What are my chances at UT? Forum

osalinas44 · Post by **osalinas44** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:40 pm

I have followed this forum for a while but this is my first post. I just recieved my June 2010 LSAT scores on Friday and I am satisfied with the score I got (161). My question is should I buy the Powerscore admissions help. I figure that I should since I will only be applying to law school once in my life and I might as well give it my best shot. Also if anybody has ever bought the Powerscore admissions help please post your review your experience. A little about myself....
GPA. 3.65
LSAT. 161
URM (Mexican American)
Residency- Texas
Worked through college, worked as a facilitator for a non-profit that taught life skills to juveniles who were at risk of being involved in gangs and also to those who had already been incarcerated before, worked at a museum giving tours, worked at an alternative school tutoring and trying to get kids to enroll in college and now I work as a researcher for an oil and gas company.

Also I interned for a congressman, went to D.C for an academic seminar for 17 days. I am also an Americorps volunteer, and have done quite a bit of volunteer activities (my favorite being Habitat for Humanity) For a year I was a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children.

I am also an athlete, I am a competative Boxer who has 25 fights and I have trained and fought during my college career.

I want to apply to quite a bit of places mostly here in Texas. I want to try to get into UT and I want to know if Admissions help from Powerscore will give me a better shot at being admitted to UT. Thank you for your time.

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:42 pm

Don't buy anything, you should be fine at UT, being a URM.

D. H2Oman · Post by **D. H2Oman** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:44 pm

Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.

Pearalegal · Post by **Pearalegal** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:48 pm

D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.

I agree. A retake is necessary.

Admissions help is overwhelmingly a scam. Maybe it could help to get some guidance for extreme cases, but you're not one of those.

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:53 pm

I thought Mexican was URM. Or is it only PR?

D. H2Oman · Post by **D. H2Oman** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:57 pm

kalvano wrote:I thought Mexican was URM. Or is it only PR?

It is, but not all URM are bumped equally and the bump isn't the same at every school. If OP was black she'd probably be in. But, mexican usually equals a slightly smaller bump anyways, and it's Texas so it's not as hard for them to recruit Mexican students as it would be for the University of Minnesota.

luhrenzo · Post by **luhrenzo** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:58 pm

D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.

+1

164/3.52 Mex, similar softs--REJECTED. Albeit, this year was overly competitive I'd think you'd need at least a 166 to have a good shot

osalinas44 · Post by **osalinas44** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:00 pm

luhrenzo wrote:
D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.
+1

164/3.52 Mex, similar softs--REJECTED. Albeit, this year was overly competitive I'd think you'd need at least a 166 to have a good shot

you are a Boxer also???

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:01 pm

D. H2Oman wrote:
kalvano wrote:I thought Mexican was URM. Or is it only PR?

It is, but not all URM are bumped equally and the bump isn't the same at every school. If OP was black she'd probably be in. But, mexican usually equals a slightly smaller bump anyways, and it's Texas so it's not as hard for them to recruit Mexican students as it would be for the University of Minnesota.

Ah, I thought Hispanic was simply Hispanic.

In that case, re-take.

Pearalegal · Post by **Pearalegal** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:06 pm

osalinas44 wrote:
luhrenzo wrote:
D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.
+1

164/3.52 Mex, similar softs--REJECTED. Albeit, this year was overly competitive I'd think you'd need at least a 166 to have a good shot

you are a Boxer also???

The boxing thing isn't really a soft.

osalinas44 · Post by **osalinas44** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:11 pm

Pearalegal wrote:
osalinas44 wrote:
luhrenzo wrote:
D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.
+1

164/3.52 Mex, similar softs--REJECTED. Albeit, this year was overly competitive I'd think you'd need at least a 166 to have a good shot

you are a Boxer also???
The boxing thing isn't really a soft.

Really... I don't think that many Boxers apply to law school so, I thought it would be something interesting and unique. Plus I've been fighting since I was 12 years old and it is the greatest sport man has ever invented.

luhrenzo · Post by **luhrenzo** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:18 pm

osalinas44 wrote:
luhrenzo wrote:
D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.
+1

164/3.52 Mex, similar softs--REJECTED. Albeit, this year was overly competitive I'd think you'd need at least a 166 to have a good shot

you are a Boxer also???

