MA and 5 Years Work Experience Forum

[arcticjoe]

Alright, this is what I have been trying to figure out for the last few weeks.

So, I have an undergraduate History degree with a GPA of 3.5 from University of Colorado.

I have five years work experience as a History Teacher, in a tremendously diverse school in Urban Chicago.

Further I have an MA-History from DePaul with a 3.4 GPA.

An LSAT of 160.

My real question is, does the MA mean anything, does my work experience mean anything? Or are we solely talking numbers here?

When I plug my numbers into the predictor--it is essentially deny, deny, deny, deny...etc

So, what should I think?

Any insight would be helpful.

[Patriot1208]

your MA and work experience are fairly meaningless. You need an LSAT retake.

[arcticjoe]

That is too bad as I am an awful standardized test taker.

[Verity]

1-3 points higher on the LSAT > PhD, according to most adcomms.

[TTH]

Your MA and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee (at a gas sation at least). Best advice is to retake.

[dpk711]

Your grad school degree and work experience are tiebreakers at best. Right now you're looking at T50 territory.

[jdMission]

You ask an excellent question. I would never argue that scores are unimportant to admissions committees – they are indeed quite important. Still, there are many law schools with an abundance of applicants and thus there are many applicants, who have similar scores, on the admissions “bubble.” For these applicants, the quality of their applications can make the difference. (And, it should be noted that strong scores are no guarantee! Some with very strong scores, can make a mess of the application process and potentially jeopardize their chances). Unequivocally, stats are what get candidates into the game, but qualitative factors including letters of recommendations, graduate degrees, work experience, personal statements and leadership/professional activities all play a role in the admissions committees decisions -- otherwise, the admissions committees would not solicit the information! Good luck to you!

Sunitha Ramaiah
Makeup artist to ZZ Top

[cinephile]

It's better than having a 3.5/160 straight out of college with no work experience or grad degree.

But agree that retaking is the best option.

[Corwin]

As other people have said, MA is a tie breaker. WE might give you a little boost, but it wont be anything major. Depending on what your goals are, a retake is probably the right way to go.

Things besides the numbers can make a difference sometimes. This cycle one of my non-URM friends actually cracked the T20 with your numbers and I'm pretty sure it was because of the PS and LOR. I read both of them and they were quite good. But that is the exception and not the rule. You can't depend on things like that. Retaking the LSAT after several hundred hours of study is your strongest option.