so im hella late getting to this forum.. Forum

[irieras]

was wondering about my chances..

2.97 LSAC gpa, 158 LSA, top 10 UG, english/theater double maj

first gen african
3 recs, (two profs and one former boss)

applied to many schools (all in the last month) that are probably out of reach but here goes


Cardozo
Brooklyn Law
UC Hastings
UCLA
UC Davis
USC
Pepperdine
Loyola Marymount
Cal
Michigan
Georgetown
Northwestern
American
George Washington
Fordham

duke and uva left, in-state for virginia so hoping i have a shot but it's crazy late in the process to not have my app in...duke is my UG, i hear they have a slight bump for alum but don't think that will help with my numbers but who knows..

any thoughts would be appreciated

[mez06]

Cardozo- IN
Brooklyn Law- IN
UC Hastings-IN (via the diversity program)
UCLA - OUT
UC Davis- IN/WL
USC- OUT
Pepperdine- IN
Loyola Marymount- IN W/$$
Cal- OUT
Michigan- OUT
Georgetown- OUT
Northwestern- OUT
American- IN
George Washington- OUT
Fordham- IN/WL
UVA- WL/IN
DUKE- OUT

[yngblkgifted]

Cardozo- IN
Brooklyn Law- IN
UC Hastings-IN (via the diversity program)
UCLA - OUT
UC Davis- IN/WL
USC- OUT
Pepperdine- IN
Loyola Marymount- IN W/$$
Cal- OUT
Michigan- OUT
Georgetown- OUT
Northwestern- OUT
American- IN
George Washington- OUT
Fordham- IN/WL
UVA- WL/IN huh?
DUKE- OUT

Where are you getting the idea from that a 2.97/158 is getting into UVA? (even considering instate) I think it would be advantageous to raise your LSAT.

OP-
Just out of curiosity, have you taken the LSAT more than once? Also, do you feel you have maxed out on your potential?
If you are smart enough to get into Duke UG, I am sure you could do better than a 158. Because you have a lower GPA it may be worth it to...dare I say it...retake. From what I have heard, top schools are more forgiving with lower LSATS from URMS but not so much GPAs.
Obviously, you have already applied and your best bet is to just see what happens this cycle. However, if it doesn't turn out in a way you are satisfied with, I would retake, reapply next year and get your apps in early. As of right now, the T 14 doesn't seem very attainable, but with the right LSAT (High 160's and above), it is definitely with in reach IMO.

[D-ROCCA]

Cardozo- IN
Brooklyn Law- IN
UC Hastings-IN (via the diversity program)
UCLA - OUT
UC Davis- IN/WL
USC- OUT
Pepperdine- IN
Loyola Marymount- IN W/$$
Cal- OUT
Michigan- OUT
Georgetown- OUT
Northwestern- OUT
American- IN
George Washington- OUT
Fordham- IN/WL
UVA- WL/IN
DUKE- OUT

ya thats wrong

[mez06]

Cardozo- IN
Brooklyn Law- IN
UC Hastings-IN (via the diversity program)
UCLA - OUT
UC Davis- IN/WL
USC- OUT
Pepperdine- IN
Loyola Marymount- IN W/$$
Cal- OUT
Michigan- OUT
Georgetown- OUT
Northwestern- OUT
American- IN
George Washington- OUT
Fordham- IN/WL
UVA- WL/IN huh?
DUKE- OUT

Where are you getting the idea from that a 2.97/158 is getting into UVA? (even considering instate) I think it would be advantageous to raise your LSAT.

OP-
Just out of curiosity, have you taken the LSAT more than once? Also, do you feel you have maxed out on your potential?
If you are smart enough to get into Duke UG, I am sure you could do better than a 158. Because you have a lower GPA it may be worth it to...dare I say it...retake. From what I have heard, top schools are more forgiving with lower LSATS from URMS but not so much GPAs.
Obviously, you have already applied and your best bet is to just see what happens this cycle. However, if it doesn't turn out in a way you are satisfied with, I would retake, reapply next year and get your apps in early. As of right now, the T 14 doesn't seem very attainable, but with the right LSAT (High 160's and above), it is definitely with in reach IMO.