UFC...my name's Tito Ortiz

what the softs are matter less than what you got from it. it doesnt matter if it's unique. it matters if you gained some insight, leadership experience etc. i doubt boxing matters as much as most team sports. in any event, softs dont really matter any way. numbers numbers numbers!!!

osalinas44 · Post by **osalinas44** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:32 pm

luhrenzo wrote:
osalinas44 wrote:
luhrenzo wrote:
D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.
+1

164/3.52 Mex, similar softs--REJECTED. Albeit, this year was overly competitive I'd think you'd need at least a 166 to have a good shot

you are a Boxer also???
UFC...my name's Tito Ortiz

what the softs are matter less than what you got from it. it doesnt matter if it's unique. it matters if you gained some insight, leadership experience etc. i doubt boxing matters as much as most team sports. in any event, softs dont really matter any way. numbers numbers numbers!!!

In my opinion you gain more from boxing than team sports because you have to face adversity by yourself and you can't rely on anyone else. To fight and prepare takes much more dedication than most other sports because you have no one to fall back on. I can try to allude that dedication towards how I will approach law school as if it is a fight that I need to prepare for.

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:36 pm

osalinas44 wrote: In my opinion you gain more from boxing than team sports because you have to face adversity by yourself and you can't rely on anyone else. To fight and prepare takes much more dedication than most other sports because you have no one to fall back on. I can try to allude that dedication towards how I will approach law school as if it is a fight that I need to prepare for.

It's still not going to help you much for admissions.

ggocat · Post by **ggocat** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:54 pm

Retake because you might as well.

Anyway you can get your UGPA above 3.75 in a semester? It would be a big help to have you UGPA above the school's median. I bet you'd get in with a 161. If so, just apply in the fall and update your transcript in the winter.

Just checked LSN for URMs 155-164 and 3.70-4.0. Nine applications not listed as pending. All but one were acceptances: 157, 160, 161, 161, 162, 163, 164, 164 (waitlisted 158). Two of them got money.

Edit: I knew a guy (Mexican-American) who was accepted with LSAT in the mid 150's. /anecdote

Thirteen · Post by **Thirteen** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:59 pm

luhrenzo wrote:
D. H2Oman wrote:Do not buy it.

Disagree with the previous poster, the URM boost for a Mexican is not large at UT. Definitely retake the LSAT.
+1

164/3.52 Mex, similar softs--REJECTED. Albeit, this year was overly competitive I'd think you'd need at least a 166 to have a good shot

This. OP, retake.

luhrenzo · Post by **luhrenzo** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:02 pm

ggocat wrote:Retake because you might as well.

Anyway you can get your UGPA above 3.75 in a semester? It would be a big help to have you UGPA above the school's median. I bet you'd get in with a 161. If so, just apply in the fall and update your transcript in the winter.

Just checked LSN for URMs 155-164 and 3.70-4.0. Nine applications not listed as pending. All but one were acceptances: 157, 160, 161, 161, 162, 163, 164, 164 (waitlisted 158). Two of them got money.

Edit: I knew a guy (Mexican-American) who was accepted with LSAT in the mid 150's. /anecdote

im willing to bet that all but maybe one were black

panicked · Post by **panicked** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:38 pm

I'm one of the URMs ggocat mentioned. 161, 3.75, OOS, accepted with some money. I don't know about any of the other URMs with similar numbers on LSN, but I'm not black. It might have been my softs that helped: I was a homeless teen who never even set foot in a high school. I got a GED and worked full-time while going to college, completed my AA in one year, transferred to a university, and earned a BA in the following eighteen months. Other than that, I've done some volunteer work, I was involved in my school's investment club, and I'm working on becoming fluent in Mandarin.

Again, I don't know about the other URMs with similar numbers, but I think that simply being a URM may not be enough if your LSAT is under 165 or so. Did you study or take an LSAT course? I took the LSAT cold, no studying, 2 PTs: I didn't find TLS or LSN until after my applications were sent, and I truly wish that I'd done a better job of research and preparation. If you think that you can improve your score, then I suggest that you retake. I wish I had! That having been said, your softs are good, and if you can get your GPA up a bit then you've got a good shot.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope to see you next year!

Pearalegal · Post by **Pearalegal** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:41 pm

kalvano wrote:
osalinas44 wrote: In my opinion you gain more from boxing than team sports because you have to face adversity by yourself and you can't rely on anyone else. To fight and prepare takes much more dedication than most other sports because you have no one to fall back on. I can try to allude that dedication towards how I will approach law school as if it is a fight that I need to prepare for.
It's still not going to help you much for admissions.

Yeah, that was my point. Its a fine start for a PS, but don't delude yourself. Plently of people write a personal statement crafted around sports or something very similar. While boxing may not be as popular a sport to craft such a theme on, its still the same theme.

