Texas vs. wait and reapply with better LSAT Forum

[dizzydg]

Hey y'all--just got my LSAT score back and I'm trying to decide what to do with myself now. I was planning on attending Texas this fall, but I improved my LSAT from a 169 to a 176. I didn't get very much money from UT the first time around, so I'm going renegotiate with them soon. Cost is not really a big factor in my decision process though. I want to be somewhere where I can put myself in the best position to do my best. Basically, I want to know if waiting/applying/maybe attending a T14 is in my best interest over going to UT, where I'm comfortable and have lots of connections.

-The schools you are considering

I applied only to Texas this cycle. If I waited I would probably apply to the entire T14, although there are some schools that I don't think I'd choose over UT in there.

-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.

Not a factor in this decision.

-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any)
-Your general career goals

I'm from Texas and went to undergrad in California. I think I'd like to work in Texas or California. I have by far the most connections in Texas. Three of my parental figures are lawyers. They all do plaintiff/civil stuff, which I can't say I'm not interested in from being surrounded by it for so long. They say the Texas market is horrendous for them right now though. One of them thinks California has a much stronger legal market and that I eschew Texas for the west coast. Maybe you guys have some input on that? Big law is not a priority for me.

-Your LSAT/GPA numbers

176 2nd take (this June) and a 169 1st take (Feb). Sadly, I have a 3.1 LSAC GPA. I did attend a very high ranked university and I was a STEM major. Softs are solid. Nothing phenomenal.


Any advice you girls and guys can give me would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Kinky John]

Isn't a 169 already above UT's 75th? 169 to 176 is a significant jump though, hopefully it will net you some more money. Can I also ask why money isn't a factor?

You say you don't want biglaw or civil/plaintiff stuff (or is this litotes) - what DO you want to do?

[dizzydg]

Isn't a 169 already above UT's 75th? 169 to 176 is a significant jump though, hopefully it will net you some more money. Can I also ask why money isn't a factor?

You say you don't want biglaw or civil/plaintiff stuff (or is this litotes) - what DO you want to do?

Sorry if my wording was confusing, but I am not ruling either out. I actually am interested in the field of litigation my parents do. But I just can't say I have my mind set on any particular field.

And in regards to money, I'm lucky and have my family's financial support.

[Tiago Splitter]

If your parents are covering the cost I'd shoot for a better school. With ties, you can get to Texas or California with relative ease from a school like NYU, where you'd also get the benefit of a gigantic local market should you struggle to find a job anywhere else. Texas at no debt is a fine choice for someone cool with ending up in Texas, but it doesn't provide a ton of geographic flexibility and people in the bottom of the class struggle more at Texas compared to the rest of the T-14.

[BVest]

Reapply.

Regardless of your family's financial support, you should take advantage of that stellar LSAT jump both for school and money.

[Traynor Brah]

I would say fuck it and go this fall, assuming you don't have a very lucrative and/or interesting job lined up. If you've got a 50% shot at biglaw and if your parents are paying/are lawyers who can hook you up if you can't get a job on your own steam, I don't see your waiting a year to be so valuable in savings/scholarships as to overcome a year of lost earning potential as an attorney. And if you are a texan who has a strong interest in practicing in Texas, the benefit to leaving for a T14 that's not HYS (which you're not getting with that GPA) is relatively marginal.

Go for it. (UT student, full disclosure)

[sandwhich]

Holy cow great improvement.

On a serious note: come on man, really? Reapply. UT is a great school, but I'd take a year off and go to NYU any day. Why did you retake if you're not considering postponing? Also, NU is really splitter friendly and you could likely go for free or almost free with that LSAT. The work experience will help you in the long run anyway.

[dizzydg]

I would say fuck it and go this fall, assuming you don't have a very lucrative and/or interesting job lined up. If you've got a 50% shot at biglaw and if your parents are paying/are lawyers who can hook you up if you can't get a job on your own steam, I don't see your waiting a year to be so valuable in savings/scholarships as to overcome a year of lost earning potential as an attorney. And if you are a texan who has a strong interest in practicing in Texas, the benefit to leaving for a T14 that's not HYS (which you're not getting with that GPA) is relatively marginal.

Go for it. (UT student, full disclosure)

This was the kind of the answer I was looking for, compared to the "reapply" responses. I don't know if it is actually best for me, but it is definitely the path of least resistance and I don't have a plan for another year off right now which kind of worries me. Going to PM you about UT.

I think there are only a handful of schools I would strongly consider in the T14 (NYU, Columbia, Duke, Michigan, UVA) over Texas. Those are schools I feel like I would have some chance of getting admitted to. Ruling out the T3 and the GPA sticklers. The lower T14 schools do not appeal to me. For example, someone mentioned NU. I have no desire to work Chicago big law, so I don't think it would offer me any more opportunities than Texas would. But I could be ignorant here of how much T14 name brand really matters.

I guess I want to know what schools you all would think I would have a reasonable shot of getting accepted to, and which of these schools would offer me a substantial degree of flexibility (relating to practice and location) over being in the top quarter or 50th percent of my class at Texas?--(I realize that isn't a guarantee by any means if I do go to Texas. Just playing with the hypothetical).

I don't see a high quantity of applicants with a split as extreme as mine, so I'm worried that I would be walking into a crapshoot if I reapplied.

