admission counselling? Forum

[florencezx]

I applied for several law schools with a lsat score of 166 last year but was rejected everywhere. I've registered the Oct. test this year, meanwhile I was thinking about using the admission counselling service. Has anyone ever used those services before? which one is better?

I am an international student who's been here for less than a year and some websites said that foreigners need admission counselling...

thanks a lot!

[vanwinkle]

Which schools did you apply to?

[kalvano]

What schools and what GPA?

[xyzzzzzzzz]

.

[Billy Blanks]

What country are you from?

[CanadianWolf]

If you want reasonable advice, you need to share a reasonable amount of information such as your GPA, list of law schools to which you applied & any other factors that you deem relevant to your selection of law schools.

[florencezx]

Thank you for your response!
I come from China. Although my GPA is only 88.38/100, I ranked 3rd among all the students of the same year in my department. I have graduated from a LLM program with straight As. I knew the schools I've applied last year were all reach schools for me, such as Duke, Upenn...but I want to get into a top 14...

[CanadianWolf]

What LLM program? What was your major area of study at your undergraduate university?

[CMDantes]

Go to lawschoolpredictor.com

enter 3.5 GPA (around what your 88/100 comes out to on a 4.0 scale, but you need to tell us what your LSAC GPA was if you even got one)
enter 166
Read results and profit.

When it says "weak consider" it usually means rejection according to what I've seen on these boards. Deny is typically spot on.

You're not an URM but do bring diversity being from China. Did you write a diversity statement? Was your PS strong? If the answer to either is "no," that's probably why you were rejected at UPenn where it says "weak consider."

Gonna have to shoot lower next cycle, it seems.

hth

[florencezx]

yeah. I've decided to take the LSAT again. It's really unfair though because the highest GPA in my year is only 89.xx. I have lots of softs but not related to law, even though I majored in law in college. I think I only have two choices, either go to a top 14, or give up the JD plan for ever. I really love law and haven't had enough...

[CanadianWolf]

From which LLM program did you graduate?

[florencezx]

Could you recommend some schools to me? I wrote diversity essay for all the schools I applied. I sent in the application in November and they rejected me around Easter. I was really really upset~

Go to lawschoolpredictor.com

enter 3.5 GPA (around what your 88/100 comes out to on a 4.0 scale, but you need to tell us what your LSAC GPA was if you even got one)
enter 166
Read results and profit.

When it says "weak consider" it usually means rejection according to what I've seen on these boards. Deny is typically spot on.

You're not an URM but do bring diversity being from China. Did you write a diversity statement? Was your PS strong? If the answer to either is "no," that's probably why you were rejected at UPenn where it says "weak consider."

Gonna have to shoot lower next cycle, it seems.

hth

[florencezx]

also LSAC gave me an "above average", not a numerical GPA. I wrote to them i ranked 3rd among 185 students and "above average" did not represent my real academic achivements but they never replied to me at all.

Go to lawschoolpredictor.com

enter 3.5 GPA (around what your 88/100 comes out to on a 4.0 scale, but you need to tell us what your LSAC GPA was if you even got one)
enter 166
Read results and profit.

When it says "weak consider" it usually means rejection according to what I've seen on these boards. Deny is typically spot on.

You're not an URM but do bring diversity being from China. Did you write a diversity statement? Was your PS strong? If the answer to either is "no," that's probably why you were rejected at UPenn where it says "weak consider."

Gonna have to shoot lower next cycle, it seems.

hth

[kalvano]

Could you recommend some schools to me? I wrote diversity essay for all the schools I applied. I sent in the application in November and they rejected me around Easter. I was really really upset

What schools did you apply to?

[CMDantes]

LSAC is evil man. That "above average" thing sucks and may be why you got denied at some of those schools. I sympathize but you'll have to play the hand you were dealt.

As far as this statement goes:

I think I only have two choices, either go to a top 14, or give up the JD plan for ever.

That's not necessarily true. You could go to a strong regional school and still practice law and be successful. For example, UT Austin or the University of Houston. You may get into UT Austin and I would think you're pretty likely to get into UH. Both are in strong legal markets and the cost of living in Houston/Austin is nice and cheap. Don't believe the Texas stereotype, it's really not like that at ALL in the cities.

If you have ambitions of practicing biglaw in a market like NYC, though, you may well have to give up your dreams.

As far as school recommendations go, I made my suggestions above. (UT, UH) Those are the only schools where I actually know people who have gone there, ended up getting good grades, and enjoy a nice life in their respective cities. I'll let someone else make further recommendations.

hth

[florencezx]

thank you! so I won't have a shot even I re-take LSAT and get a higher score? I don't know LSAC's academic evaluation is so important... it's so unfair.

[CMDantes]

thank you! so I won't have a shot even I re-take LSAT and get a higher score? I don't know LSAC's academic evaluation is so important... it's so unfair.

I'm sure if you get a higher score you will have considerably different results next cycle. I thought you were trying to get an evaluation of where you should apply with your situation unchanged.

I think retaking and owning the test is the best way to crack the t14 for you though, definitely.

[florencezx]

since i've prepared the LSAT last year all by myself, and just by taking the preptests, do you guys think i should take a commercial course this year so that I can get a 170+? testmasters seem to dislike candidates like me but I heard it the most helpful?

[KMaine]

LSAC did not screw you, your LSAT did. I graduated from an American liberal arts college, was 6th out of 500 students in my college, and would not be complaining about not getting into Duke and Penn if I got a 166 on my LSAT. In fact, if my LSAT was one point lower than it was, I am pretty sure I would not have gotten into Duke. Get a better grade on your LSATs, write a good personal statement and a good diversity statement and you will probably get in.

[florencezx]

any advice on the prep courses?