Top Law Schools

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170/3.5/above average softs will give you a shot at the bottom of the T14

Not really. Not enough to make up for your numbers anyways. Aim for 170+. With a 170 you can get in to some t14's (UVA, NW with WE, Georgetown), but a 169 or anything below 170 will lock you out.

Come back with an LSAT score. No one can make predict for you without that.

stilles wrote:1st time poster and this forum has invaluable advice.

I'm a non-URM who has come from a very poor background (moved from motel to motel when younger). I was able to graduate from a top 25 school with a 3.5 GPA in poli sci. I'm pting in the 170-175 range, and have decent softs, do I have a chance at top 3?

If not, which T14 schools give the most need based merit?

No shot at HYS or Boalt. Columbia is probably out too unless you rock the LSAT.

I'm going to diverge from the crowd here and say you're not locked out of YHS, but that's only if a lot of things fall into place. You need 178+ to outweigh your GPA (that is, show that you're smarter than your GPA). While this would get you into Columbia, this still won't be enough to push you into YHS. For that, you'd need to write a masterpiece of a personal statement. Honestly, people say that the PS is worth little, if anything, in the application review, but that's only because the medium isn't being used to its fullest. The PS is the one opportunity you have to talk directly to the adcom, and that can be powerful if used correctly. Problem is that it's far easier said than done. GL

moopness wrote:Honestly, people say that the PS is worth little, if anything, in the application review, but that's only because the medium isn't being used to its fullest.

It's because most people don't really have anything extraordinary or terribly interesting to say that hasn't been said plenty of times by others.

HTH

moopness wrote:I'm going to diverge from the crowd here and say you're not locked out of YHS, but that's only if a lot of things fall into place. You need 178+ to outweigh your GPA (that is, show that you're smarter than your GPA). While this would get you into Columbia, this still won't be enough to push you into YHS. For that, you'd need to write a masterpiece of a personal statement. Honestly, people say that the PS is worth little, if anything, in the application review, but that's only because the medium isn't being used to its fullest. The PS is the one opportunity you have to talk directly to the adcom, and that can be powerful if used correctly. Problem is that it's far easier said than done. GL

While he may sneak into Harvard with a 178+ there is absolutely no way he is getting into Stanford with that gpa.

stilles wrote:1st time poster and this forum has invaluable advice.

I'm a non-URM who has come from a very poor background (moved from motel to motel when younger). I was able to graduate from a top 25 school with a 3.5 GPA in poli sci. I'm pting in the 170-175 range, and have decent softs, do I have a chance at top 3?

If not, which T14 schools give the most need based merit?

I don't think anyone answered your original question. Yes, I think coming from a disadvantaged background can help. I would incorporate it into a compelling DS.

The T14 which would give the most merit aid to someone with your potential stats is probably Michigan, but a compelling DS or PS could generate substantial merit aid at a number of schools in the T4-14.

Almost no chance of YHS.

rad law wrote:

moopness wrote:Honestly, people say that the PS is worth little, if anything, in the application review, but that's only because the medium isn't being used to its fullest.

It's because most people don't really have anything extraordinary or terribly interesting to say that hasn't been said plenty of times by others.

HTH

It's not what you have to say, but how you say it.
HTH

rad law wrote:

moopness wrote:Honestly, people say that the PS is worth little, if anything, in the application review, but that's only because the medium isn't being used to its fullest.

It's because most people don't really have anything extraordinary or terribly interesting to say that hasn't been said plenty of times by others.

HTH

TITCR

moopness wrote:It's not what you have to say, but how you say it.
HTH

QFGFS

moopness wrote:

rad law wrote:

moopness wrote:Honestly, people say that the PS is worth little, if anything, in the application review, but that's only because the medium isn't being used to its fullest.

It's because most people don't really have anything extraordinary or terribly interesting to say that hasn't been said plenty of times by others.

