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GPA: 3.68 | LSAT: 174 (taken once) | Softs: average to above-average (varsity athlete, on national mock trial championship team, president of three groups, prestigious internships, honors thesis, double-major, strong letters of rec) | LGBT+.

I am currently deciding if I should apply to Chicago ED knowing that it's very likely, or apply RD and hope that I will get into HYS. I am weighing the risk of applying RD and getting rejected from HYS AND Chicago against the possible downside of EDing to Chicago and passing up the chance at HYS.

Schools I Am Applying To
Yale
Harvard
Stanford
Chicago
Columbia
NYU
Georgetown
UPenn
Michigan (fee waiver)
Berkley (fee waiver)

Financing
My parents and I will foot most of the bill (~$40k/yr) and the rest will be loans.

Career Goals
Right now, I would like to work as a judicial clerk after graduation before transitioning to PI work, maybe with a Skadden Fellowship. However, I am also considering BigLaw and would want to at least interview some places before deciding against that route.

I am from the Northeast and want to work in the Northeast, Southwest, or Midwest (not the West Coast or the South).

Don't ED Chicago.

Yeah, don’t ED to Chicago. Early Decision is for folks for whom Chicago at full price would be their best possible option. You’re not one of those people. Even if you don’t get HYS, Duke with a hefty scholarship would be great or NW if Chicago is really attractive to you. And Chicago at full price would still be absolutely on the table.

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AlmostSplitter wrote:However, I am also considering BigLaw and would want to at least interview some places before deciding against that route.

I don't really get this. Interviewing with biglaw isn't really going to tell you anything helpful about working in biglaw.