What should I do? Need advice. Cynics welcome. Forum

[bartleby]

Numbers: 3.35 UGPA ; LSAT: 160, Cancel, 164. Non-URM.

Fudged slightly because I am paranoid.

I'm a Texas resident but am originally from the north east. I've wanted to leave Texas since I got here and either go back to the east coast or to the west coast. So before I knew about TLS or how crappy the job market is and this and that, when my GPA was sub-3.0, I figured I would just "study like hell" for the LSAT, score a 166+ and go to USD or Brooklyn or Cardozo.

I guess I choked three times on the LSAT. I'm taking it a fourth time in December but have burned through all the materials already (before my third take) and I think that really messed up my timing (for LR) on the real thing.

My question is, if I get into Houston, do I even consider anywhere else? I think I have to score at least a 172+ to have a chance at T14. I don't think it is going to happen. I think I will score in the 164-168 range in December. I think even if I scored a 180, I'd get rejected by UT.

So if I do score a 168 and sneak into UIUC or Emory, do I consider it? Houston should cost 16k a year and the market is pretty good vs. 40k at UIUC/Emory in crappier markets/cost of living. Still, I visited the campus and am not crazy about the area (the school itself, the campus, and surrounding areas). For me, law school is about minimizing financial risk so at what point do I give up my in-state tuition benefits - T25? T14? T6?