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Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:03 am
by asdfjkz900
Thanks all

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 9:13 am
by redsox
How does a K-JD end up with long stretches of doing nothing? Isn't the whole point that your life has been one long stretch of being a student?

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:04 am
by iamgeorgebush
Yep, sounds like you're going to Cooley. :cry:

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:49 am
by Happy Gilmore
It will probably hurt you if it is actually as bad as you say. You've had to have done at least something? No W/E at all?

But probably not enough to make you an auto-ding at H. Still a chance to get in.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:55 am
by northwood
have you done anything besides go to class and go to the library? If you did, then you can talk about them.

In the end its mostly all about the LSAT and the GPA

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 2:17 pm
by TheMostDangerousLG
So you have a 176 and a 3.98? Shut up and go away.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 2:20 pm
by iamgeorgebush
TheMostDangerousLG wrote:So you have a 176 and a 3.98? Shut up and go away.
HLS median GPA is 3.88.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 2:57 pm
by xylocarp
What's done is done, and since you're not considering working, there's really nothing else you can do. You should get H, but if you seriously underperform your numbers, maybe reconsider getting some WE and reapplying.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:29 pm
by hichvichwoh
it doesn't sound like this will affect your LS apps that much, but it will definitely bite you in the ass when it comes time to look for jobs

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:34 pm
by rinkrat19
Join a sports team and/or a student club, and get a hobby, while you're at it.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:48 pm
by hephaestus
hichvichwoh wrote:it doesn't sound like this will affect your LS apps that much, but it will definitely bite you in the ass when it comes time to look for jobs
I agree with this. You should consider working 1 year after graduation.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:07 pm
by asdfjkz900
redsox wrote:How does a K-JD end up with long stretches of doing nothing? Isn't the whole point that your life has been one long stretch of being a student?
Pretty much; the only things I did were go to school and have fun. :)

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:08 pm
by asdfjkz900
Happy Gilmore wrote:It will probably hurt you if it is actually as bad as you say. You've had to have done at least something? No W/E at all?

But probably not enough to make you an auto-ding at H. Still a chance to get in.
Couple volunteer positions but no formal work exp

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:10 pm
by asdfjkz900
northwood wrote:have you done anything besides go to class and go to the library? If you did, then you can talk about them.

In the end its mostly all about the LSAT and the GPA
I have things I can talk about for fifteen minutes, but i might sound a little affected

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:23 pm
by thewaves
ImNoScar wrote:
hichvichwoh wrote:it doesn't sound like this will affect your LS apps that much, but it will definitely bite you in the ass when it comes time to look for jobs
I agree with this. You should consider working 1 year after graduation.
+1. The legal market is against K-JDs with nothing on their resume. Even at HLS.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:29 pm
by asdfjkz900
thewaves wrote:
ImNoScar wrote:
hichvichwoh wrote:it doesn't sound like this will affect your LS apps that much, but it will definitely bite you in the ass when it comes time to look for jobs
I agree with this. You should consider working 1 year after graduation.
+1. The legal market is against K-JDs with nothing on their resume. Even at HLS.

Thanks for the advice. I have about 9 months left until law school starts so I'll definitely look into jobs. Would securing a full-time job during this period suffice?

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:36 pm
by hephaestus
asdfjkz900 wrote:
thewaves wrote:
ImNoScar wrote:
hichvichwoh wrote:it doesn't sound like this will affect your LS apps that much, but it will definitely bite you in the ass when it comes time to look for jobs
I agree with this. You should consider working 1 year after graduation.
+1. The legal market is against K-JDs with nothing on their resume. Even at HLS.