Geez, can I not give the OP SOME TYPE of hope!? The first remark is the most likely result and the second is well...possibly a second result. I did give the OP a boost for in-state. Def. think they can write a pretty good PS.

Either way, just sit out this cycle and work a yr OP.

[freon]

Geez, can I not give the OP SOME TYPE of hope!?

Not when giving hope and being realistic are dichotomous. Per LSN, nobody with both a sub 3.0 & sub 160 has gained admission to UVA.

[crumpetsandtea]

Geez, can I not give the OP SOME TYPE of hope!?

Not when giving hope and being realistic are dichotomous. Per LSN, nobody with both a sub 3.0 & sub 160 has gained admission to UVA.

+1. I have a similar GPA and a 168, and I'm planning on retaking for a 170+ just so I have a /shot/ at getting in ED to UVa. Yes, I'm out of state, but still...OP isn't even really a splitter with a 158/2.XX...Sometimes false hope is more destructive than no hope at all.

I'm also seconding the idea of assessing your history with the LSAT (how much did you study, how many times did you take it, do you think you could improve?) and see if you want to retake. If you don't want to retake, you're probably auto-dinged at a LOT of the higher ranked schools, including UCD/Hastings.

I would reccomend: ride your cycle out, see how you do. If you don't get into any good schools, see if you want to retake and reapply.

[irieras]

Hey, I took the LSAT twice, once in september 09 and again in october 2010. got a 157 the first time, but both times i was dealing with a family member ill from cancer (both eventually passed). I included this in an addendum. I took TestMasters twice, but definitely don't think I did as well as possible, as my weakest section was games and I think those are the most improvable.

I spent a year at USC and NYU taking classes in film/media and doing semester long internships. I discuss this in my personal statement, some of which ill post here:


“And I'm the great would-be poet. Yes. That's right! Poet. Some kind of bastard literature... All it needs is a simple knife thrust. Just let me bleed you, you loud whore, and one poem vanished."

I said these words with vitriol entirely designed to shock the assembled crowd, made up of former and current professors, fellow students, and a few Durham residents -- black and white. I imagine the poet and playwright Amiri Baraka intended the same as he wrote those lines for his highly controversial play The Dutchman, which played at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City in 1964. The play deals violently with issues surrounding race and gender politics in the microcosm of the Manhattan subways, and I was very eager to help produce and perform the monologue as it was fare not typically explored at my school, in essence playing a part in bringing an oft-avoided topic to light. Since this time I have increasingly found myself drawn not to the creative process, but, rather, to the process of creation. The fine details of delivering a story to a wide audience appeal to me more than the construction of the narrative itself, and in looking at some of today's major works, I think the distinction is especially important. I’m prepared to use the framework provided by the tenets of intellectual property law to play a behind-the-scenes role, hammering out the licensing deals, financing agreements, employment contracts and other crucial factors that allow major artistic endeavors to come to fruition. I’m confident that my studies at the Gould School of Law along with my background in media will allow me to best achieve these ends.


....This pre-production process involves screenwriters and others who are directly involved with the story. However, the contractual situations are managed by attorneys in conjunction with producers; if the voiceless do not have representation within these ranks, how can one expect a rich array of stories to surface? Their stories could move one to tears and wrench the heart, or they could simply mindlessly entertain: that is of no consequence and has no bearing on the validity and necessity of a level playing field. There must be a vertical integration of sorts, with people of color involved at every stage of the process. My desire to utilize intellectual property law to forward and embody this principle in the media, along with my personal background, would bring a unique voice and perspective to the Gould School of Law.
The knowledge and skills I’ve acquired dealing with the media from a business, legal, and cultural perspective have both prepared me for the field of intellectual property law and confirmed my passion for it. As such, I want to be a facilitator --one that allows these untold stories to go forth through the unsung aspects at the genesis of these projects. Becoming an attorney would be the most practical and effective way to accomplish my aims, enabling me to align my desire to see change with an essential means to effect it. If I can serve as an avenue through which we can gain greater understanding of one another then I will have become an advocate worthy of the name.""


On another note, how much does quality of writing aid in the admissions process? I'm prepared to re-apply in the next cycle if necessary, but am hoping something works out in this one...


