URM 2016-2017 Cycle Thread Forum

[principalagent]

Wait, when you say they threw it away, do you mean ppl can take the LSAT as many times as they want now?

Yep, they completely got rid of the limit. I've seen some speculation that they may add another administration. And they're also piloting a computer based examination. I think it's because of impending GRE competition.

[suitsandpotions]

Wait, when you say they threw it away, do you mean ppl can take the LSAT as many times as they want now?

Yep, they completely got rid of the limit. I've seen some speculation that they may add another administration. And they're also piloting a computer based examination. I think it's because of impending GRE competition.

I agree. I feel like a lot of schools will follow Harvard's lead and start accepting the GRE, which means that there might be less lsat takers in the future. This is probably adding pressure and making the people at lsac more receptive to change.

[sfn91]

.

[KillaKam92]

Just started gearing up for a re-take. My cycle ended today and to put it midly was pretty awful. I only applied to a handful of schools and sent my apps in mid-february but still really expected to do alot better than dings/waitlists. Hopefully I crush it september and can put this mess behind me for good

[dietcoke1]

Just started gearing up for a re-take. My cycle ended today and to put it midly was pretty awful. I only applied to a handful of schools and sent my apps in mid-february but still really expected to do alot better than dings/waitlists. Hopefully I crush it september and can put this mess behind me for good

You will do better! Good luck and I'm sure some of us this year's applicants will stick around here to help next year's applicants.

[KillaKam92]

Just started gearing up for a re-take. My cycle ended today and to put it midly was pretty awful. I only applied to a handful of schools and sent my apps in mid-february but still really expected to do alot better than dings/waitlists. Hopefully I crush it september and can put this mess behind me for good

You will do better! Good luck and I'm sure some of us this year's applicants will stick around here to help next year's applicants.

Thanks for the encouragement, I'm really gunning hard for a 170 so i'll need to up my RC/LG game to match my LR skills. Really not fucking around this time around

[Motion22Step]

Just started gearing up for a re-take. My cycle ended today and to put it midly was pretty awful. I only applied to a handful of schools and sent my apps in mid-february but still really expected to do alot better than dings/waitlists. Hopefully I crush it september and can put this mess behind me for good

You will do better! Good luck and I'm sure some of us this year's applicants will stick around here to help next year's applicants.

Thanks for the encouragement, I'm really gunning hard for a 170 so i'll need to up my RC/LG game to match my LR skills. Really not fucking around this time around

Let that feeling of wanting to put that mess behind you motivate u! Best of luck & God bless!

[Mr_Chukes]

Wait, when you say they threw it away, do you mean ppl can take the LSAT as many times as they want now?

Yep, they completely got rid of the limit. I've seen some speculation that they may add another administration. And they're also piloting a computer based examination. I think it's because of impending GRE competition.

I agree. I feel like a lot of schools will follow Harvard's lead and start accepting the GRE, which means that there might be less lsat takers in the future. This is probably adding pressure and making the people at lsac more receptive to change.

It's crazy how all of this is happening lol. So much shake up the year we all apply.

[Mr_Chukes]

Just started gearing up for a re-take. My cycle ended today and to put it midly was pretty awful. I only applied to a handful of schools and sent my apps in mid-february but still really expected to do alot better than dings/waitlists. Hopefully I crush it september and can put this mess behind me for good

You will do better! Good luck and I'm sure some of us this year's applicants will stick around here to help next year's applicants.

Thanks for the encouragement, I'm really gunning hard for a 170 so i'll need to up my RC/LG game to match my LR skills. Really not fucking around this time around

I have faith in you man. Good luck!