Thanks for the advice. I have about 9 months left until law school starts so I'll definitely look into jobs. Would securing a full-time job during this period suffice?
Having any sort of work experience, even low-level, will go a long way towards helping you at OCI. I had a low level white collar job before law school and it definitely helped me in interviews. Those that had high level work experience (think PE, banking etc.), there was a measurable boos in outcomes. However, anything will help.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:45 pm
by asdfjkz900
Having any sort of work experience, even low-level, will go a long way towards helping you at OCI. I had a low level white collar job before law school and it definitely helped me in interviews. Those that had high level work experience (think PE, banking etc.), there was a measurable boos in outcomes. However, anything will help.[/quote]

Thanks for the wise words

So is it tcr that having lackluster softs will not be much of a factor when applying to law school, but that I should have them for the sake of employment post-law school?

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:57 pm
by hichvichwoh
asdfjkz900 wrote:Having any sort of work experience, even low-level, will go a long way towards helping you at OCI. I had a low level white collar job before law school and it definitely helped me in interviews. Those that had high level work experience (think PE, banking etc.), there was a measurable boos in outcomes. However, anything will help.
Thanks for the wise words

So is it tcr that having lackluster softs will not be much of a factor when applying to law school, but that I should have them for the sake of employment post-law school?[/quote]

not so much softs as work experience. No one will ever care what leadership positions you had in UG clubs

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:59 pm
by Tiago Splitter
asdfjkz900 wrote: So is it tcr that having lackluster softs will not be much of a factor when applying to law school, but that I should have them for the sake of employment post-law school?
For both apps and OCI you just need things that can fill the resume and provide something to talk about for a few minutes in interviews.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 1:15 am
by esse est percipi
asdfjkz900 wrote: So is it tcr that having lackluster softs will not be much of a factor when applying to law school, but that I should have them for the sake of employment post-law school?
No. It will hurt you for both. You'll probably still get into Chicago and Columbia, but HYS will be tough. People with your numbers get dinged every year at H for weak softs. Work experience, extracurriculars and school leadership positions will rarely help you overperform your numbers, but a lack of these things will likely make you underperform.

Get involved in your school right now. Hopefully you'll be able to get a leadership position come next semester. Then get a year of work experience. Then enjoy Harvard.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:17 am
by SupCutie
Well I'm not HYS bound, but I'm probably effed if weak softs are a factor.

I literally went to class, had fun, volunteered here and there, worked at a coffee shop briefly and played intramural sports lol.

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 6:11 am
by asdfjkz900
esse est percipi wrote:
asdfjkz900 wrote: So is it tcr that having lackluster softs will not be much of a factor when applying to law school, but that I should have them for the sake of employment post-law school?
No. It will hurt you for both. You'll probably still get into Chicago and Columbia, but HYS will be tough. People with your numbers get dinged every year at H for weak softs. Work experience, extracurriculars and school leadership positions will rarely help you overperform your numbers, but a lack of these things will likely make you underperform.
So is this tcr? I know I have a marginal chance at Stanford and Yale, but I'd be super happy with Harvard

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 6:11 am
by asdfjkz900
SupCutie wrote:Well I'm not HYS bound, but I'm probably effed if weak softs are a factor.

I literally went to class, had fun, volunteered here and there, worked at a coffee shop briefly and played intramural sports lol.
Story of my college life

Re: Softs, How bad to be considered bad?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:18 am
by Happy Gilmore
asdfjkz900 wrote:
esse est percipi wrote:
asdfjkz900 wrote: So is it tcr that having lackluster softs will not be much of a factor when applying to law school, but that I should have them for the sake of employment post-law school?
No. It will hurt you for both. You'll probably still get into Chicago and Columbia, but HYS will be tough. People with your numbers get dinged every year at H for weak softs. Work experience, extracurriculars and school leadership positions will rarely help you overperform your numbers, but a lack of these things will likely make you underperform.
So is this tcr? I know I have a marginal chance at Stanford and Yale, but I'd be super happy with Harvard
How do you know you have a marginal chance at Stanford and Yale? Just from your numbers? If you have absolutely no softs whatsoever I would write those two off and just hope Harvard decides to take you.