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162/3.85, out of school for 3 years with solid work experience in finance, great softs

i would like to stay in nyc and have already submitted applications to all the local schools (ny law, st. johns, brooklyn, cardozo, seton hall, rutgers newark, and fordham) all of which i expect to get into except fordham is prob a bit of a reach.

however, i was talking to a friend recently who mentioned that he knew a lot of people with similar scores that canvassed the top 25 and ended up getting into some really great schools so now im thinking i may have sold myself short. Any thoughts? especially since its so late in the cycle? additional schools i'm considering applying to are gwu, georgetown, northwestern, boalt, etc...

i dont really want to move but would consider it if i got into a very good school, but i'm also hesitant about taking on the debt if i got in and dont want to waste the money on the apps if its totally hopeless....any guidance would be greatly appreciated...

If not URM, you have the right targets. There is virtually no world where T-14 is a possibility. Fordham is as good/better than 17-25 for NYC anyway.

As far as the T14, I would throw out apps to Boalt (they like high GPA's, interesting applicants) and Northwestern (they like work experience). Still, your chances are slim.

It is a little weird, because with your numbers the only school you have applied to which is a real target is Fordham. If you weren't concerned about staying in NYC, I would have targeted more schools in the 20-35 range, maybe even Vandy, USC, Texas, WashU since you are a splitter with WE (which makes you difficult to predict).

I would check out some schools in that range and apply to the ones you could see yourself relocating to if you were admitted.