HTH

It's not what you have to say, but how you say it.
HTH

Not when most people don't really have anything extraordinary or terribly interesting to say that hasn't been said plenty of times by others.

rad law wrote:

moopness wrote:

rad law wrote:

moopness wrote:Honestly, people say that the PS is worth little, if anything, in the application review, but that's only because the medium isn't being used to its fullest.

It's because most people don't really have anything extraordinary or terribly interesting to say that hasn't been said plenty of times by others.

HTH

It's not what you have to say, but how you say it.
HTH

Not when most people don't really have anything extraordinary or terribly interesting to say that hasn't been said plenty of times by others.

When the majority of personal statements are utter crap, then yea, it does matter.

Personal statements don't matter.

Desert Fox wrote:Personal statements don't matter.

Ah, the authority has spoken. Time to shut it down.

moopness wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:Personal statements don't matter.

Ah, the authority has spoken. Time to shut it down.

I love 0L's.

Desert Fox wrote:Personal statements don't matter.

It's very easy to write your way out of a school, while it's nearly impossible to write your way into one.

NU_Jet55 wrote:

moopness wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:Personal statements don't matter.

Ah, the authority has spoken. Time to shut it down.

I love 0L's.

3 months of law school has given me SO MUCH EXTRA KNOWLEDGEEEEE

NU_Jet55 wrote:

moopness wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:Personal statements don't matter.

Ah, the authority has spoken. Time to shut it down.

I love 0L's.

--ImageRemoved--

whymeohgodno wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:Personal statements don't matter.

It's very easy to write your way out of a school, while it's nearly impossible to write your way into one.

titcr. While it's nearly impossible, it's not impossible. That's all I'm saying. Likely? God no. But possible? There's always that sliver.

stilles wrote:1st time poster and this forum has invaluable advice.

You're obviously confusing this forum with some other website. Any other website actually.

stilles wrote:I'm a non-URM who has come from a very poor background (moved from motel to motel when younger). I was able to graduate from a top 25 school with a 3.5 GPA in poli sci. I'm pting in the 170-175 range, and have decent softs, do I have a chance at top 3?

If not, which T14 schools give the most need based merit?

It's not really going to help you terribly much, but it is a great personal statement topic. To figure out what your odds on merit money are, I'd take your GPA and your LSAT score and run it through LSN - see what kind of money various people got. Someone more informed than me probably has information on which T14 schools actually give out more or less money in a more general sense.

moopness wrote:While it's nearly impossible, it's not impossible. That's all I'm saying. Likely? God no. But possible? There's always that sliver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

NU_Jet55 wrote:

moopness wrote:While it's nearly impossible, it's not impossible. That's all I'm saying. Likely? God no. But possible? There's always that sliver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

Well played!

NU_Jet55 wrote:

moopness wrote:While it's nearly impossible, it's not impossible. That's all I'm saying. Likely? God no. But possible? There's always that sliver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

I'm taking it that you don't gamble? You know what, never mind, you're absolutely right. Let's just tell the guy that there is absolutely nothing he can do to get into YHS. Let's not even bother telling the guy what he'd need to do to build as strong an app as possible, what areas to focus on to maximize his chances at getting in. I mean, no one's ever beaten the odds and gotten into a school that they had no chance at, and certainly no one has ever won the lottery.

moopness wrote:

NU_Jet55 wrote:

moopness wrote:While it's nearly impossible, it's not impossible. That's all I'm saying. Likely? God no. But possible? There's always that sliver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

I'm taking it that you don't gamble? You know what, never mind, you're absolutely right. Let's just tell the guy that there is absolutely nothing he can do to get into YHS. Let's not even bother telling the guy what he'd need to do to build as strong an app as possible, what areas to focus on to maximize his chances at getting in. I mean, no one's ever beaten the odds and gotten into a school that they had no chance at, and certainly no one has ever won the lottery.

There is nothing this guy can do to get YHS.