Cardozo/Brooklyn VS Retake Forum

[stej]

Im sure that posting here will just stress me out, so perhaps it isnt a good idea, but here goes:

Firstly, I applied with a 169/3.54. I got my applications out very late (mid februaryish) and have just begun to hear back. Thus far, I am in at Cardozo, Brooklyn and Umiami with Full scholarships. I was waitlisted from Umich and Georgetown, and put on the priority waitlist from Duke. Still waiting on Vandy, Northwestern, Uva, and Fordham. I should also mention that I am a few years out of undergrad.

Now, I took the LSAT for the first time 3 or 4 years ago, didnt study too hard (just a few practice tests) and got a 169. Last june, I decided to retake, studied more, particularly the sections I had had the most trouble with, and got... a 169 again. I improved on the sections I had worked on (reading comp and LR), and somehow managed to implode on the games (7 wrong) despite normally being perfect or near perfect on them (and no, it wasnt a particularly hard game section, I just had a brain fart).

Having read through some of these forums, Im anticipating many people will shit on Cardozo/Brooklyn. The consensus seems to be that one must be in the top 10 percent of the class from those schools to succeed. Am I wrong in thinking that I would be able to do so? I also dont really understand how the waitlist process works. I was rushed with my apps, so I didnt generally write the supplementary essays (Why Duke, etc). Is a waitlist basically a reject? Im assuming that since Georgetown waitlisted me (I had thought I had a pretty good shot there, but perhaps I underrated the importance of GPA), Im unlikley to get into any other T14 schools.

I dont have one specific question, Im just interested in peoples general thoughts. I certainly dont see myself spending my life in Biglaw, but I dont really want to entirely foreclose the option either.

[Rigo]

Id reapply early next cycle. It'd be a shame to waste a 169 (and potential to retake) on these schools.

[guynourmin]

169 with -7 LG probably means you should retake. It's a fine score, but you know how easily you could improve.

Take one of Brooklyn/cardozo only if you wouldn't consider going to school outside of NYC and wouldn't consider going $200k into debt at NYU/CLS (although even then Fordham for almost free should be a possibility next year if you apply early and esp if you improve on a retake).

[champloo]

Aren't you pissed you missed 7 on games because of a brain fart? I'd retake just out of spite.

[stej]

Since I posted this, Ive also been waitlisted at Virginia.

Would someone with my numbers have been likely to get into at least one or two top 14 schools if I had applied in, say, November? Or was I just on the bubble at most of them anyway and didnt get any luck? Am I likley to get in anywhere off the waitlist?

Also, Im curious about what people perceive my chances to be of finishing top 10 percent of my class at a cardozo type school, given that my LSAT score will be in amongst the best in such a class. I know that LSAT does not always translate into grades, but I have to think that its not entirely uncorrelated.

[luckyirish13]

Im sure that posting here will just stress me out, so perhaps it isnt a good idea, but here goes:

Firstly, I applied with a 169/3.54. I got my applications out very late (mid februaryish) and have just begun to hear back. Thus far, I am in at Cardozo, Brooklyn and Umiami with Full scholarships. I was waitlisted from Umich and Georgetown, and put on the priority waitlist from Duke. Still waiting on Vandy, Northwestern, Uva, and Fordham. I should also mention that I am a few years out of undergrad.

Now, I took the LSAT for the first time 3 or 4 years ago, didnt study too hard (just a few practice tests) and got a 169. Last june, I decided to retake, studied more, particularly the sections I had had the most trouble with, and got... a 169 again. I improved on the sections I had worked on (reading comp and LR), and somehow managed to implode on the games (7 wrong) despite normally being perfect or near perfect on them (and no, it wasnt a particularly hard game section, I just had a brain fart).

Having read through some of these forums, Im anticipating many people will shit on Cardozo/Brooklyn. The consensus seems to be that one must be in the top 10 percent of the class from those schools to succeed. Am I wrong in thinking that I would be able to do so? I also dont really understand how the waitlist process works. I was rushed with my apps, so I didnt generally write the supplementary essays (Why Duke, etc). Is a waitlist basically a reject? Im assuming that since Georgetown waitlisted me (I had thought I had a pretty good shot there, but perhaps I underrated the importance of GPA), Im unlikley to get into any other T14 schools.