[suitsandpotions]

Do you guys think it'll be more competitive this next cycle? I'm considering a retake in case I don't get into any of the t14 WL that I'm currently on! Sounds crazy, but I was praying to God that lsac could get rid of the 3 take rule when I took my February exam and I feel like this might be a sign lol

[rwajo12]

Do you guys think it'll be more competitive this next cycle? I'm considering a retake in case I don't get into any of the t14 WL that I'm currently on! Sounds crazy, but I was praying to God that lsac could get rid of the 3 take rule when I took my February exam and I feel like this might be a sign lol

Did you apply and get in into any of the non-t14's

[suitsandpotions]

Do you guys think it'll be more competitive this next cycle? I'm considering a retake in case I don't get into any of the t14 WL that I'm currently on! Sounds crazy, but I was praying to God that lsac could get rid of the 3 take rule when I took my February exam and I feel like this might be a sign lol

Did you apply and get in into any of the non-t14's

Yes I did. I got into the ones in the 20s. I didn't apply to all of the T14s but the ones I did apply to either waitlisted me or rejected me.

[rwajo12]

Do you guys think it'll be more competitive this next cycle? I'm considering a retake in case I don't get into any of the t14 WL that I'm currently on! Sounds crazy, but I was praying to God that lsac could get rid of the 3 take rule when I took my February exam and I feel like this might be a sign lol

Did you apply and get in into any of the non-t14's

Yes I did. I got into the ones in the 20s. I didn't apply to all of the T14s but the ones I did apply to either waitlisted me or rejected me.

If they are in the city or region you wanna end up working in, id say go for it. As long as their job placement is good, but that of course depends on what type of law you want to get into. If you do good first year, you also could always transfer.

[suitsandpotions]

Do you guys think it'll be more competitive this next cycle? I'm considering a retake in case I don't get into any of the t14 WL that I'm currently on! Sounds crazy, but I was praying to God that lsac could get rid of the 3 take rule when I took my February exam and I feel like this might be a sign lol

Did you apply and get in into any of the non-t14's

Yes I did. I got into the ones in the 20s. I didn't apply to all of the T14s but the ones I did apply to either waitlisted me or rejected me.

If they are in the city or region you wanna end up working in, id say go for it. As long as their job placement is good, but that of course depends on what type of law you want to get into. If you do good first year, you also could always transfer.

I'm considering the transfer option but it's just so risky since everyone says 1L grades are a bit unpredictable. The only T1 school that gave me a decent amount of money is Boston College. I want the option of practicing big law in NYC. I underperformed on my LSAT by over ten points. I was scoring in the mid to high 160s during my practice but somehow could not get past my test day butterflies. I don't know what to do cause I'm worried that schools may not take me seriously even if my score finally does go up since it would be my 4th take. I know schools say they only look at the highest score but I have a feeling that admissions people may have an implicit bias against too many takes that they won't admit. I also sent my apps out really late, which I'm sure didn't help.

[Motion22Step]

Do you guys think it'll be more competitive this next cycle? I'm considering a retake in case I don't get into any of the t14 WL that I'm currently on! Sounds crazy, but I was praying to God that lsac could get rid of the 3 take rule when I took my February exam and I feel like this might be a sign lol

Did you apply and get in into any of the non-t14's

Yes I did. I got into the ones in the 20s. I didn't apply to all of the T14s but the ones I did apply to either waitlisted me or rejected me.

If they are in the city or region you wanna end up working in, id say go for it. As long as their job placement is good, but that of course depends on what type of law you want to get into. If you do good first year, you also could always transfer.

I'm considering the transfer option but it's just so risky since everyone says 1L grades are a bit unpredictable. The only T1 school that gave me a decent amount of money is Boston College. I want the option of practicing big law in NYC. I underperformed on my LSAT by over ten points. I was scoring in the mid to high 160s during my practice but somehow could not get past my test day butterflies. I don't know what to do cause I'm worried that schools may not take me seriously even if my score finally does go up since it would be my 4th take. I know schools say they only look at the highest score but I have a feeling that admissions people may have an implicit bias against too many takes that they won't admit. I also sent my apps out really late, which I'm sure didn't help.

I suspect that schools care more about the score than the number of tries it took to get the score. The number of takes doesn't factor into rankings, but scores factor very highly. Plus they know that butterflies happen. You're human after all!

