low GPA,ok LSAT, should I need apply law school? Forum

[Ineedapillow]

First a brief of my background: I got my bachelor degree at biomedical engineering in Asian with a low GPA 2.3, then I came to US 5 years ago got my master at electrical engineering with a GPA 3.4. Working at a law firm from graduate until now. My June LSAT score is 160 ,retook at October, should be a litter better but won't be too much improvement .
I know my stat looks really bad, so I hope someone here could give me some advice if I should still apply to law school. Asian female, mid- 20s.

A little bit more about my background:
I really don't have any decent excuse for my low UDGPA, I was pretty healthy, none of my family member died, my parent never missed my tuition payment. I had nobody to blame but myself. But even I didn't pay too much attention to my courses, I did a lot of work at research lab, I started volunteering working for professors and doing research for them since I was a junior,as you may know, being handy is more important than good on paper for engineers, because of my good research work, I got accepted in a graduate school here with full scholarship (full tuition waiver+living expense ).

The second year of my graduate school here, I had to file a law suit against a very highly ranked official at my school and my grad school together (the normal reason for work place female law suit ),the case lasted over a year and finally settled , I got $$ from school and graduated with a master degree.
After graduated, my attorney who handled my case offered me a job at his law firm and so far I still work there.

So this is about my story, I am not sure if I could put the "law suit" part in my PS,would schools generally like someone sued her former school?

I know someone will say , there will be some 3rd, 4th tier school will accept you, and I believe there are some very successful lawyers graduate from 3,4tier law school; but I also believe I won't be one of them So as my case here, is my only shot is being accepted by some 3,4 tier law school or even worse? Is there any way I can get in a top20 law school with this GPA (I don't mind retaking LSAT, doing more extra work, but GPA is really something I can never change) .

Please give me some advice, I am very frustrating now. 2 years ago when I was at this country with no money no family and fighting for a big law suit, there was some nice lawyer helped me and that did changed my life. So I really want to become one of them and hope I could help someone at the same situation in the future.

Thanks again!

[androstan]

Flame/Troll.

[Ineedapillow]

Flame/Troll.

sorry, I don't understand what this means

[bdm261]

Flame/Troll.

sorry, I don't understand what this means

Flame or Troll is something you get called on this forum generally if you're a new poster and ask about going to T3 or T4 schools or where you should go with a less than stellar LSAT/GPA.


From http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =2&t=18478

Troll - Someone's whose sole intent is to irritate or annoy

Flame- - A fake profile, persona, or hypothetical situation designed to mislead, antagonize, or annoy.

[helix23]

retake

[Ineedapillow]

Flame/Troll.

sorry, I don't understand what this means

Thanks, I tried to google it too.

[Ineedapillow]

retake

Thanks for your respond. I use that GPA/LSAT search tool at LSAC website, it seems even I can get a 170+ LSAT score, my chance is still very limited. What kind of LSAT score I need to get in a good law school for my GPA?
Also I have reached the 3 times/ 2 year limit, I can only retake it at next October, if it didn't turn out good, the next next October...I am kinda worried taking LSAT will become my anniversary and meanwhile I am getting older and older..

[Nova]

Score in the high 160s and go to a T1 with a scholarship.

T14 is very very unlikely, but if you can score above median, NU and UVA and GULC are probably worth the app fee.

[Puffin]

High 160's might have a slightly higher shot in down cycle for GULC i don't think it'd be a waste of an app fee.

edit: I'm confused about GPA was your UG international? Because your GPA will play only a minor role in your admissions if so, being rated on a different scale, increases your chances significantly. Also your masters GPA will have minimal if any impact on admissions. Otherwise with a 2.3 cracking the t14 without a 172+ at NU will be next to impossible. Toss up for possible T1/T2 admits depending on how high in the 160's your LSAT gets.

[CyanIdes Of March]

You seem to have other options, why choose to go to law school if your law school options are easily going to be more expensive and less rewarding (financially speaking, going by the odds someone like you'd play by considering your stats).

[cahwc12]

As far as I've read and talked to many people about this, BS/MS EE are highly sought-after in IP world. I've long been interested in finishing mine, and right now it's looking like I'll probably defer applying until next fall so I can complete one. If you're dead-set on IP, that MSEE should open a lot of doors for you once you get into law school, semi-independent of where you go.

This is important and a lot of people know it but don't appreciate this, but schools release median GPAs, not mean GPAs. As long as they counter-balance your 2.3 with an over-75th percentile GPA, none of their numbers move. Now, if you can >75% their LSAT, you suddenly become a commodity to admissions because those are much rarer than >75% GPA applicants.

