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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:33 pm
by mrscrouge
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Re: NY law schools Help
Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:38 pm
by patrickd139
First, I empathize with you. It's tough going through life keeping epilepsy under control. But the good news is that my mom (a diagnosed epileptic) made it through law school and has had a successful legal practice for more than 30 years. It can be done, and she even went to Baylor with driving and all that.
That said, you're in for an uphill battle to break into the legal markets of any of the major cities in the US, and your post was a little vague as far as specifics. Most of the advice this board will be able to provide will require an LSAT score. I would suggest that you study intensely for about 6 months using one of the solid methods outlined in the LSAT prep forum, and then take the LSAT after you've studied.
Once you have a score, we'll know better whether you're looking at more of the UChi/NYU/Columbia level of schools or the Fordham/BC/BU/UofI levels or the Loyola/Chicago-Kent/DePaul level.
GL!
Re: NY law schools Help
Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:40 pm
by Grizz
Take LSAT and come back.
Re: NY law schools Help
Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:47 pm
by bhan87
mrscrouge wrote:Hello, I've been wanting to make this thread for a while now. I've had epilepsy since I was 14 but had it under control (no seizures due to successful meds) since i was 16. In highschool I was a pretty good student, graduated with a 3.6, and always thought about keeping it that way through college in order to get into a descent LS. However, in my second semester, I had a grand-mal relapse seizure while driving and was airlifted etc.. Long story short, I am lucky to be alive with no limitations, other than the fact that this event took a lot of focus away from school for almost 2 years. Since I wasnt able to drive at all, and Miami doesnt really offer great public transportation, it took a while to get accustomed to a new lifestyle. I don't mean for this to sound insensitive, but perhaps that could explain ONE semester of poor grades, but I highly doubt that adcomms will believe this significantly impacted your ability to succeed for 2 years. Note: Lots of people are forced to deal with public transportation due to a variety of reasons and adcomms may wonder why you didn't move closer to the campus if commuting was that big of a burdenAnyway, I just became a senior at Florida International University where I'll be majoring with a B.A degree with a focus in management, and an english minor. I've recently been bringing up my grades, and will continue to do so until I graduate, but I'm afraid I wont get past 3.2 - 3.3. I'll be taking an LSAT course, and Im pretty confident ill get a good enough score that'll offset my gpa a bit. Be careful about making assumptions about what you can score on the LSAT. Take a diagnostic test before trying to gauge your chances
Now, I'm looking to move to either NY or Chicago, because of the superb transportation systems they have, since I cant drive. These places will make it a lot easier for me to get around, and rely less on people for rides/ expensive taxi fares.
So, realistically, what universities should I be looking at in these two cities ( with what minimum LSAT scores ). To what extent/ if any should I include any of the stated above in any essays/personal statements. + I'm also a minority. (hispanic)
Despite your URM status, your GPA is pretty low for the top NY / Chicago law schools (Columbia, NYU, UChicago). Hispanics don't get that big of boost compared to African Americans. You will need to break 173 to get into those three. A 169ish may be enough to get you into Fordham (again your GPA is below their 25th percentile, but URM + high LSAT might convince them to take you). Mid-160 should be sufficient for Brooklyn and Cardozo, but I wouldn't recommend attending either school unless they offer significant scholarships, in which case you want a 167+ to have a solid chance at full-rides.