It's ultimately your very personal, individualized decision, I think (which depends on a lot, as you know), and I won't try to point you in any specific direction. But a mid-160s+ LSAT will definitely still be a valuable asset next cycle IMO, even with these recent changes (like the end of the 3 take rule and the GRE at H). Also, there are great outcomes that BC can bring into play, especially on the east coast and especially if that's a relatively affordable, convenient, attractive option for you (it seems to be a very collegial place).

[rwajo12]

Guys I need some advice in deciding schools.

It's between GW ($) and GULC.

I know some people will automatically pick Georgetown due it's ranking, but I've heard from certain lawyers than outside of the YHS bubble, It's all about the grades you receive first year. I've heard about Georgetown being a cutthroat and cold environment. I loved GW when I visited, as it seemed like a positive environment with plenty of diversity and support. Let me know what you guys think. Any opinion is welcome.

[Hi-So - ArshavinFan]

Guys I need some advice in deciding schools.

It's between GW ($) and GULC.

I know some people will automatically pick Georgetown due it's ranking, but I've heard from certain lawyers than outside of the YHS bubble, It's all about the grades you receive first year. I've heard about Georgetown being a cutthroat and cold environment. I loved GW when I visited, as it seemed like a positive environment with plenty of diversity and support. Let me know what you guys think. Any opinion is welcome.

Hmm - for some reason Georgetown gets a crazy amount of flack on this site - and while some of it is substantiated ( large class with +10% unemployment), Georgetown still has AMAZING connections and national placement and top firms coming to EIW.

I dont know where you heard GT is cold and cutthroat - this is like the exact opposite of what most students there will tell you. There are so many students. its kinda of hard to have that mentality at such a large school. For some reason this rumor keeps perpetuating, and I'm not sure why. As for these lawyers who state that anywhere outside YHS, grades matter most - yeah they're right. But i can also tell you that for the NFL draft combine - You're gonna need a great 40 yd dash, 20 yd shuttle, and a great catching demonstration to go first round. That being said - a WR from a P5 conference with these three is wayyy more likely to go 1st round than a G5 WR and so forth.

As for jobs/employment - I wont lie, most students ive talked to told me the Career services isnt helpful unless your high in the class. But is this truly a surprise? there are such a large number of students and while GT has prestige, it wont carry over that deep into the class. Youre gonna have to hustle - linkedin messages, dinner/lunches/coffee, vising professor to discuss career paths, attending numerous events, schoomizing a little if your not top rank - so what? that's life - it's a bit like dating - if youre not the most attractive guy/socially active/most athletic/funny - youve got to hustle. You cant possibly tell me at GW thats it any different.

Last if you can - visit GT. I know its not in session now - but I feel that if you have the chance you have to go visit the school, it would help you a little bit more. People on this site are offering you advice from a stricty numbers/percentages perspective. But there are always hidden factors. For example, me as an AA Male, GT is a wayyy better option for me than NW - the network of other AA lawyers in DC is super deep, and the BLSA at GT does a great job at getting students great employment. I ended up turning NW down, and im still deciding/waiting before the 31st. The point i'm making is that - only you know who you are. Dont make decisions based on general advice.

Good luck!

[rwajo12]

Guys I need some advice in deciding schools.

It's between GW ($) and GULC.

I know some people will automatically pick Georgetown due it's ranking, but I've heard from certain lawyers than outside of the YHS bubble, It's all about the grades you receive first year. I've heard about Georgetown being a cutthroat and cold environment. I loved GW when I visited, as it seemed like a positive environment with plenty of diversity and support. Let me know what you guys think. Any opinion is welcome.

Hmm - for some reason Georgetown gets a crazy amount of flack on this site - and while some of it is substantiated ( large class with +10% unemployment), Georgetown still has AMAZING connections and national placement and top firms coming to EIW.

I dont know where you heard GT is cold and cutthroat - this is like the exact opposite of what most students there will tell you. There are so many students. its kinda of hard to have that mentality at such a large school. For some reason this rumor keeps perpetuating, and I'm not sure why. As for these lawyers who state that anywhere outside YHS, grades matter most - yeah they're right. But i can also tell you that for the NFL draft combine - You're gonna need a great 40 yd dash, 20 yd shuttle, and a great catching demonstration to go first round. That being said - a WR from a P5 conference with these three is wayyy more likely to go 1st round than a G5 WR and so forth.