I'm not saying anything to put down your work experience or dedication to your hobbies, but your resume won't be something that helps you stand out particularly strongly, though its great that you've dedicated yourself to good causes.

Good luck!

Bosque · Post by **Bosque** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 4:08 pm

panicked wrote:I'm one of the URMs ggocat mentioned. 161, 3.75, OOS, accepted with some money. I don't know about any of the other URMs with similar numbers on LSN, but I'm not black. It might have been my softs that helped: I was a homeless teen who never even set foot in a high school. I got a GED and worked full-time while going to college, completed my AA in one year, transferred to a university, and earned a BA in the following eighteen months. Other than that, I've done some volunteer work, I was involved in my school's investment club, and I'm working on becoming fluent in Mandarin.

Again, I don't know about the other URMs with similar numbers, but I think that simply being a URM may not be enough if your LSAT is under 165 or so. Did you study or take an LSAT course? I took the LSAT cold, no studying, 2 PTs: I didn't find TLS or LSN until after my applications were sent, and I truly wish that I'd done a better job of research and preparation. If you think that you can improve your score, then I suggest that you retake. I wish I had! That having been said, your softs are good, and if you can get your GPA up a bit then you've got a good shot.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope to see you next year!

...yah. It WAS the softs that helped. And being a boxer is no where close.

osalinas44 · Post by **osalinas44** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 4:15 pm

Bosque wrote:
panicked wrote:I'm one of the URMs ggocat mentioned. 161, 3.75, OOS, accepted with some money. I don't know about any of the other URMs with similar numbers on LSN, but I'm not black. It might have been my softs that helped: I was a homeless teen who never even set foot in a high school. I got a GED and worked full-time while going to college, completed my AA in one year, transferred to a university, and earned a BA in the following eighteen months. Other than that, I've done some volunteer work, I was involved in my school's investment club, and I'm working on becoming fluent in Mandarin.

Again, I don't know about the other URMs with similar numbers, but I think that simply being a URM may not be enough if your LSAT is under 165 or so. Did you study or take an LSAT course? I took the LSAT cold, no studying, 2 PTs: I didn't find TLS or LSN until after my applications were sent, and I truly wish that I'd done a better job of research and preparation. If you think that you can improve your score, then I suggest that you retake. I wish I had! That having been said, your softs are good, and if you can get your GPA up a bit then you've got a good shot.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope to see you next year!

...yah. It WAS the softs that helped. And being a boxer is no where close.

Ok not close to his softs but I think being a good boxer is still unique in its own right. How many Boxers apply to Law School? My guess is not many.

Bosque · Post by **Bosque** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 4:31 pm

osalinas44 wrote:
Bosque wrote:
panicked wrote:I'm one of the URMs ggocat mentioned. 161, 3.75, OOS, accepted with some money. I don't know about any of the other URMs with similar numbers on LSN, but I'm not black. It might have been my softs that helped: I was a homeless teen who never even set foot in a high school. I got a GED and worked full-time while going to college, completed my AA in one year, transferred to a university, and earned a BA in the following eighteen months. Other than that, I've done some volunteer work, I was involved in my school's investment club, and I'm working on becoming fluent in Mandarin.

Again, I don't know about the other URMs with similar numbers, but I think that simply being a URM may not be enough if your LSAT is under 165 or so. Did you study or take an LSAT course? I took the LSAT cold, no studying, 2 PTs: I didn't find TLS or LSN until after my applications were sent, and I truly wish that I'd done a better job of research and preparation. If you think that you can improve your score, then I suggest that you retake. I wish I had! That having been said, your softs are good, and if you can get your GPA up a bit then you've got a good shot.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope to see you next year!

...yah. It WAS the softs that helped. And being a boxer is no where close.
Ok not close to his softs but I think being a good boxer is still unique in its own right. How many Boxers apply to Law School? My guess is not many.

Sure, very unique. If you get in, they will definitely mention you in the beginning of the year speech where they talk about how cool the incoming class is.

However, it is going to have a negligible effect on your actual application. Best thing it will do for you is give you something interesting to talk about in your personal statement. It is not, however, going to make up for that LSAT score. I would retake, or at least come to grips with the fact that it is not going to propel your application to the top of the stack.

Pearalegal · Post by **Pearalegal** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 4:45 pm

osalinas44 wrote: Ok not close to his softs but I think being a good boxer is still unique in its own right. How many Boxers apply to Law School? My guess is not many.

It is! But its not something you should be factoring into your admission chances.

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