.. Forum

[SYoshi11]

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[20130312]

Come back when you get into Yale. No use worrying about the hypo.

[SYoshi11]

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[Br3v]

Er, worrying about the hypo is necessary. I'd like insight on what happens if I get in, but then choose not to attend. Pretty shitty to get that insight after my options are more constrained.

Edit: To be more clear, I'd like to know whether or not I should apply to Yale at all - which means, yes, I need to consider the hypothetical I've posed.

What are your numbers? Then we can tell you whether to stop worrying or not

[SYoshi11]

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[Br3v]

UGPA: 3.95
LSAT: 179

In the event you aren't lying to get the answer you wanted.....


I have a follow up question you should consider. Why not just apply Yale after a year (or ten or whenever you are done with being a consultant)?

[SYoshi11]

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[cinephile]

If you just want to get in to turn them down, why apply? This doesn't make a lot of sense. Work for a year and then evaluate what you want to do.

[SYoshi11]

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[20130312]

I don't want to get in just to turn them down. I'm just saying that if I get in, I *might* turn them down.

Don't do this. Why risk it? Take the consulting opportunity for now. You know, the whole "bird in a hand" thing. Then apply after a year or two if you still want to go to law school.

[wert3813]

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[Borg]

Get your application ready now while you have the time (essays aren't going to change, have letters of rec ready to go) and then GO AND GET WORK EXPERIENCE. The students who wound up least happy and successful in my law school class tended to be those who went straight in from undergrad.

[SYoshi11]

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[twenty]

Yeah, they do it for a few years, get sick of the 90 hours a week fairly quickly, and jump ship for biglaw, which at that rate is actually fewer hours...

That said, MBB all the way. Not only is it really cool to build up a lot of money BEFORE you take on student loan debt, it's also going to help you dramatically come OCI time.

[BalanceCare]

Yeah, they do it for a few years, get sick of the 90 hours a week fairly quickly, and jump ship for biglaw, which at that rate is actually fewer hours...

That said, MBB all the way. Not only is it really cool to build up a lot of money BEFORE you take on student loan debt, it's also going to help you dramatically come OCI time.

Most importantly: getting real-world experience = a good thing

[North]

it's also going to help you dramatically come OCI time.

This. Just be sure to decide whether you want to go to HYS before your 179 expires.

[CanadianWolf]

If you do get an acceptance from Yale, ask about deferral options. Otherwise, I've heard that Harvard has a good law school & is receptive to those with your numbers. Also, you'd likely be a strong candidate for a full tuition scholarship from Columbia as well as from Chicago. In short, apply to the top 5 or 6 law schools to see what options develop before trying to make a decision. That this needs to be pointed out to you suggests that 2 years of work experience may be worthwhile in your case if you can preserve that 179 LSAT score.

[carboncopyx]

Law schools tend to be pretty liberal with deferrals, so if you feel ready to apply this year and want to submit it, you might as well. The way I see it, it gives you more application cycles in case this one doesn't work out. And if you get into Yale this cycle, then you're set for the next 2 + 3 years of your life.

[SYoshi11]

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[SYoshi11]

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[bhan87]

I think going into consulting and reapplying later is the better move for a few reasons:

1. The economy - The legal market is still tough and it's hard to say whether things have really stabilized. Going into consulting for a few years will let you gauge the situation better while getting great work experience.

2. Work experience - With your numbers, solid work experience may not be the most important thing in terms of admissions, but it really seemed that people with interesting work history fared a LOT better at OCI. The reasons for this are obvious, and a few years of MBB under your belt is one of the best things to have on your resume.

3. Lowering the debt - Going into consulting will let you save up some $ before entering law school. Lower debt = lots of other things you'll probably want later will be available quicker (i.e. a loan to buy a home).

4. You might love consulting - It might turn out that you have a knack for consulting and that field turns out to be your calling. With a MBB in hand, you'll still have the chance to apply to law school later, while trying out consulting. If you turn down this offer, you'll have a lot harder of a time to get the MBB offer once more.

[SYoshi11]

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[bhan87]

Bhan87, thank you for your thoughts! Very informative.

Regarding OCI: do you think MBB would only be helpful for jobs in transcriptional law? Would, say, Williams and Connolly (or any other litigation shop) even care?

Also, to be clear, I'm guessing your suggestion is to just hold off applying?

Yale, then Williams & Connolly. That's ambitious...

I would say definitely yes. Granted, work at MBB may seem more directly relevant to transactional work, there are many skills you'll acquire at MBB that firms will find attractive: 1. Ability to interact with demanding clients, 2. Ability to handle yourself in high-pressure situations while producing high quality work, 3. Ability to convey complex information in an efficient and straightforward manner (i.e. memos and briefs).

Also, generally having any type of full-time professional work experience is a plus. It means you've been in the workplace before and know how to function in an office setting.

Whether you apply now and turn down an acceptance or just hold off on applying is probably a personal decision, but if you do end up deciding to take the MBB offer, you could probably save yourself a lot of hassle and a bit of money (CAS and those apps are pretty pricey x.x) in the short-run. If you're on the fence at all about it, however, you should send in the app just in case.

[wert3813]

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[CanadianWolf]

To the above poster: LSAT scores do not last forever; 5 years is the longest, but some law schools may want LSAT scores within the last 3 years.