Top Law Schools

I applied Early Decision (mid-December) to my top school and recently received an email from one of the admissions officers saying that my file is going to be held over for further review in the regular decision cycle, which is starting now. In the email the admissions officer asked if I would be interested in applying to the evening program as well, that way my application would be in two pools simultaneously.

I applied late in the cycle last year (March 1st) and remained on the waitlist from May-August. I am wondering what I should do? I want to attend the institutions full-time program; but I am worried that agreeing to apply for the part time program may dilute whatever chances I have of admission to the full-time program. Will applying to the part-time program hurt my chances at getting into full-time or are they evaluated independently? What do you recommend?

I am an in-state resident and have a strong resume. My numbers are: UGPA 3.50 (LSAC GPA 3.2 due to retaking two 5-credit hour science courses) and a 154 on the LSAT. According to TLS, the LSAT median for full-time is 158 and part-time is 151. The median GPA for full-time is 3.5 and 3.2 for part-time. Since this is my number one choice, I included in my application a supplementary essay describing why the school was my top choice and highlighted the programs and particular faculty that drew me to the school. If it helps, my educational info is below. Per usual, thanks in advance for any advice.





I graduated from a strong mid-west private liberal arts university with a double major in Political Science (Honors) and Spanish Language. I am also fluent in Spanish (18 years of study) and speak proficient French.

You're not going to want to hear this, but the law school you are looking at with those statistics is probably one without very good employment statistics for graduates. Are you sure you can't wait and retake the lsat?

I would seriously recommend that you retake the LSAT and apply again next cycle. Any school with an LSAT median of 158 is not worth attending, especially at full price. You have an OK GPA, with a good LSAT score you might get a T30 or better. Don't attend the school you're applying to now unless you can get a full scholly.

I will also throw my hat in with retake the LSAT. For reference we have the same exact gpa, I have a 173 lsat and am a shoe-in for T10, with a 160+ you will find a much, much better school that will increase your future income substantially.

With that said, I bet you also want actual responses to your question as well. So, in my opinion, if you want to go there full-time, only apply there full-time. There's certainly no reason you should concede to a program you do not want to be in, even if you like the school itself. The admissions officer being in contact with you and encouraging your interest in the school, is already a pretty good sign. Continue to talk to her about why full-time is your only option and I am sure she will come around.