[Tiago Splitter]

You need to decide where you want to end up. If Texas, go there this fall. If anywhere else, go somewhere else. If you're not sure, waiting a year gives you more time to make that decision. If you want the flexibility to choose after you start law school, go T-14. Northwestern sends lots of people to both Texas and California every year.

[sandwhich]

It seems you're just looking for confirmation of your already-made decision to go to UT. If that's where you want to go then go you don't need wait for one person to agree with you.

fwiw, regarding "brand recognition" UT is still typically regarded a regional school. And the region = Texas.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... tion/2014/

[BVest]

fwiw, regarding "brand recognition" UT is still typically regarded a regional school. And the region = Texas.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... tion/2014/

Pointing to numbers that show that 65% of employed graduates work in Texas isn't exactly proof of anything for a school where 65% of the students are Texans.

But I agree that it sounds like OP is looking for reinforcement about going to UT. OP, if you really want to go to UT, then do so -- it's a good school. But at least wait a year and get a significant bump in money.

[sandwhich]

fwiw, regarding "brand recognition" UT is still typically regarded a regional school. And the region = Texas.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... tion/2014/

Pointing to numbers that show that 65% of employed graduates work in Texas isn't exactly proof of anything for a school where 65% of the students are Texans.

But I agree that it sounds like OP is looking for reinforcement about going to UT. OP, if you really want to go to UT, then do so -- it's a good school. But at least wait a year and get a significant bump in money.

I concede to overstating UT's regionality. It probably is mostly self selection that results in the high placement in Texas

Median kids will likely still struggle getting elsewhere imo, and for 0Ls I always assume median is where they will end up

[dizzydg]

Thank you all for the quick responses.

I got some thinking to do I guess.

This is what I got with on LSN. http://mylsn.info/qaegm8/ (not sure if people will be able to access that. TLS wouldn't let my use img.)

But it looks like I'd have a reasonable shot at Columbia, NYU, Michigan.

Do you guys think this is pretty expectant from y'alls experience/what you've heard? I've heard higher LSAT scores are more coveted now with less people taking the test and with applicants still down.

[dizzydg]

fwiw, regarding "brand recognition" UT is still typically regarded a regional school. And the region = Texas.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... tion/2014/

Pointing to numbers that show that 65% of employed graduates work in Texas isn't exactly proof of anything for a school where 65% of the students are Texans.

But I agree that it sounds like OP is looking for reinforcement about going to UT. OP, if you really want to go to UT, then do so -- it's a good school. But at least wait a year and get a significant bump in money.

I'm negotiating with them right now. If they don't bump my small scholly, I'll definitely wait. Even if I have help with financing, I'm not going to walk into a bad deal to save a year.

[Traynor Brah]

fwiw, regarding "brand recognition" UT is still typically regarded a regional school. And the region = Texas.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... tion/2014/

Pointing to numbers that show that 65% of employed graduates work in Texas isn't exactly proof of anything for a school where 65% of the students are Texans.

But I agree that it sounds like OP is looking for reinforcement about going to UT. OP, if you really want to go to UT, then do so -- it's a good school. But at least wait a year and get a significant bump in money.

BVest is one of the most knowledgeable UT posters and I would generally defer to him, and I think you should weigh his opinion more than mine (and other posters like Big Zuck), but as a big splitter who is already above the 75th LSAT, and as someone for whom finances are not so scary should all go wrong, who wants to be in texas/is happy to go to UT, I simply don't see UT giving you enough of a scholarship increase next cycle to make taking a year off a sound financial move. But there is certainly more to life than finances; having a year to screw around and put some more thought into your path, even if you don't have a great job, is not a bad idea.

[Mack.Hambleton]

If you went to northwestern you wouldn't have to work in Chicago biglaw that's not how it works

If you're doing any sort of work in Texas > biglaw then go this year

If you do want biglaw even if it is primarily Texas biglaw it is definitely worth it to wait a year and avoid Texas when schools like NYU are a possibility

[BigZuck]

fwiw, regarding "brand recognition" UT is still typically regarded a regional school. And the region = Texas.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... tion/2014/

Pointing to numbers that show that 65% of employed graduates work in Texas isn't exactly proof of anything for a school where 65% of the students are Texans.

But I agree that it sounds like OP is looking for reinforcement about going to UT. OP, if you really want to go to UT, then do so -- it's a good school. But at least wait a year and get a significant bump in money.

BVest is one of the most knowledgeable UT posters and I would generally defer to him, and I think you should weigh his opinion more than mine (and other posters like Big Zuck), but as a big splitter who is already above the 75th LSAT, and as someone for whom finances are not so scary should all go wrong, who wants to be in texas/is happy to go to UT, I simply don't see UT giving you enough of a scholarship increase next cycle to make taking a year off a sound financial move. But there is certainly more to life than finances; having a year to screw around and put some more thought into your path, even if you don't have a great job, is not a bad idea.

Yeah I agree with this I think, if you're not going to go to UT this cycle it's because you're holding out for the T14 next cycle. Not because you think you'll get a better offer at UT next cycle. I don't see it making that much of a difference for a big splitter. They might throw you like 3, maybe 5K more but I'm not sure that's worth it.

I wouldn't go to UT if you want a job in CA. Especially considering you're a Texan, UT+Texan will likely make it very difficult to get a job in CA. If you want to work in CA I would go to a CA school (but finding one that makes sense might be hard for a splitter). If you want to work in TX and especially if you're not big law or bust, go to UT. If you want NYC big law, go to a T14.