Also thinking of applying EA to UVA with the hopes that it will boost a bit along with being instate, but i know its a stretch nonetheless.

I really appreciate the responses, no problems with straight talk -in fact its preferred. Much obliged!

[irieras]

oh and I did apply to UC Hastings via the LEOP program but did not write the optional statement - just answered the questions

[99.9luft]

retake

[bk1]

Hey, I took the LSAT twice, once in september 09 and again in october 2010. got a 157 the first time, but both times i was dealing with a family member ill from cancer (both eventually passed). I included this in an addendum. I took TestMasters twice, but definitely don't think I did as well as possible, as my weakest section was games and I think those are the most improvable.

I spent a year at USC and NYU taking classes in film/media and doing semester long internships. I discuss this in my personal statement, some of which ill post here:


“And I'm the great would-be poet. Yes. That's right! Poet. Some kind of bastard literature... All it needs is a simple knife thrust. Just let me bleed you, you loud whore, and one poem vanished."

I said these words with vitriol entirely designed to shock the assembled crowd, made up of former and current professors, fellow students, and a few Durham residents -- black and white. I imagine the poet and playwright Amiri Baraka intended the same as he wrote those lines for his highly controversial play The Dutchman, which played at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City in 1964. The play deals violently with issues surrounding race and gender politics in the microcosm of the Manhattan subways, and I was very eager to help produce and perform the monologue as it was fare not typically explored at my school, in essence playing a part in bringing an oft-avoided topic to light. Since this time I have increasingly found myself drawn not to the creative process, but, rather, to the process of creation. The fine details of delivering a story to a wide audience appeal to me more than the construction of the narrative itself, and in looking at some of today's major works, I think the distinction is especially important. I’m prepared to use the framework provided by the tenets of intellectual property law to play a behind-the-scenes role, hammering out the licensing deals, financing agreements, employment contracts and other crucial factors that allow major artistic endeavors to come to fruition. I’m confident that my studies at the Gould School of Law along with my background in media will allow me to best achieve these ends.


....This pre-production process involves screenwriters and others who are directly involved with the story. However, the contractual situations are managed by attorneys in conjunction with producers; if the voiceless do not have representation within these ranks, how can one expect a rich array of stories to surface? Their stories could move one to tears and wrench the heart, or they could simply mindlessly entertain: that is of no consequence and has no bearing on the validity and necessity of a level playing field. There must be a vertical integration of sorts, with people of color involved at every stage of the process. My desire to utilize intellectual property law to forward and embody this principle in the media, along with my personal background, would bring a unique voice and perspective to the Gould School of Law.
The knowledge and skills I’ve acquired dealing with the media from a business, legal, and cultural perspective have both prepared me for the field of intellectual property law and confirmed my passion for it. As such, I want to be a facilitator --one that allows these untold stories to go forth through the unsung aspects at the genesis of these projects. Becoming an attorney would be the most practical and effective way to accomplish my aims, enabling me to align my desire to see change with an essential means to effect it. If I can serve as an avenue through which we can gain greater understanding of one another then I will have become an advocate worthy of the name.""


On another note, how much does quality of writing aid in the admissions process? I'm prepared to re-apply in the next cycle if necessary, but am hoping something works out in this one...


Also thinking of applying EA to UVA with the hopes that it will boost a bit along with being instate, but i know its a stretch nonetheless.

I really appreciate the responses, no problems with straight talk -in fact its preferred. Much obliged!

1. Take the LSAT a third time. You underperformed twice with valid reasons (though you prob should have no taken it while dealing with those things). Take it again and score close to your actual potential.

2. Writing barely matters at all. If it's bad it can really hurt you, but if it's good it isn't going to be much better than if it were average.

3. You should definitely retake/reapply.

4. You have no reason not to ED to UVa. Depending on your next LSAT you probably won't get, but it is at least worth taking the shot considering you have 2 things going for you (in state and URM status).

[irieras]

in at Hastings, BK Law
out at GW

still waiting on everyone else. got a call from the assistant dean of admissions at UCH, dont know if that means theyll look out money wise but we'll see. nothing mentioned about LEOP