What is one thing you wish someone would have told you? Forum

[ConMan345]

Only retake the LSAT if your actual was 15-20 pts off your PT's. Waiting another year to go up 4 points...not worth it.

It was in my case. Going from a 167 to a 171 broke a pretty important threshold. On the other hand, I kind of wanted to take a year off.

[OmbreGracieuse]

[quote="Panther7] blanketing means applying to every school in a certain range, despite how much you really want to go there. You never know where you will get a huge offer from, and sometimes that will entice you to go to somewhere you didn't think about earlier, plus you may get a huge offer you can leverage on a school you DO want to go to. It works for splitters (check my LSN for an example of T30-T50 range of a blanket, I apped to every school who would do a free app).[/quote]

What is LSN?

Did you get into more schools than you had thought you would? Do you think blanketing helped you?

[OmbreGracieuse]

[quote="vanwinkleWell, if you're new, I'm glad I can give you guidance on all this stuff before it's too late!

"Blanketing" means applying to all the schools you can in a particular range. For instance, "Blanket the T14" means "apply to all the T14 schools". It's a shotgun approach to applications, with the idea being that the more good schools you apply to, the more likely you are one will take you. This is usually only recommended with people who are hard to predict (like splitters, or URMs) because if you have more normal numbers and stats then you can easily tell where you're likely to get in and throwing money at a lot of apps is a waste.

ED means applying Early Decision. Early Decision is binding; you can only apply to one school ED at a time, and if you get in you are committed to attending that school. Some schools are more willing to accept a splitter ED than they would RD (Regular Decision), so this is something that can increase your odds of acceptance. ED decisions are given back more quickly than RD decisions, hence the term "Early Decision". [/quote]

I don't think I am an URM. I am considered a Native-Hawaiian Pacific Islander, but there's debate on TLS as to whether that actually qualifies as being an URM. Do you think going "Early Decision" can help? Would it help my odds at say... at T14 school? Moreso than at a T30?

[keg411]

I didn't wait a year (I did a Oct/Feb LSAT), but my 3 point jump has made a big difference in my cycle. Got $ at schools where I got none and got WL'd at places I'd be laughed at. Low 160's - Mid 160's is not to be taken lightly (especially percentile-wise).

However, I'm a sub3 splitter (the worst kind) so every LSAT point makes a difference. I do wish someone told me to not screw up in undergrad (but that was 5 years ago ).

[vanwinkle]

I don't think I am an URM. I am considered a Native-Hawaiian Pacific Islander, but there's debate on TLS as to whether that actually qualifies as being an URM. Do you think going "Early Decision" can help? Would it help my odds at say... at T14 school? Moreso than at a T30?

When you fill out applications, what do you check? "Pacific Islander"? I don't think that's URM, but you may get a diversity bonus if you write a DS. To make stronger recommendations I'd need to know your specific stats. You can PM me if you want more personal advice but don't want to post your numbers in the forum.

(PM means "private message", there's a PM button on everyone's posts so you can respond privately instead of publicly. Just in case you didn't know that.)

[kinch]

When schools say they look at all your LSATs, they really don't (with the exception, maybe, of HYS).

[Panther7]

blanketing means applying to every school in a certain range, despite how much you really want to go there. You never know where you will get a huge offer from, and sometimes that will entice you to go to somewhere you didn't think about earlier, plus you may get a huge offer you can leverage on a school you DO want to go to. It works for splitters (check my LSN for an example of T30-T50 range of a blanket, I apped to every school who would do a free app).

What is LSN?

Did you get into more schools than you had thought you would? Do you think blanketing helped you?

check my profile, there's a link to it there.

probably the best tool to find if you have a serious shot at a particular school.

I got into my number one, but i got into a few quality schools as well that I would not have applied to if not for blanketing, was originally only looking at Big 10/midwest schools.

[toolfan]

When schools say they look at all your LSATs, they really don't (with the exception, maybe, of HYS).

agreed.


Oh, I wish someone would have told me to practice yoga, daily. I attribute my 5 pt drop on test day to stress. Bloody miserable.

