Syracuse or Richmond Forum

[scaalo]

Hi,

I am about to graduate from college (Amherst College) and I'm at a loss about what to do after graduation. I currently have a full ride to Syracuse and $30,000 to Richmond Law and I would really appreciate y'all's advice on what to do.
I know that Syracuse has pretty bad employment prospects but I was thinking I could do the JD/MPA program to raise my chances of being employed. Do you think that would make Syracuse worth it?
Should I just wait and retake?
I'm also waitlisted at Columbia, Emory, UMichigan, and GWU but I have no hopes about getting off those waitlists. I've sent LOCIs to all.
Thanks so much.

Stats are 3.1 GPA and 160 LSAT (I know my GPA is low. I had a lot of family/personal issues in college that poorly affected my GPA)

[OhBoyOhBortles]

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

[Kinky John]

Are you a URM?

I would take a WL from Columbia/Michigan with those stats as a good sign - with a retake, you'd greatly improve your chances at admission and scholarship money.

Also getting a year or two of work experience would be a great idea.

[Clemenceau]

I am about to graduate from college (Amherst College) and I'm at a loss about what to do after graduation.

Whoa whoa whoa. This is an awful reason to go to (a crappy) law school. Seriously you are more marketable now than if you had a degree from either of these law schools.

Go back to the drawing board. Perhaps network with Amherst alumni. The ones I know are fiercely loyal to fellow alums. I'm sure its frustrating approaching graduation without a job lined up, but it will be more frustrating graduating law school without a job lined up, which is likely what will happen from these schools.

[timbs4339]

You're at one of the few UG schools in the country where you might end up with a reasonable career path after graduating with a fuzzy LA degree. Do not throw that away by going to a mediocre law school to get another fuzzy quasi-liberal arts degree.

[Traynor Brah]

You do not seem like a good candidate for law school.

1. Law school is not a panacea to "I do not know what to do after graduation." If this is seriously your main reason, going would be a disastrous choice.

2. Your career prospects as a young Amherst grad are far better than they would be as a graduate at either of these (very mediocre) law schools. Nobody is going to give a shit about a joint MBA at Syracuse -- that's even more useless, and it'll cost a year and a lot of money.

3. I am assuming you are a URM b/c of your waitlists with those numbers. If you take a few years doing something else with your life and sincerely think law school is still what you want to do, then you need to retake, get a respectable score, then go somewhere that makes sense for your goals (neither of these schools make any sense). If you are not a URM, I have a hard time seeing an Amherst grad with that low of a GPA being able to find any law school that gives better career prospects for the cost involved (you're not going to get great scholarships anywhere even with a really great LSAT).

[scaalo]

You do not seem like a good candidate for law school.

1. Law school is not a panacea to "I do not know what to do after graduation." If this is seriously your main reason, going would be a disastrous choice.

2. Your career prospects as a young Amherst grad are far better than they would be as a graduate at either of these (very mediocre) law schools. Nobody is going to give a shit about a joint MBA at Syracuse -- that's even more useless, and it'll cost a year and a lot of money.

3. I am assuming you are a URM b/c of your waitlists with those numbers. If you take a few years doing something else with your life and sincerely think law school is still what you want to do, then you need to retake, get a respectable score, then go somewhere that makes sense for your goals (neither of these schools make any sense). If you are not a URM, I have a hard time seeing an Amherst grad with that low of a GPA being able to find any law school that gives better career prospects for the cost involved (you're not going to get great scholarships anywhere even with a really great LSAT).

1) My wording was poor. I do want to go to law school at some point and what I meant by being "at a loss" for what to do after graduation was whether or not I should go straight to law school or wait it out.

2) Its actually their MPA program which is #1 in the country which is why I thought it might make a difference.

3) Yes, I'm Hispanic-Native American-first generation

[OhBoyOhBortles]

1) My wording was poor. I do want to go to law school at some point and what I meant by being "at a loss" for what to do after graduation was whether or not I should go straight to law school or wait it out.

2) Its actually their MPA program which is #1 in the country which is why I thought it might make a difference.

3) Yes, I'm Hispanic-Native American-first generation

What is it you want to do with your law degree?

[Traynor Brah]

) My wording was poor. I do want to go to law school at some point and what I meant by being "at a loss" for what to do after graduation was whether or not I should go straight to law school or wait it out.

2) Its actually their MPA program which is #1 in the country which is why I thought it might make a difference.

3) Yes, I'm Hispanic-Native American-first generation

1) whatever you say; it's still something you should err on the side against rushing into

2) That's totally irrelevant. If you want to be a lawyer, an MPA is not going to help you be a lawyer, and is going to waste a year and a lot of money. If you want to work in public administration, don't go to law school.

3) Yeah if you're going to go you have a huge advantage over everyone else. You need to retake and capitalize on that, if you decide law school is what is best for you.

[CanadianWolf]

Did you apply to Cornell ?

[Pragmatic Gun]

Did you apply to Cornell ?

[JahRakal]

both are decent schools, but NY is crowded, I'd opt for richmond if i were you

[scaalo]

I did apply to Cornell. I have yet to hear back and I've been complete for about two months now. Just waiting for the rejection at this point.

[Traynor Brah]

both are decent schools, but NY is crowded, I'd opt for richmond if i were you

We have determined that this is a darascal alt, correct?

OP, obviously ignore him. Richmond would be a monumentally bad decision for you.

[jbagelboy]

don't blow your B.A. on these options

[CanadianWolf]

Have you been placed on hold or reserve at Cornell ? Regardless, consider sending Cornell a LOCI.

[Traynor Brah]

Have you been placed on hold or reserve at Cornell ? Regardless, consider sending Cornell a LOCI.

What are trying to do? Encourage op to go at sticker?

[CanadianWolf]

No, Cornell at sticker price is not a reasonable option. Cornell is usually generous with URM (Hispanic & NA).

[CaptainJapan]

You have an Amherst degree. Your GPA will get some favorable looks if you can get your LSAT up (fellow-NESCAC grad speaking from experience)

[TasmanianToucan]

Get a few years of work experience under your belt, retake the LSAT, and reapply.

It seams like your goals are a bit ambiguous, what with the mentions of MPAs and JD/MBA programs. Take some time to really figure out what you want to do. No reason to rush.

[Butter]

Amherst College is a great school, you are URM, and, barring some extenuating circumstances, you can study hard and retake the LSAT and then reapply in the fall. I would do just that. You could be looking at some decent scholarships from some pretty good schools if you do this. But, in the end, the decision must be yours.

[scaalo]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it!

I've come to terms with the fact that I really don't know what I want to do yet so I'm going to take some time off and then maybe reapply next fall.

Thanks again for all your help. Y'all helped me realize the truths that I was kind of trying to avoid

[Traynor Brah]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it!

I've come to terms with the fact that I really don't know what I want to do yet so I'm going to take some time off and then maybe reapply next fall.

Thanks again for all your help. Y'all helped me realize the truths that I was kind of trying to avoid

Smart move.

But don't reapply next fall unless you're retaking the LSAT -- you're not going to get options that are good enough for you without a better score. Use the LSAT forum on this site; there are plenty of resources to help you do better.

Good luck.