Splitter with an inevitably weak LoR Forum

[PeanutsNJam]

I have one very strong LoR from a professor who thought I was the shit.

I'm lost on the second one. I have a few lukewarm "did ok" classes, but none where it was "omg this kid is the best ever". I don't really have any other options so I will have to submit a lukewarm LoR in addition to one stellar one, but how much will this hurt me?

I mean it comes with the territory of a low GPA right?

2.4/170 (retook, waiting on second score, pls be higher)

Will 1 mediocre LoR destroy me? FWIW I have an upward trend (yeah believe it or not it went up starting from freshman year), a pretty reasonable GPA addendum (dad died month after school started freshman year from cancer, started working part-time through school to pay, freshman fall GPA 1.9), academically rigorous but not Top Tier UG, double major in 4 years (one hard science, one social science), and over a year of WE (started working right after graduation).

How will these softs balance out for me?

[should-i-do-it]

pretty sure all that matters is the lsat

[McAvoy]

pretty sure all that matters is the lsat

pretty sure you shouldn't be giving advice to anyone on anything at this point

[Kratos]

I would try and find anyone to give you a good LOR obviously, but a lukewarm LOR probably won't totally kill your chances. You're 2.4 might depending on where you're trying to go. I would write an addendum.

[malleus discentium]

A lukewarm LOR is unlikely to matter to the types of schools you're going to have a shot at with a 2.4.

[Mullens]

The more distance you put between you and your GPA the better. Your GPA is low and I don't know if your numbers (even with a 99% percentile LSAT score) will yield a sensible financial decision. That being said, you should apply this cycle and see what happens but be prepared and willing to walk away.

Weak LoR will hurt your chances at decent schools because it confirms suspicions about your GPA: you aren't a good student.

[PeanutsNJam]

A lukewarm LOR is unlikely to matter to the types of schools you're going to have a shot at with a 2.4.

I mean there's a guy at Northwestern with a 2.5/170 without any incredible softs, and Spivey said I'm not necessarily guaranteed a T14 shutout, especially with a higher LSAT score. Unless by "types of schools", you're referring to anything not T6, in which case yeah I'm not applying to those.

There seems to be such a wide variety of opinions on TLS regarding what schools/scholarships I can and can't get with my numbers. I've heard everything from full ride WUSTL/limited money at T14 to "good luck getting money at TTT".

[Mullens]

A lukewarm LOR is unlikely to matter to the types of schools you're going to have a shot at with a 2.4.

I mean there's a guy at Northwestern with a 2.5/170 without any incredible softs, and Spivey said I'm not necessarily guaranteed a T14 shutout, especially with a higher LSAT score. Unless by "types of schools", you're referring to anything not T6, in which case yeah I'm not applying to those.

The people I know like this at Northwestern are 28+ and have incredible softs.

[chuckbass]

If you're trying to go to the best school you can get at a reasonable price, I think WUSTL is really one of your only options.

I highly doubt you'd get a full ride though with such a low GPA.

[PeanutsNJam]

I mean I'm going to apply to T14 just because every now and then people get lucky, but my target schools are actually Vandy, USC, WUSTL, and BU. Will a weak LoR hurt me at these schools? And does anybody have any opinions on those schools? Also what are the transfer opportunities at those schools? I'm not counting on transferring, but I'd like to know what's possible. If I managed to score 175+ this time around, will that give me better odds at T14?

Specifically I'd like to know about USC. It's not talked about much on TLS. I want to go there because I want to be in Cali, and there's no way Berkeley/UCLA are gonna take me.

[Christina AA]

Can you garner a strong letter of recommendation from volunteer or work experience? Think creatively. If you have one very strong academic recommendation, one average one and then a very strong third rec from an outside recommender, that could help a lot. Another thing to consider is that if you currently are in your senior year, you could work closely with another professor this year, gain that relationship, strong recommendation and increasingly higher cumuluative GPA and apply a year from now. So sorry about your father, as well, and of course that is something to address in an addendum.

[malleus discentium]

A lukewarm LOR is unlikely to matter to the types of schools you're going to have a shot at with a 2.4.

I mean there's a guy at Northwestern with a 2.5/170 without any incredible softs, and Spivey said I'm not necessarily guaranteed a T14 shutout, especially with a higher LSAT score. Unless by "types of schools", you're referring to anything not T6, in which case yeah I'm not applying to those.

There seems to be such a wide variety of opinions on TLS regarding what schools/scholarships I can and can't get with my numbers. I've heard everything from full ride WUSTL/limited money at T14 to "good luck getting money at TTT".

To be clear, I was talking about HYSB. Outside a stellar or very very bad LOR, schools other than those don't care. And you're not getting HYSB with a 2.4.

