3.4 156 Latino (Central American) LGBT Forum

[lawyersrus]

I went to an Ivy Plus for undergrad (graduated 5 years ago). I have plenty of law firm experience and was promoted to a senior position at my current job a few years ago. I applied to several T-14 and top 20 schools in January as well as a few regional schools in the Bay Area, where I have lived the past 5 years.

What are my chances of getting in to any of these? I was accepted to UC Hastings, which I would consider attending but their employment and bar passage figures worry me (not to mention the ludicrous COL in SF). Maybe it's worth retaking in June, breaking 160/165, and re-applying early next cycle? So torn b/c I really want to go back to school. :-/

[dietcoke1]

absolutely worth retaking and reapplying, T20 chances are not good

[sfn91]

I have a similar background, pedigree, and experience with a slightly higher GPA and significantly higher LSAT and my cycle's not been the best (WLs and dings). I hate "retake" as an automatic suggestion but given my own experience I think you owe it to yourself to do so. A low GPA for URMs is difficult to overcome, so take a course if you can and break into the 160s.

[crookedsmile]

+1 on what above posters said. A low GPA is a death knell for URMs and can only be (sorta) overcome with a high LSAT. Definitely retake and try to break the 160s at least for T20.

[lilitiger99]

I went to an Ivy Plus for undergrad (graduated 5 years ago). I have plenty of law firm experience and was promoted to a senior position at my current job a few years ago. I applied to several T-14 and top 20 schools in January as well as a few regional schools in the Bay Area, where I have lived the past 5 years.

What are my chances of getting in to any of these? I was accepted to UC Hastings, which I would consider attending but their employment and bar passage figures worry me (not to mention the ludicrous COL in SF). Maybe it's worth retaking in June, breaking 160/165, and re-applying early next cycle? So torn b/c I really want to go back to school. :-/

Eh. My friend with a 3.7 and 156 got into Cornell, Georgetown, and a few waitlists from Emory, Vandy, etc. Retake and aim for 160s, and apply early next cycle, but even if you get up to high 150s you can probably break the t14.

[sfn91]

I went to an Ivy Plus for undergrad (graduated 5 years ago). I have plenty of law firm experience and was promoted to a senior position at my current job a few years ago. I applied to several T-14 and top 20 schools in January as well as a few regional schools in the Bay Area, where I have lived the past 5 years.

What are my chances of getting in to any of these? I was accepted to UC Hastings, which I would consider attending but their employment and bar passage figures worry me (not to mention the ludicrous COL in SF). Maybe it's worth retaking in June, breaking 160/165, and re-applying early next cycle? So torn b/c I really want to go back to school. :-/

Eh. My friend with a 3.7 and 156 got into Cornell, Georgetown, and a few waitlists from Emory, Vandy, etc. Retake and aim for 160s, and apply early next cycle, but even if you get up to high 150s you can probably break the t14.

A 3.7 is *much* different from a 3.4. I know a URM who got into Yale with a 161 but his GPA was good.

A 3.7 won't hurt and may help some schools' medians. The LSAT can become less of a factor for URMs with high GPAs, but if you have both a low GPA and a low LSAT it's going to be hard to get in anywhere. It's not going to be impossible, but it's going to be much harder.

[lilitiger99]

I went to an Ivy Plus for undergrad (graduated 5 years ago). I have plenty of law firm experience and was promoted to a senior position at my current job a few years ago. I applied to several T-14 and top 20 schools in January as well as a few regional schools in the Bay Area, where I have lived the past 5 years.

What are my chances of getting in to any of these? I was accepted to UC Hastings, which I would consider attending but their employment and bar passage figures worry me (not to mention the ludicrous COL in SF). Maybe it's worth retaking in June, breaking 160/165, and re-applying early next cycle? So torn b/c I really want to go back to school. :-/

Eh. My friend with a 3.7 and 156 got into Cornell, Georgetown, and a few waitlists from Emory, Vandy, etc. Retake and aim for 160s, and apply early next cycle, but even if you get up to high 150s you can probably break the t14.

A 3.7 is *much* different from a 3.4. I know a URM who got into Yale with a 161 but his GPA was good.

A 3.7 won't hurt and may help some schools' medians. The LSAT can become less of a factor for URMs with high GPAs, but if you have both a low GPA and a low LSAT it's going to be hard to get in anywhere. It's not going to be impossible, but it's going to be much harder.

That's true. I still feel like certain schools dip lower regardless, because they're so lacking in diversity - BU, WASH U etc

[lilitiger99]

I went to an Ivy Plus for undergrad (graduated 5 years ago). I have plenty of law firm experience and was promoted to a senior position at my current job a few years ago. I applied to several T-14 and top 20 schools in January as well as a few regional schools in the Bay Area, where I have lived the past 5 years.

What are my chances of getting in to any of these? I was accepted to UC Hastings, which I would consider attending but their employment and bar passage figures worry me (not to mention the ludicrous COL in SF). Maybe it's worth retaking in June, breaking 160/165, and re-applying early next cycle? So torn b/c I really want to go back to school. :-/

Eh. My friend with a 3.7 and 156 got into Cornell, Georgetown, and a few waitlists from Emory, Vandy, etc. Retake and aim for 160s, and apply early next cycle, but even if you get up to high 150s you can probably break the t14.

A 3.7 is *much* different from a 3.4. I know a URM who got into Yale with a 161 but his GPA was good.

A 3.7 won't hurt and may help some schools' medians. The LSAT can become less of a factor for URMs with high GPAs, but if you have both a low GPA and a low LSAT it's going to be hard to get in anywhere. It's not going to be impossible, but it's going to be much harder.

That's true. I still feel like certain schools dip lower regardless, because they're so lacking in diversity - BU, WASH U etc

Also I wonder if we have the same friend... My friend also got into Y with a 161, though that was around 3 years ago

[lawyersrus]

Thanks for the input, everyone! Trying to figure out the next move now after unsurprisingly receiving many dings, though I was waitlisted at Vandy.

Would it be worth it to pursue this option aggressively? Perhaps I should start this elsewhere, but I'll try my chances here. If I were to get in at Vandy, there's still the question of money (fairly certain I'd pay sticker). Career goals are to pursue a federal clerkship and work in private sector afterwards (biglaw and thinking of someday being in-house counsel at a tech firm, however realistic that may be). Undergrad network might help with that, but how much value would a VLS degree add?

OTOH, if I were to retake, what resources would you all recommend? I took a class it helped a lot, and I know that I am much more capable than 156. Maybe it was just test day jitters, or needing to work on being confident. But any test-taking advice as well would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all!