As for jobs/employment - I wont lie, most students ive talked to told me the Career services isnt helpful unless your high in the class. But is this truly a surprise? there are such a large number of students and while GT has prestige, it wont carry over that deep into the class. Youre gonna have to hustle - linkedin messages, dinner/lunches/coffee, vising professor to discuss career paths, attending numerous events, schoomizing a little if your not top rank - so what? that's life - it's a bit like dating - if youre not the most attractive guy/socially active/most athletic/funny - youve got to hustle. You cant possibly tell me at GW thats it any different.

Last if you can - visit GT. I know its not in session now - but I feel that if you have the chance you have to go visit the school, it would help you a little bit more. People on this site are offering you advice from a stricty numbers/percentages perspective. But there are always hidden factors. For example, me as an AA Male, GT is a wayyy better option for me than NW - the network of other AA lawyers in DC is super deep, and the BLSA at GT does a great job at getting students great employment. I ended up turning NW down, and im still deciding/waiting before the 31st. The point i'm making is that - only you know who you are. Dont make decisions based on general advice.

Good luck!

Thank you for the thorough information. Exactly the kind of input I was looking for!

[Dip]

Unless I get off the waitlist at GT I will be attending GW.

[JabbatheGreat]

Question: Was Cornell ED or EA in the 2016-17 cycle?
I was hoping for EA for the upcoming cycle (AA, 3.0, 170) but its not the only school I want or may be able to get into.

[Hi-So - ArshavinFan]

Question: Was Cornell ED or EA in the 2016-17 cycle?
I was hoping for EA for the upcoming cycle (AA, 3.0, 170) but its not the only school I want or may be able to get into.

I think it was EA
But with that GPA - you better have some STRONG STRONG STRONG essays and softs. Cornell was going gung ho on the <3.5 GPAs

[JabbatheGreat]

Question: Was Cornell ED or EA in the 2016-17 cycle?
I was hoping for EA for the upcoming cycle (AA, 3.0, 170) but its not the only school I want or may be able to get into.

I think it was EA
But with that GPA - you better have some STRONG STRONG STRONG essays and softs. Cornell was going gung ho on the <3.5 GPAs

Okay, the website only says "ED" now, and I didn't want to bind myself to the school. The essays are pretty strong, the softs are pretty average for a T-14 applicant. I'll be blanketing the lower T-14 and T-20, as well as strong regionals.

[Motion22Step]

Question: Was Cornell ED or EA in the 2016-17 cycle?
I was hoping for EA for the upcoming cycle (AA, 3.0, 170) but its not the only school I want or may be able to get into.

I think it was EA
But with that GPA - you better have some STRONG STRONG STRONG essays and softs. Cornell was going gung ho on the <3.5 GPAs

Okay, the website only says "ED" now, and I didn't want to bind myself to the school. The essays are pretty strong, the softs are pretty average for a T-14 applicant. I'll be blanketing the lower T-14 and T-20, as well as strong regionals.

I didn't apply to Cornell & am not familiar with the options it offers ED/EA-wise. I'd say (just to state what you already know) to avoid any binding options if you're not completely, 100% sold on Cornell, regardless of pricetag

I expect that your LSAT (congrats on your score!) will put you in rare company among AA applicants, so it seems that you're wise to blanket those top schools and aim high, especially if there's not one single school/location you have your sights set on.

Do work this upcoming cycle!

[selmangh]

Hey! Is there a URM 2017-2018 thread? I'm applying this cycle and just found TLS. Would be nice to keep this going...

[principalagent]

Hey! Is there a URM 2017-2018 thread? I'm applying this cycle and just found TLS. Would be nice to keep this going...

Not yet! But it's about time to start one. The regular applicants thread just started, so I guess the "go-ahead" has been given.

I think I may start it if nobody else wants to or beats me to it.