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Below Median Applicants
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:04 pm
by YCDAACH
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Re: Below Median Applicants
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:23 pm
by Dr. Nefario
YCDAACH wrote:Do you think applicants should be hesitant in attending schools they were accepted to below median or below the 25th percentile? Are LSAT and GPA correlated so highly with 1L success that people <25 should stay away? I'm mostly talking about accepted applicants to T-14 schools and T-6 schools.
*Purely opinion*
T6, I'd still go. Grades are unpredictable and you could do well enough anyways. Plus employment figures would lead me here if debt is not a factor.
T13 (not GULC) maybe go depending on goals/debt/the usual. This would be a harder decision for me, but I'm risk averse (read: worried about employment, not debt averse) so I'd go for the employment stats and just work. Though logical thing would probably be go to a lower school with a full.
Re: Below Median Applicants
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:27 pm
by ponderingmeerkat
YCDAACH wrote:Do you think applicants should be hesitant in attending schools they were accepted to below median or below the 25th percentile? Are LSAT and GPA correlated so highly with 1L success that people <25 should stay away? I'm mostly talking about accepted applicants to T-14 schools and T-6 schools.
Given you will probably be financing your law school experience entirely with loans if you are, in fact, below the 25th percentile when admitted, then yes...that should be cause for tremendous concern.
However, if you're one of the outliers (people with GI Bill, need based aid, trust fund, etc.) who is admitted below 25th and can avoid a financial pitfall, then I don't think it's unreasonable to attend.
So, it comes down more to money than any other factor.
Re: Below Median Applicants
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 9:06 pm
by favabeansoup
During my time in law school I never felt or saw any real distinction between those who "aced" their LSAT and those who did not. Many of those who I knew did very well on the LSAT and received substantial scholarships were not as hard working in school as those graduating with bigger debt loads.
Obviously there will be people who did very well on the LSAT and who will do very well in law school. But honestly I never saw a linear relationship very much. If you get in, you are in. Everyone was pretty much starting off at the same point.
The decision to attend schools that you were accepted in shouldn't be based on how "smart" you are versus other students. It should be based on debt load and market you want to work in.