 for free. Take it dude. Take it and run.

wtf are you going to law school for? Take a few years off and figure out why you even want to go.

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Nelson wrote:wtf are you going to law school for? Take a few years off and figure out why you even want to go.

I agree with that. But if not, UVA is the choice by a large margin here.

OP could work for a year and save money, consequently having a better resume and loaning less for living expenses. The giant t14 scholarships should still be offered another cycle.

The Dillard is a great outcome, but it seems to be pretty true that "fools rush in" when it comes to law practice...

Since you're an especially young K-JD who "really doesn't know what the hell" you want to do, I think you'd be justified in turning down the scholarship. Just be aware that you can't necessarily count on full tuition offers if/when you next apply.

Congratulations on getting a full scholarship offer from UVA! What's wrong with UVA? Do you really want to go to a higher ranked school? You can apply next year if you really want to try again.

Dillard. The alternative is paying a lot more at a sightly better school, and for what? You probably won't have a significantly better sense of direction 12 months from now.

ETA - poll results are pretty overwhelming right now ...

Dillard brah