Top Law Schools

So I need some perspective advice, insights, and maybe encouragement.

I am a URM (Black Male) and a current fourth-year senior at a Top-25 program. I am entering my final semester of undergad. this fall with a 3.85 LSAC GPA (3.82 Degree) and I am hoping to apply to law school this fall. Hopefully, after my final fall semester I can muster up a 3.89 LSAC GPA (3.86 Degree) if I manage a 4.00

I have one major concern. My entire application won't be submitted until December 11th. I am aiming for schools like UMich, Boalt, Duke, Columbia, maybe HLS and SLS.

I am registered to take the LSAT in December along with a Testmasters course. Additionally, I am talking to my profs. in the fall and will ask them to write my letters of rec. before Thanksgiving. Lastly, law schools won't get my final transcripts until after the fall semester (post-December 5th). I feel like everything with my application won't come together until mid-December. What should I do?

Should I still apply? Won't it be late thou? I want to maximize my probability of admissions and I am wondering if I should apply next year, with everything done and ready on the first day the cycle opens.

kenyadigit wrote:So I need some perspective advice, insights, and maybe encouragement.

I am a URM (Black Male) and a current fourth-year senior at a Top-25 program. I am entering my final semester of undergad. this fall with a 3.85 LSAC GPA (3.82 Degree) and I am hoping to apply to law school this fall. Hopefully, after my final fall semester I can muster up a 3.89 LSAC GPA (3.86 Degree) if I manage a 4.00

I have one major concern. My entire application won't be submitted until December 11th. I am aiming for schools like UMich, Boalt, Duke, Columbia, maybe HLS and SLS.

I am registered to take the LSAT in December along with a Testmasters course. Additionally, I am talking to my profs. in the fall and will ask them to write my letters of rec. before Thanksgiving. Lastly, law schools won't get my final transcripts until after the fall semester (post-December 5th). I feel like everything with my application won't come together until mid-December. What should I do?

Should I still apply? Won't it be late thou? I want to maximize my probability of admissions and I am wondering if I should apply next year, with everything done and ready on the first day the cycle opens.

It will hurt you at boalt. It might hurt you at other schools you listed depending on your LSAT score. However, if you break 170 with that GPA, the world will be your oyster.

kenyadigit wrote:So I need some perspective advice, insights, and maybe encouragement.

I am a URM (Black Male) and a current fourth-year senior at a Top-25 program. I am entering my final semester of undergad. this fall with a 3.85 LSAC GPA (3.82 Degree) and I am hoping to apply to law school this fall. Hopefully, after my final fall semester I can muster up a 3.89 LSAC GPA (3.86 Degree) if I manage a 4.00

I have one major concern. My entire application won't be submitted until December 11th. I am aiming for schools like UMich, Boalt, Duke, Columbia, maybe HLS and SLS.

I am registered to take the LSAT in December along with a Testmasters course. Additionally, I am talking to my profs. in the fall and will ask them to write my letters of rec. before Thanksgiving. Lastly, law schools won't get my final transcripts until after the fall semester (post-December 5th). I feel like everything with my application won't come together until mid-December. What should I do?

Should I still apply? Won't it be late thou? I want to maximize my probability of admissions and I am wondering if I should apply next year, with everything done and ready on the first day the cycle opens.

yes still apply. it's not late (it's just not extra- early)

kenyadigit wrote:So I need some perspective advice, insights, and maybe encouragement.

I am a URM (Black Male) and a current fourth-year senior at a Top-25 program. I am entering my final semester of undergad. this fall with a 3.85 LSAC GPA (3.82 Degree) and I am hoping to apply to law school this fall. Hopefully, after my final fall semester I can muster up a 3.89 LSAC GPA (3.86 Degree) if I manage a 4.00

I have one major concern. My entire application won't be submitted until December 11th. I am aiming for schools like UMich, Boalt, Duke, Columbia, maybe HLS and SLS.

I am registered to take the LSAT in December along with a Testmasters course. Additionally, I am talking to my profs. in the fall and will ask them to write my letters of rec. before Thanksgiving. Lastly, law schools won't get my final transcripts until after the fall semester (post-December 5th). I feel like everything with my application won't come together until mid-December. What should I do?

Should I still apply? Won't it be late thou? I want to maximize my probability of admissions and I am wondering if I should apply next year, with everything done and ready on the first day the cycle opens.

If you can get a high LSAT, you have a good shot at HYS.

That should be motivation for you to study your ass off!

Why not write the October test? You can still do December if necessary. Applying late December won't hurt you THAT much, but it's better to apply earlier. Oh, and take it from someone who's been there, please get your LORs lined up before Thanksgiving. That is a busy time of year for people, and you don't want your apps held up because one of your recommenders is busy.

Get a 168+ and it won't matter, you'll still get one of Harvard/Yale/Stanford.

But if you get a lower score, it may be worth it to hold off, provided you have something to do in your off-year.

*

I think it would be smart to take a year and work/study for the LSAT, and get your applications together so you can submit them at the most optimal time. I did this and Im really glad I did. However, this was 2005-2006, and the job market is very different now. If you can get a job to pay the bills, I would take a year, and apply next year.

It is a tough call, but I think that the earliest you can have a completed file will be around Jan. 1st. The problem is the LSAT. Without that, schools really don't know how to evaluate you, so they set your file aside. If you take in December, they'll give you your score towards the end of Dec. or early Jan., right?? If so, then your application will be quite late. But still, if you have a high LSAT (164+), it just won't matter. Plan on applying on Jan 1st and if your LSAT is in the 160+ range, then take a year off to re-take the LSAT and apply early.

You plan for December is totally doable (I did the same thing was admitted to most of the schools you listed). It will hurt your app at SLS and Berkely. But it won't rule it out.

What I would have done differently: complete the application and submit early just without the LSAT score and the final transcript. This puts you in line in the application process and can probably bump up your review by a few weeks which can make a big difference at these schools. It won't hurt your chances because they won't review your file until they get the information, but they will put you in line in front of people who send in their total application after yours.