Top Law Schools

I graduated undergrad two years ago. I took a top research position for a Congressional campaign and then took a gig working for an NGO in China since then. I will be back in the USA in two weeks. I had a 3.7 double major in Political Economy and International Political Economy and a 165 LSAT.

I was thinking of applying to a Spring semester program, maybe SUNY Brooklyn, and then transferring to a T20 program after that. I have deep legacy at Cornell (3 family members attended the law school there). My friend is going to law school at a T20 and he tried to talk me out of the transferring thing. He said it is easier said than done. But it's easier for students right now right? Anyways, any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

Fax From Munich wrote:I graduated undergrad two years ago. I took a top research position for a Congressional campaign and then took a gig working for an NGO in China since then. I will be back in the USA in two weeks. I had a 3.7 double major in Political Economy and International Political Economy and a 165 LSAT.

I was thinking of applying to a Spring semester program, maybe SUNY Brooklyn, and then transferring to a T20 program after that. I have deep legacy at Cornell (3 family members attended the law school there). My friend is going to law school at a T20 and he tried to talk me out of the transferring thing. He said it is easier said than done. But it's easier for students right now right? Anyways, any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

I hate to ask, but are you URM?

lisjjen wrote:

Fax From Munich wrote:I graduated undergrad two years ago. I took a top research position for a Congressional campaign and then took a gig working for an NGO in China since then. I will be back in the USA in two weeks. I had a 3.7 double major in Political Economy and International Political Economy and a 165 LSAT.

I was thinking of applying to a Spring semester program, maybe SUNY Brooklyn, and then transferring to a T20 program after that. I have deep legacy at Cornell (3 family members attended the law school there). My friend is going to law school at a T20 and he tried to talk me out of the transferring thing. He said it is easier said than done. But it's easier for students right now right? Anyways, any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

I hate to ask, but are you URM?

What does "URM" mean?

Under Represented Minority. African American/Mexican American/Puerto Rican/Native American

Nova wrote:Under Represented Minority. African American/Mexican American/Puerto Rican/Native American

Thanks. I'm Jewish? I mean if that doesn't count, are there Jewish student organizations out there?

URM: under-represented minority. African-American, Native American, Mexican-American or Puerto Rican. They get big boosts in admissions. Your friend is right though. Never ever go to a school you wouldn't be happy graduating from. Everyone else in the class came in with roughly your stats, and everyone else in the class is shooting for those top grades, because grades=jobs. You can't rely on transferring.

ETA- Jewish student orgs are at many schools, but they don't help you out for admissions, which is why the question was asked in the first place

Fax From Munich wrote:
I was thinking of applying to a Spring semester program, maybe SUNY Brooklyn, and then transferring to a T20 program after that. I have deep legacy at Cornell (3 family members attended the law school there). My friend is going to law school at a T20 and he tried to talk me out of the transferring thing. He said it is easier said than done. But it's easier for students right now right? Anyways, any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

Only the very top of the class will be able to transfer to a much better school. Dont attend a school like SUNY thinking you will have a good chance to tranfer up. You dont.

You are better off going to a T30 now, or retaking the LSAT.

Nova wrote:

Fax From Munich wrote:
I was thinking of applying to a Spring semester program, maybe SUNY Brooklyn, and then transferring to a T20 program after that. I have deep legacy at Cornell (3 family members attended the law school there). My friend is going to law school at a T20 and he tried to talk me out of the transferring thing. He said it is easier said than done. But it's easier for students right now right? Anyways, any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

Only the very top of the class will be able to transfer to a much better school. Dont attend a school like SUNY thinking you will have a good chance to tranfer up. You dont.

You are better off going to a T30 now, or retaking the LSAT.

Nova's got it right. However, if you bump your LSAT a couple points, you can skip the in-between and go straight to Cornell. Check out http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com for the class profile

3 points puts you in the green zone at Cornell

TopHatToad wrote:

Nova wrote:

Fax From Munich wrote:
I was thinking of applying to a Spring semester program, maybe SUNY Brooklyn, and then transferring to a T20 program after that. I have deep legacy at Cornell (3 family members attended the law school there). My friend is going to law school at a T20 and he tried to talk me out of the transferring thing. He said it is easier said than done. But it's easier for students right now right? Anyways, any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

Only the very top of the class will be able to transfer to a much better school. Dont attend a school like SUNY thinking you will have a good chance to tranfer up. You dont.

You are better off going to a T30 now, or retaking the LSAT.

Nova's got it right. However, if you bump your LSAT a couple points, you can skip the in-between and go straight to Cornell. Check out http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com for the class profile

3 points puts you in the green zone at Cornell

That's what my friend suggested too. It's just that I have already spent so much time working that I don't want to waste any more time retaking and reapplying. How important would a retake be? Does the work experience count for anything?

The general consensus is that this year will be a down cycle for law schools. Your stats should get you into a pretty good school, perhaps even a T-14 (I knew someone with a 3.8/165 that got into UVA last cycle, so entry reqs definitely seem to be dropping).

You should try to apply within the next month or two for a good law school. It's better to avoid the assumption of transferring when going to a lower ranked school. You never know what could happen. Your stats are good enough to get you into a better school right from the get-go. Also, I think most good law schools require you to have 2 full semesters of law school done before you can transfer, so I don't think your plan would even work.

As far as your jewish society question goes, I think just about every school has a Jewish Student Club of some sort.

Fax From Munich wrote:
That's what my friend suggested too. It's just that I have already spent so much time working that I don't want to waste any more time retaking and reapplying. How important would a retake be? Does the work experience count for anything?

Its not a waste of time. Its most likely the difference between getting into Cornell and not. A few more point could net you a big scholarship at BC/BU/F. A few points is literally worth tens of thousands of dollars.

nonprofit-prophet wrote: Also, I think most good law schools require you to have 2 full semesters of law school done before you can transfer, so I don't think your plan would even work.

That is correct.

You are on pace to start in the Fall of 2013. Apply early this cycle and retake in Oct/Dec to increase your chances of admission into the top 14 and to also increase your scholarship offers from the T30s you will likely be admitted to on the east coast, like GW/BC/BU/F. Those should be your targets. Not a spring start at SUNY.

Nova wrote:

Fax From Munich wrote:
That's what my friend suggested too. It's just that I have already spent so much time working that I don't want to waste any more time retaking and reapplying. How important would a retake be? Does the work experience count for anything?

Its not a waste of time. Its most likely the difference between getting into Cornell and not. A few more point could net you a big scholarship at BC/BU/F. A few points is literally worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Work experience doesn't count for anything. Retake the LSAT or you will not get into Cornell. It's that simple.

top30man wrote:

Nova wrote:

Fax From Munich wrote:
That's what my friend suggested too. It's just that I have already spent so much time working that I don't want to waste any more time retaking and reapplying. How important would a retake be? Does the work experience count for anything?

Its not a waste of time. Its most likely the difference between getting into Cornell and not. A few more point could net you a big scholarship at BC/BU/F. A few points is literally worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Work experience doesn't count for anything. Retake the LSAT or you will not get into Cornell. It's that simple.

This might be too harsh if it weren't also true.

Just to echo what previous posters have already said:

First, your work experience is not that important for most schools - 5 more points on the LSAT are worth more than your two years of work. You absolutely should retake the LSAT. It is not a waste of your time.

And because this cannot be stated often enough:

Nova wrote:A few points is literally worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Second, NEVER attend a law school with the intent to transfer. NEVER. Retaking the LSAT to get into a school you'd be happy graduating from is about a thousand times easier and smarter than going to a worse school and assuming you'll transfer. And no, transferring is not easier now, and your friend is absolutely right.