HeLp Forum

[WhatAmIDoing123]

Background:
I am interested in public sector work. I would love a government job (JAG, State Department, etc.) I am not opposed to private sector to pay off loans. I am graduating from Emory undergrad with no student loans. 161 LSAT, 3.86 GPA.

So far, I have been accepted into schools I had been confident I would be accepted into: UGA, Emory, GW. I am leaning hard towards GW.

Every other school I have applied to (Vandy, Georgetown, Wash-U) has waitlisted me, but none really pulled me away from my interest in GW (just the idea of living in DC is exciting to me).

However, I have just been waitlisted from UVA and (most likely) Columbia, which I feel like in and of itself is an accomplishment given my relatively weak LSAT and probably very stiff competition in the GPA department.

So my question for anybody willing to give advice is what do I do? Do I keep at GW (they are offering me good money and I would love to go there) or take a supposedly more prestigious overall school at what will likely be sticker price? I know its a waitlist and the odds are still against me, but should I pursue either of these schools?

[Wubbles]

You have about a 0% chance of getting off of the UVA and Columbia waitlists right now, but you should retake with that GPA if you want to have a better shot at your career goals and a cheaper path to them.

[cavalier1138]

Retake and reapply next cycle. You want a shot at the most competitive federal offices (and want to get there without having to spend time in biglaw, which is even harder). You need to shoot for a T13 to have a semi-reasonable chance of those outcomes.

[LSATWiz.com]

The 161 is probably not going to be enough for top schools. You may get off a waitlist, but as others had mentioned, you're unlikely to get a very compelling scholarship offer and as little as 5 or 6 points (if you dipped to a t-20) could be worth $200,000 to you. Obviously, a 170 would be better but if you question your ability to get there, even a 165 would be a world of difference compared with your options now as you'd exceed a median without bringing down a median at many t-20's.

[WhatAmIDoing123]

The 161 is probably not going to be enough for top schools. You may get off a waitlist, but as others had mentioned, you're unlikely to get a very compelling scholarship offer and as little as 5 or 6 points (if you dipped to a t-20) could be worth $200,000 to you. Obviously, a 170 would be better but if you question your ability to get there, even a 165 would be a world of difference compared with your options now as you'd exceed a median without bringing down a median at many t-20's.

I think you're probably right. I have just never been a standardized test kind of guy (which I know is cliche). I remember I was ecstatic with a 161 because all my timed practice tests were 157-159. I am on a year round varsity athletic team so I know if I took a year I would have infinitely more time to study... I guess that is something I should consider more seriously.

In general though, do you think GW (50k scholarship) over Emory (90k scholarship) is worth it if I am looking for a federal job? (keeping in mind no undergrad student loans?)

[LSATWiz.com]

The 161 is probably not going to be enough for top schools. You may get off a waitlist, but as others had mentioned, you're unlikely to get a very compelling scholarship offer and as little as 5 or 6 points (if you dipped to a t-20) could be worth $200,000 to you. Obviously, a 170 would be better but if you question your ability to get there, even a 165 would be a world of difference compared with your options now as you'd exceed a median without bringing down a median at many t-20's.

I think you're probably right. I have just never been a standardized test kind of guy (which I know is cliche). I remember I was ecstatic with a 161 because all my timed practice tests were 157-159. I am on a year round varsity athletic team so I know if I took a year I would have infinitely more time to study... I guess that is something I should consider more seriously.

In general though, do you think GW (50k scholarship) over Emory (90k scholarship) is worth it if I am looking for a federal job? (keeping in mind no undergrad student loans?)

I don't think that GW is worth $40k more. I don't really think you can go to either anticipating getting that kind of offer. The reality is that law school and the bar exam are standardized to some extent too. I think if the perspective is that you just aren't a good standardized test taker and are not interested in changing that, then you should not matriculate to law school banking on getting legal jobs that require you to be good at taking tests.

[The Lsat Airbender]

I think if the perspective is that you just aren't a good standardized test taker and are not interested in changing that, then you should not matriculate to law school banking on getting legal jobs that require you to be good at taking tests.

This. The LSAT is the strongest single correlate we have with 1L grades for a reason.