[BigA]

I don't think I am an URM. I am considered a Native-Hawaiian Pacific Islander, but there's debate on TLS as to whether that actually qualifies as being an URM. Do you think going "Early Decision" can help? Would it help my odds at say... at T14 school? Moreso than at a T30?

an urm?? Pronunced U-R-M, stands for under-represented minority

[Son of Cicero]

Fall 2007: Despite what TLSers tell you, you're right to worry that the surprisingly high number of T100 grads working in shitlaw indicates that a T14 degree might not always be worth the $180k investment.

[Trifles]

I wish someone would have tipped me off that I would even want to go to law school. I decided to apply to law schools, looked up what I needed to do, and registered on the last day for the December LSAT within 3 hours. It all worked out, but it would have been way less stressful if I hadn't had to spend my entire cycle playing catch up.

[chanchito]

I would have seen that even a really high GPA can't get you in if your LSAT is sub par
Whatever, I was lucky. Actually good thing I didn't know this because then I would've spent even more money applying!

[Kchuck]

Don't apply to schools you have no interest in going to, unless you have fee waivers. I spent $70 dollars applying to American. That was a very stupid move.

[OmbreGracieuse]

Don't apply to schools you have no interest in going to, unless you have fee waivers. I spent $70 dollars applying to American. That was a very stupid move.

If you weren't interested, may I ask why you applied?

Dou think it is a smart move then if you DO have fee waivers?

[hellokitty]

Don't apply to schools you have no interest in going to, unless you have fee waivers. I spent $70 dollars applying to American. That was a very stupid move.

This.

I applied to 7 schools that I have no interest in going to, 4 of them without fee waivers. I just wanted options in case I changed my mind but I should have thought about it a lot harder before I sent the applications in.

[hellokitty]

I would have seen that even a really high GPA can't get you in if your LSAT is sub par
Whatever, I was lucky. Actually good thing I didn't know this because then I would've spent even more money applying!

This also. Only I was not so lucky.

I wish I would have known that no matter how solid the rest of your application is, (softs, GPA, WE, whatever), that if your LSAT score isn't good don't count on a good cycle.

[OmbreGracieuse]

This also. Only I was not so lucky.

I wish I would have known that no matter how solid the rest of your application is, (softs, GPA, WE, whatever), that if your LSAT score isn't good don't count on a good cycle.

What did you end up doing, may I ask? Did you end up in school, or are you retaking the LSAT?

[hellokitty]

This also. Only I was not so lucky.

I wish I would have known that no matter how solid the rest of your application is, (softs, GPA, WE, whatever), that if your LSAT score isn't good don't count on a good cycle.

What did you end up doing, may I ask? Did you end up in school, or are you retaking the LSAT?

I'll PM you.

[kgirl]

do not go to law school

[OmbreGracieuse]

do not go to law school

Why?

[pearl_earrings]

.

[OmbreGracieuse]

Use the Bibles to study. I didn't discover them until my 2nd try at the LSAT. They made a huge difference.
And don't freak out if your score dips down when you're learning the LG and LR methods described in the Bibles... things will click and your score will go up.

I have heard good things about the Bibles. Did you study via any other platform?

I have the LSAC written study guide as well as the Barrons. Should I still take on the Bibles?

[Z3RO]

I wish somebody had told me to apply to Northwestern. I sort of made excuses for why I didn't want to, and I probably would have been accepted. Then I'd be taking classes with DF rather than rewriting my PS next fall...

[Bert]

Apply to schools within your range you don't really want to go to if you have a shot of getting money (so that you can use it as leverage). Should've applied to Northwestern, Duke, UVA, etc.

+1

[romothesavior]

Only retake the LSAT if your actual was 15-20 pts off your PT's. Waiting another year to go up 4 points...not worth it.

This is perhaps some of the worst advice I've ever heard on TLS. So you think taking a year off and going from 160 to 170 would not have RADICALLY life-altering consequences? I got a 6 point increase (162-168) and got into schools that I would have never imagined a year ago. And if I had someone guessed right on one more question on the LSAT, I'd be looking at a T10 acceptance or two.

And second of all, since when does "retake"="take a year off?" If you are smart and take the June LSAT, you have plenty of time to resume your studies and re-take in September or December.