W&L ($$) v George Mason ($$$) v Retake Forum

[smarozo]

Hey all,

I'm having a tough time deciding between these three options. Currently my COA from W&L would be $8,000/yr while George Mason's would be negligible, but I have enough savings to cover either one without debt. My stats are 166/3.8 (although the 3.8 is at a state school). I was an idiot and only studied for a week before the LSAT, so I'll have significantly more time to prepare for the September one if I retake.

I don't really want to go into big law, but it would be nice to have a job when I graduate (both W&L and George Mason have pretty crappy employments at graduation). My long-term goal is to work in government public interest. If I go to a regional school I'd like it to be on the east coast; I have ties in the south, but desperately want to leave.

Would it be worth it to delay a year and try for a 170+ on my second LSAT? I have relatively modest career goals and am debt-averse, so I'm hesitant to pass up money from low T1s. That being said, with 5 months of studying I could probably raise my 166 by a few points, although I am concerned about potentially not surpassing my score and wasting a year.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[gsy987]

Hey all,

I'm having a tough time deciding between these three options. Currently my COA from W&L would be $8,000/yr while George Mason's would be negligible, but I have enough savings to cover either one without debt. My stats are 166/3.8 (although the 3.8 is at a state school). I was an idiot and only studied for a week before the LSAT, so I'll have significantly more time to prepare for the September one if I retake.

I don't really want to go into big law, but it would be nice to have a job when I graduate (both W&L and George Mason have pretty crappy employments at graduation). My long-term goal is to work in government public interest. If I go to a regional school I'd like it to be on the east coast; I have ties in the south, but desperately want to leave.

Would it be worth it to delay a year and try for a 170+ on my second LSAT? I have relatively modest career goals and am debt-averse, so I'm hesitant to pass up money from low T1s. That being said, with 5 months of studying I could probably raise my 166 by a few points, although I am concerned about potentially not surpassing my score and wasting a year.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'll get this started by saying you absolutely, 100000%, should retake. This is a no-brainer. A 166 with only a week of studying is an amazing score, and you can easily get into the 170's if you really start studying. Hell, with a 3.8, you should really try to shoot to get into the mid-170's, which would put you in HYS-ish range (maybe at worst, U of Chicago.)

[20171203]

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[pittsburghpirates]

You should definitely retake regardless if you got a 166 after only one week of preparation.

This. With a few more points on the LSAT you could be looking at good $$ from several T-14 schools or going to a strong regional on the cheap. Plus an extra year of WE could also be beneficial to your application as well. Good luck!

[smarozo]

Even with a 3.8 and a 166, you should have way better options than these schools. Did you only apply to a few schools or apply really late in the cycle?

You should definitely retake regardless if you got a 166 after only one week of preparation.

I applied very late in the cycle, around mid-January. I did get into a few better schools (not T14) but they were either at sticker or with insubstantial aid.

Thanks for all of the advice guys; I'm starting to think that retaking and applying early next cycle might be the best option