Where Should I Apply?? WashU/Northwestern/UofI Forum

[STLMizzou]

Background: I am currently a legal clerk at a mid-sized firm in Chicago, and will have a little over a year of clerking experience before starting law school. I got a 171 on the LSAT, but my GPA is only a 3.2 (English/ Political science double).

I am waiting for my HS college credit to be recognized before LSAC will let me submit my apps. Here are the schools I am applying to, is this an appropriate list?

Reach School: Northwestern

Goal Schools: Washington University- STL, and University of Illinois

Safety Schools: Wake Forest, Ohio State, and U of Florida.

[CanadianWolf]

Depends upon where you want to live & work after law school.

[STLMizzou]

I wouldn't mind working in either Chicago or St. Louis, but I don't want to limit where I can go to just a small region. Probably stay mid-west, but keep my options open.

[crumpetsandtea]

I think you have a decent shot at NU, assuming you write a kickass Why NU and interview and do all the little things. Since you want to stay in the midwest, this seems like your best choice. Mich is also worth an app if you have the $$/motivation, since they also place into the midwest and are a T14 school. They seem to have a stricter 3.3 GPA cutoff, but you never know! I'd also suggest IUB and UMn if you're looking for more target schools to apply to. ^_^

Most importantly, APPLY ASAP!!!!! (: From one splitter to another, good luck and I hope we're classmates at NU next year

[romothesavior]

Apply to all of them and keep your options open? It's not like you can only apply to one.

I think you have a decent shot at Northwestern. You'll get in at WUSTL and UIUC and probably get a massive scholarship (I would definitely take a huge scholly at WUSTL over the same UIUC right now, especially if you're from STL/Missouri). You should hit up the lower T14 + Vanderbilt, and I would also apply to Michigan, although your odds are not good with that GPA. Really no reason at all to be considering Wake Forest, Florida, or even Ohio State.

[STLMizzou]

Yeah, WUSTL is known for giving scholarships to high LSAT splitters, and I am family friends with one of the deans of admissions (not for the law school though), so I would love to go there. I am just worried about being STUCK regionally if I end up going to any of those safety schools or even my goal schools.

I felt confident coming out of the NU interview on campus, and I think my work experience helps, but I am worried about getting it in so late. I wish I didn’t have to wait for these HS credits to go through, they didn’t even go towards my major. Oh well, hopefully in a day or two I can get all my apps submitted and stop worrying about it.


Also wasn’t sure if Illinois was smart with all the scandal going on. By the time I graduate 3 and a half years from now do you think their reputation will be back to where it was a year ago?