I dont have one specific question, Im just interested in peoples general thoughts. I certainly dont see myself spending my life in Biglaw, but I dont really want to entirely foreclose the option either.

Here are some comparable examples. Between 2013 and 2017, law school applicants with a GPA between 3.5-3.6 combined with an LSAT between 168-170 had extremely high probabilities of making it into a T14 school. 71% made it into Michigan, 62% at Northwestern, 57% at Virginia, 58% at Duke, 58% at Cornell. Between all of those, your odds would be extremely strong that at least one or more would accept you, probably with scholarship money, as long as you apply early in the cycle. http://mylsn.info/1e8xo6/

Point being, if you really want to keep your options open like you say you do in the last paragraph, you should wait a year and apply early in the cycle to these schools. In fact, if you take the LSAT again and up your score, you could potentially do even better.

Committing to Cardozo or Brooklyn puts you in a really really tight spot as far as future outcomes, since you absolutely have to be among the best in your class to have a shot at a decent job, and even then you might not get it. But if you hold off for a year, get some more work experience and potentially boost your LSAT even higher, you'll have a t-14 school ready for you, potentially with good scholarship $$$, and you'll be set up for life.

[Hennessy]

Im sure that posting here will just stress me out, so perhaps it isnt a good idea, but here goes:

Firstly, I applied with a 169/3.54. I got my applications out very late (mid februaryish) and have just begun to hear back. Thus far, I am in at Cardozo, Brooklyn and Umiami with Full scholarships. I was waitlisted from Umich and Georgetown, and put on the priority waitlist from Duke. Still waiting on Vandy, Northwestern, Uva, and Fordham. I should also mention that I am a few years out of undergrad.

Now, I took the LSAT for the first time 3 or 4 years ago, didnt study too hard (just a few practice tests) and got a 169. Last june, I decided to retake, studied more, particularly the sections I had had the most trouble with, and got... a 169 again. I improved on the sections I had worked on (reading comp and LR), and somehow managed to implode on the games (7 wrong) despite normally being perfect or near perfect on them (and no, it wasnt a particularly hard game section, I just had a brain fart).

Having read through some of these forums, Im anticipating many people will shit on Cardozo/Brooklyn. The consensus seems to be that one must be in the top 10 percent of the class from those schools to succeed. Am I wrong in thinking that I would be able to do so? I also dont really understand how the waitlist process works. I was rushed with my apps, so I didnt generally write the supplementary essays (Why Duke, etc). Is a waitlist basically a reject? Im assuming that since Georgetown waitlisted me (I had thought I had a pretty good shot there, but perhaps I underrated the importance of GPA), Im unlikley to get into any other T14 schools.

I dont have one specific question, Im just interested in peoples general thoughts. I certainly dont see myself spending my life in Biglaw, but I dont really want to entirely foreclose the option either.

Here are some comparable examples. Between 2013 and 2017, law school applicants with a GPA between 3.5-3.6 combined with an LSAT between 168-170 had extremely high probabilities of making it into a T14 school. 71% made it into Michigan, 62% at Northwestern, 57% at Virginia, 58% at Duke, 58% at Cornell. Between all of those, your odds would be extremely strong that at least one or more would accept you, probably with scholarship money, as long as you apply early in the cycle. http://mylsn.info/1e8xo6/

Point being, if you really want to keep your options open like you say you do in the last paragraph, you should wait a year and apply early in the cycle to these schools. In fact, if you take the LSAT again and up your score, you could potentially do even better.

Committing to Cardozo or Brooklyn puts you in a really really tight spot as far as future outcomes, since you absolutely have to be among the best in your class to have a shot at a decent job, and even then you might not get it. But if you hold off for a year, get some more work experience and potentially boost your LSAT even higher, you'll have a t-14 school ready for you, potentially with good scholarship $$$, and you'll be set up for life.

Based on MyLSN numbers:
T14 with a generous chance at $$
Or Fordham with a full ride, if you decide to commit to NYC.
Or T20 schools with a full ride, if you decide not to.

All much much much better options than Cardozo/BK.