Top Law Schools

I have a 171 and ~3.8. My impression is that places tend to give you money when you would be able to raise their numbers. It looks like I'm 4 points above Berkeley's median LSAT and a little above their median GPA. Yet hourumd.com says I have less than a 10% chance at a scholarship. Is Berkeley extraordinarily stingy? Is this due to budget cuts? Or do they just not care about their numbers for some reason? Does the hourumd result seem accurate or is it misleading?

lawskyandhutch wrote:I have a 171 and ~3.8. My impression is that places tend to give you money when you would be able to raise their numbers. It looks like I'm 4 points above Berkeley's median LSAT and a little above their median GPA. Yet hourumd.com says I have less than a 10% chance at a scholarship. Is Berkeley extraordinarily stingy? Is this due to budget cuts? Or do they just not care about their numbers for some reason? Does the hourumd result seem accurate or is it misleading?

Berkeley is extraordinary stingy, and they have mainly need-based aid.

It's amazing that they can compete with Penn, Chicago, etc.

lawskyandhutch wrote:It's amazing that they can compete with Penn, Chicago, etc.

There's plenty of people who will attend Boalt at sticker.

lawskyandhutch wrote:It's amazing that they can compete with Penn, Chicago, etc.

There's plenty of self selection involved. I for one am considering Berk over Columbia because the lifestyle of Berk students seems very attractive

bhan87 wrote:

lawskyandhutch wrote:It's amazing that they can compete with Penn, Chicago, etc.

There's plenty of self selection involved. I for one am considering Berk over Columbia because the lifestyle of Berk students seems very attractive

This is certainly a large part of it as well.

lawskyandhutch wrote:It's amazing that they can compete with Penn, Chicago, etc.

Keep in mind there are VERY few top law schools west of michigan/chicago. If you dont want to move to the east coast or midwest to go to law school, you pretty much only have Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, USC - if you are looking at T14 quality california schools.

lawskyandhutch wrote:I have a 171 and ~3.8. My impression is that places tend to give you money when you would be able to raise their numbers. It looks like I'm 4 points above Berkeley's median LSAT and a little above their median GPA. Yet hourumd.com says I have less than a 10% chance at a scholarship. Is Berkeley extraordinarily stingy? Is this due to budget cuts? Or do they just not care about their numbers for some reason? Does the hourumd result seem accurate or is it misleading?

For what it's worth, I have basically the same numbers as you and was rejected by Berkeley. I think that their lower LSAT has a lot to do with their "holistic" admissions approach, so they don't seem like a school that would use scholarships to try to raise their numbers.

BeachandRun23 wrote:

lawskyandhutch wrote:It's amazing that they can compete with Penn, Chicago, etc.

Keep in mind there are VERY few top law schools west of michigan/chicago. If you dont want to move to the east coast or midwest to go to law school, you pretty much only have Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, USC - if you are looking at T14 quality california schools.

This.

I can't speak for everyone but I know I am looking at going to Berkeley for at or near full sticker because I want to stay on the west coast. I have acceptances from T14 schools in the east but I am not even considering them after being accepted at B. If you really want to stay on the west coast it is S or B or bust.

If you look at the East Coast T14 (UVA, Penn, NYU, GULC, Cornell, and Columbia) and exclude HYS, they all have to compete with each other for east coast students who want to work in NYC, DC, or Boston after graduation. Since being in the top 25% at each of these schools gives you similiar job prospects as the other schools they have to throw sholarship money at the best applicants in order to maintain their competitive stats.

Also I just tested hourumd for the first time and I'd say it's questionable at best. It claimed 95%+ success for applicants with my numbers at NYU but then when I bumped my GPA UP .1 it decreased my odds of acceptance by 15%...really weird.

powerlawyer06 wrote:If you look at the East Coast T14 (UVA, Penn, NYU, GULC, Cornell, and Columbia) and exclude HYS... being in the top 25% at each of these schools gives you similiar job prospects as the other schools.

lolno

BeachedBrit wrote:Also I just tested hourumd for the first time and I'd say it's questionable at best. It claimed 95%+ success for applicants with my numbers at NYU but then when I bumped my GPA UP .1 it decreased my odds of acceptance by 15%...really weird.

It's because it's based on actual acceptances I think. So some GPA/LSAT combinations are more represented and therefore more accurate.

JG Hall wrote:

powerlawyer06 wrote:If you look at the East Coast T14 (UVA, Penn, NYU, GULC, Cornell, and Columbia) and exclude HYS... being in the top 25% at each of these schools gives you similiar job prospects as the other schools.

lolno

I think being top 25% at any of those schools would put you in a position where it's more up to the individual interview skills rather than grades.

FiveSermon wrote:

JG Hall wrote:

powerlawyer06 wrote:If you look at the East Coast T14 (UVA, Penn, NYU, GULC, Cornell, and Columbia) and exclude HYS... being in the top 25% at each of these schools gives you similiar job prospects as the other schools.

lolno

I think being top 25% at any of those schools would put you in a position where it's more up to the individual interview skills rather than grades.

top 25% at GULC is going to have suck a lot more proverbial cock than top 1/3 at CCN (to get a comparable job)

JG Hall wrote:

FiveSermon wrote:

JG Hall wrote:

powerlawyer06 wrote:If you look at the East Coast T14 (UVA, Penn, NYU, GULC, Cornell, and Columbia) and exclude HYS... being in the top 25% at each of these schools gives you similiar job prospects as the other schools.

lolno

I think being top 25% at any of those schools would put you in a position where it's more up to the individual interview skills rather than grades.

top 25% at GULC is going to have suck a lot more proverbial cock than top 1/3 at CCN (to get a comparable job)

Hmmm true. Take out CCN though and I think it's relatively similar. Maybe take out G too just because everyone hates G.

JG Hall wrote:

FiveSermon wrote:

JG Hall wrote:

powerlawyer06 wrote:If you look at the East Coast T14 (UVA, Penn, NYU, GULC, Cornell, and Columbia) and exclude HYS... being in the top 25% at each of these schools gives you similiar job prospects as the other schools.

lolno

I think being top 25% at any of those schools would put you in a position where it's more up to the individual interview skills rather than grades.

top 25% at GULC is going to have suck a lot more proverbial cock than top 1/3 at CCN (to get a comparable job)

I don't agree.

violinst wrote:I don't agree.

awesome. go through OCI and get back to me.