You also have practically no shot at a T14 other than NU, pace Spivey:

[Kratos]

I mean I'm going to apply to T14 just because every now and then people get lucky, but my target schools are actually Vandy, USC, WUSTL, and BU. Will a weak LoR hurt me at these schools? And does anybody have any opinions on those schools? Also what are the transfer opportunities at those schools? I'm not counting on transferring, but I'd like to know what's possible. If I managed to score 175+ this time around, will that give me better odds at T14?

Specifically I'd like to know about USC. It's not talked about much on TLS. I want to go there because I want to be in Cali, and there's no way Berkeley/UCLA are gonna take me.

Most of those schools are very regional, also depends on the scholly you can squeeze out of them. Also what are your career goals?

Do you have any work experience or are you K-JD? If the latter I would highly advise you to work for several years before going to law school to distance yourself from that poor GPA and also to gain the tangible benefits of working.

[PeanutsNJam]

I mean I'm going to apply to T14 just because every now and then people get lucky, but my target schools are actually Vandy, USC, WUSTL, and BU. Will a weak LoR hurt me at these schools? And does anybody have any opinions on those schools? Also what are the transfer opportunities at those schools? I'm not counting on transferring, but I'd like to know what's possible. If I managed to score 175+ this time around, will that give me better odds at T14?

Specifically I'd like to know about USC. It's not talked about much on TLS. I want to go there because I want to be in Cali, and there's no way Berkeley/UCLA are gonna take me.

Most of those schools are very regional, also depends on the scholly you can squeeze out of them. Also what are your career goals?

Do you have any work experience or are you K-JD? If the latter I would highly advise you to work for several years before going to law school to distance yourself from that poor GPA and also to gain the tangible benefits of working.

I have a little over a year of W/E, I started working straight out of undergrad.

My career goal is actually to work in prosecution/LE. Although I have limited exposure, so that might change. I'm open to my 1L influencing what I want to do. I'm currently opposed to IP, but maybe I won't be after getting a taste? And does anybody know about schools that have good FBI placement (for the JD specialization)?

If I have the opportunity to BigLaw I won't turn it down though.

[Moneytrees]

I don't know guys, I think that some of you are underrating how valuable a 170 is in today's admissions climate. Spivey predicted around a 10% decrease in apps and we've seen some splitters get $$ from good regionals last cycle. OP might locked out of the T14 with a 2.4, but I would not be surprised if some solid regionals bite.

[Moneytrees]

Regarding USC- I haven't really researched their admissions trends or anything, but none of my splitter friends were admitted there. This is just anecdotal evidence but USC does seem to value GPA quite a bit.

[chuckbass]

I don't know guys, I think that some of you are underrating how valuable a 170 is in today's admissions climate. Spivey predicted around a 10% decrease in apps and we've seen some splitters get $$ from good regionals last cycle. OP might locked out of the T14 with a 2.4, but I would not be surprised if some solid regionals bite.

I mean yea, WUSTL w/ $$$ basically.

[Felix the Cat]

I have one very strong LoR from a professor who thought I was the shit.

I'm lost on the second one. I have a few lukewarm "did ok" classes, but none where it was "omg this kid is the best ever". I don't really have any other options so I will have to submit a lukewarm LoR in addition to one stellar one, but how much will this hurt me?

I mean it comes with the territory of a low GPA right?

2.4/170 (retook, waiting on second score, pls be higher)

Will 1 mediocre LoR destroy me? FWIW I have an upward trend (yeah believe it or not it went up starting from freshman year), a pretty reasonable GPA addendum (dad died month after school started freshman year from cancer, started working part-time through school to pay, freshman fall GPA 1.9), academically rigorous but not Top Tier UG, double major in 4 years (one hard science, one social science), and over a year of WE (started working right after graduation).

How will these softs balance out for me?

Find someone you're close to at work and have them write it. If you're especially close to them, they may offer you the chance to draft your own recommendation (or edit their draft). This is as close to a guaranteed strong LOR as you can get. If so you should take them up on that offer.

Generally LORs don't matter that much when compared to other factors, but you should still try anyways.

[A. Nony Mouse]

The one thing I will say is that I don't think any schools have good FBI placement. It's just an incredibly competitive job, and there are so many other routes to get into the FBI besides the JD route, I wouldn't make that a factor in your choice. I'm not saying don't aim for that, because if that's what you want to do, that's cool, and you never know. But I think it's more likely to be the kind of job that someone gets based in all the other things they bring to the table, not on where you get your JD, and the schools you're looking at really aren't going to make a difference in your chances.

(Of course if someone knows something to the contrary about one of these schools, I could be wrong. But I'd still focus on other factors when choosing.)