That said, I think Nova is right on the money here... study hard for a retake and knock it out of the park to show that that UGPA is long behind you. With work experience and a great LSAT (>75th%) I don't think a good T1 with scholarship is an unreasonable expectation. A lot of schools admit to the exclusion of of GPA because if you're under the 25th percentile, it really doesn't matter how far below the 25th percentile you are.

[Ineedapillow]

Thanks for all your people 's nice reply above
I think I will wait my Oct LSAT release ,if not good I will retake next year.
I have one more question here. I studied really hard for my LSAT, I usually not miss any point at LG, miss within 2~3 at each LR section, but my RC is just unbelievable bad, I couldn't finish reading 4 passages and sometimes I miss over half of those questions.
I started learning English 5 years ago I guess that explains my terrible reading skill. Is there any way I can improve my reading skill before my next retake?
Thanks so much!

[helix23]

Thanks for all your people 's nice reply above
I think I will wait my Oct LSAT release ,if not good I will retake next year.
I have one more question here. I studied really hard for my LSAT, I usually not miss any point at LG, miss within 2~3 at each LR section, but my RC is just unbelievable bad, I couldn't finish reading 4 passages and sometimes I miss over half of those questions.
I started learning English 5 years ago I guess that explains my terrible reading skill. Is there any way I can improve my reading skill before my next retake?
Thanks so much!

Read a lot. Every day.

[Ineedapillow]

actually I have another question I got my UG overseas, I heard school don't need to report overseas GPA to US news, so basically it won't hurt their ranking. Is it true? How much of my GPA will be weighted in my application?

Thanks

[Ineedapillow]

Thanks for all your people 's nice reply above
I think I will wait my Oct LSAT release ,if not good I will retake next year.
I have one more question here. I studied really hard for my LSAT, I usually not miss any point at LG, miss within 2~3 at each LR section, but my RC is just unbelievable bad, I couldn't finish reading 4 passages and sometimes I miss over half of those questions.
I started learning English 5 years ago I guess that explains my terrible reading skill. Is there any way I can improve my reading skill before my next retake?
Thanks so much!

Read a lot. Every day.

Thanks , like what kind of newspaper or magazine, I have to admit I don;t read enough English material ,most time is entertainment weekly or US weekly...

[collegebum1989]

Thanks for all your people 's nice reply above
I think I will wait my Oct LSAT release ,if not good I will retake next year.
I have one more question here. I studied really hard for my LSAT, I usually not miss any point at LG, miss within 2~3 at each LR section, but my RC is just unbelievable bad, I couldn't finish reading 4 passages and sometimes I miss over half of those questions.
I started learning English 5 years ago I guess that explains my terrible reading skill. Is there any way I can improve my reading skill before my next retake?
Thanks so much!

Read a lot. Every day.

Thanks , like what kind of newspaper or magazine, I have to admit I don;t read enough English material ,most time is entertainment weekly or US weekly...

Read The Economist, New York Times, Academic Journals, etc...besides learning to read fast, focus on reading effectively and conceptualizing everything you read and breaking down the topic, structure and purpose. I was an engineer with horrible reading skills and did this while studying for the LSAT and it worked out well.

[robocp01]

Sorry, don't want to offend you but I probably will. Law School is conducted in English and from what I'm reading your writing skills are pathetic. You have to be able to write well to do well in law school. You will be wasting your money if you attend law school.

[Ineedapillow]

Sorry, don't want to offend you but I probably will. Law School is conducted in English and from what I'm reading your writing skills are pathetic. You have to be able to write well to do well in law school. You will be wasting your money if you attend law school.

I appreciate your honesty My Speaking English probably is even worse than my writing ...I know it's will be very hard for a foreigner whose first language is not English to be a lawyer here. Sometimes I ask myself, if I couldn't understand LSAT reading articles , how can I handle those law school courses?

I guess I should either stop trying, or try much harder.

[collegebum1989]

Sorry, don't want to offend you but I probably will. Law School is conducted in English and from what I'm reading your writing skills are pathetic. You have to be able to write well to do well in law school. You will be wasting your money if you attend law school.

I appreciate your honesty My Speaking English probably is even worse than my writing ...I know it's will be very hard for a foreigner whose first language is not English to be a lawyer here. Sometimes I ask myself, if I couldn't understand LSAT reading articles , how can I handle those law school courses?

I guess I should either stop trying, or try much harder.

LSAT reading topics, from what I understand, are not like Law School reading. LSAT passages are meant to trick you and are excessively verbose to confuse you about general ideas. Although Law School may be more difficult because of your language skills, it is definitely not impossible. If you are interested in IP/Patent Law and go for prosecution, your technical skills will be more important than your English skills (as long as your writing is proficient enough to write technical documents).