Top Law Schools

so I have a 176/ 4.0 weak transcript, weak softs

I'm in at Northwestern with some money. On waitlist at hls and uc. My score is expiring this year. I applied a bit late and I think I could have presented myself better in applications. If I want to hold off a year, I need to retake lsat. Will a retake hurt my waitlists if I score worse? Should I just shut up, get a life, and take the Northwestern?

some details may have been changed for paranoia purposes

law123456 wrote:so I have a 176/ 4.0 weak transcript, weak softs

I'm in at Northwestern with some money. On waitlist at hls and uc. My score is expiring this year. I applied a bit late and I think I could have presented myself better in applications. If I want to hold off a year, I need to retake lsat. Will a retake hurt my waitlists if I score worse? Should I just shut up, get a life, and take the Northwestern?

some details may have been changed for paranoia purposes

By "some details may have been changed," do you mean you have a 173 and a 3.7?

no. the question is still accurate.

the numbers are legit. the schools are in their range

take northwestern and shut up.

To be honest, even if you applied a "bit," late to the top three, a 4.0 and 176 should have been more than enough for Harvard. Unless we're talking about last week or some such.

IMO, you have something fairly significant in your app that you aren't mentioning. I say that because of your belief you could have portrayed yourself better, comment. The rest of us regular Joannes can only change our perception so much year to year.

...Go with Northwestern.

Sounds like the most important info is being left out.

Edit: I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that by weak transcript for a 4.0 you mean your major is a non-academic major (music? drama?). Yes? If so, that ceramics degree isn't getting you into HLS this year or next year. Take NU.

right about major. still, I can't be that bad, I'm on a HYS waitlist and a CCN waitlist

In that case, I hold by my original assessment--take the money at the t10.

You are waitlisted at HLS because they are skeptical of your degree but need a few emergency "over both medians" applicants if they run into a numbers problem. HLS has a huge waitlist, so this isn't a good bet. I mean, it is an accomplishment to get on it, but that doesn't speak to your Harvard chances.

I know the common refrain here is all that matters is your numbers, but in the top3, and top6, something like a performance degree will kill you. The "all about the numbers refrain" really assumes a basic liberal arts/science degree, no lack of criminal convictions, no major PS mistakes/LOR from hell, etc. etc. I know of more than one case this cycle of a performance/non-academic degree getting the shaft at numerous t10 schools despite being above both medians. And if you look in the admissions books, it is one of common refrains of Deans of Admissions. The effect will be more pronounced if you don't have a number of writing courses outside of your major.

If you really want HLS my suggestion would be an academic post-graduate degree of some sort. That is the kind of soft that will show you are capable of doing the legal work. But realistically it probably won't help you until 2012 admissions, when you have enough to show an established academic record.

As for the waitlist issue you asked about, Harvard and maybe Chicago will care if you score lower, particularly in this context--they have reasonable concerns about your qualifications for law school, so a drop in your biggest asset right now won't help. This cycle, Harvard has been particularly difficult on retakes, so I imagine it would carry over to someone who has to retake but has a lower/higher score.

If you retake it should be for CCN as targets. YS and even HLS are probably a hail mary in your situation.

Decent money at a t10 is a great offer, so I'd just take it.

Northwestern is amazing, go there.