. Forum

[LegalEagle111]

.

[transferror]

how much time did you spend studying for the LSAT?

[LegalEagle111]

how much time did you spend studying for the LSAT?

I took a course through Kaplan from March-May but it was only once a week and I was busy with school. After that semester ended (approx. May 8th) I crammed for two weeks before I left for the second study abroad program. I studied for about two more weeks while abroad and took the test in Germany June 10th. I thought that maybe I was just extra nervous because I had to leave my group and navigate the city/trains by myself... but then I studied for about a month in the U.S. before I took it the second time (same material) and only improved my score 1 point.

[KMart]

You need more review. You're going to be a great JD applicant once you shore up that LSAT. Use the guides here and study a lot more; you can get that up. Being a minority helps, but you should absolutely retake and get a higher score.

[03152016]

what do you mean you "don't have the time"

[transferror]

what do you mean you "don't have the time"

This.

There's no excuse. Wait a cycle. Wait two. It doesn't matter. A lousy class once per week + 2 weeks of cramming isn't studying. The LSAT is beatable. It can be learned. Spend the time, don't take it a 3rd time until you're regularly PT'ing above a 165 (at the very least). It will change your life.

Your options could go from barely getting in at middling Texas schools to T14 with money, or even Harvard. That's worth however long it takes to get there.

[Rigo]

I really have no idea where to start... I've been overthinking this whole law school thing for like the last 10 months...My LSAT scores are a 152 and 153 (which I know are far from great).

You should have spend those 10 months studying for the LSAT.

I'm in several organizations (ex- pre-law, special olympics) and am a co-founder/hold a position in another club. I'm in various honor societies and spent two summers studying abroad (8 countries).
I have letters of recommendation from a federal judge, tenure professor and a successful attorney.

Unfortunately, these soft factors aren't going to help you at all with admissions.
98% of law school admissions decisions are based on two things: LSAT & LSDAS GPA.

I'm also Cuban (URM)

Cubans aren't URM's. You will get no boost.

I'm so bummed with my LSAT score because I feel like the rest of my application is ok but I don't know if I'll be able to improve my score if I take it again and I honestly don't have the time.

Then you shouldn't go to law school. Seriously. If you're going to settle for being mediocre now, then there is really no point in wasting your time and money.

While at this point I'd be happy to be accepted into any of these schools, none of them were "the dream".

Don't settle. Retake.

Do I have a shot at any of those schools?

The University of Texas
Absolutely zero chance.
Tulane
No chance.
SMU
No chance.
Baylor
Very slim chance.
Texas A&M
Good shot, but you'll get no significant money. Not a good school.
The University of Houston
Very slim chance.
LSU
Slim chance, but don't go to school in Louisiana if you aren't from Louisiana.
South Texas College of Law
Accepted, but not a good school.

Am I making a mistake by not taking the LSAT again?

A HUGE mistake. Really study this time. What you've been doing obviously hasn't worked. Check out the Prep forum for advice regarding study materials.

Am I just worrying to much (is my app. stronger than I think? Should I apply at more "long shot" schools (ex: georgetown) just to see? Will being a minority help? Any/all advise is appreciated! Thanks...

Umm no. Your app is a lot weaker than you probably think, so don't waste your money on long shot schools when most of the schools you listed are long shots.
& as previously stated, you're not a URM, so no that won't help you overcome your very weak LSAT.

[LegalEagle111]

what do you mean you "don't have the time"

This.

There's no excuse. Wait a cycle. Wait two. It doesn't matter. A lousy class once per week + 2 weeks of cramming isn't studying. The LSAT is beatable. It can be learned. Spend the time, don't take it a 3rd time until you're regularly PT'ing above a 165 (at the very least). It will change your life.

Your options could go from barely getting in at middling Texas schools to T14 with money, or even Harvard. That's worth however long it takes to get there.

Thank you for your advice and I completely agree with where you're coming from... I'm just worried that If I take the time to study and take the test again my score still won't improve. I've never been a great test taker. If I use my third try to take the test and still don't improve I feel like it would just confirm to law schools that that's where I stand. I'll hate myself if I take a year off and nothing good comes from it and I just waste time.

[prezidentv8]

what do you mean you "don't have the time"

This.

There's no excuse. Wait a cycle. Wait two. It doesn't matter. A lousy class once per week + 2 weeks of cramming isn't studying. The LSAT is beatable. It can be learned. Spend the time, don't take it a 3rd time until you're regularly PT'ing above a 165 (at the very least). It will change your life.

Your options could go from barely getting in at middling Texas schools to T14 with money, or even Harvard. That's worth however long it takes to get there.

Thank you for your advice and I completely agree with where you're coming from... I'm just worried that If I take the time to study and take the test again my score still won't improve. I've never been a great test taker. If I use my third try to take the test and still don't improve I feel like it would just confirm to law schools that that's where I stand. I'll hate myself if I take a year off and nothing good comes from it and I just waste time.

Don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but bad LSAT = don't go. It's nothing on you broheim.

[03152016]

tell us about your goals

[LegalEagle111]

tell us about your goals

I'm not exactly sure what my long term goals are but as of now my #1 goal is getting into a respected law school.

[Rigo]

tell us about your goals

I'm not exactly sure what my long term goals are but as of now my #1 goal is getting into a respected law school.

Then why do you want to go to law school?

[LegalEagle111]

I really have no idea where to start... I've been overthinking this whole law school thing for like the last 10 months...My LSAT scores are a 152 and 153 (which I know are far from great).

You should have spend those 10 months studying for the LSAT.

I'm in several organizations (ex- pre-law, special olympics) and am a co-founder/hold a position in another club. I'm in various honor societies and spent two summers studying abroad (8 countries).
I have letters of recommendation from a federal judge, tenure professor and a successful attorney.

Unfortunately, these soft factors aren't going to help you at all with admissions.
98% of law school admissions decisions are based on two things: LSAT & LSDAS GPA.

I'm also Cuban (URM)

Cubans aren't URM's. You will get no boost.

I'm so bummed with my LSAT score because I feel like the rest of my application is ok but I don't know if I'll be able to improve my score if I take it again and I honestly don't have the time.

Then you shouldn't go to law school. Seriously. If you're going to settle for being mediocre now, then there is really no point in wasting your time and money.

While at this point I'd be happy to be accepted into any of these schools, none of them were "the dream".

Don't settle. Retake.

Do I have a shot at any of those schools?

The University of Texas
Absolutely zero chance.
Tulane
No chance.
SMU
No chance.
Baylor
Very slim chance.
Texas A&M
Good shot, but you'll get no significant money. Not a good school.
The University of Houston
Very slim chance.
LSU
Slim chance, but don't go to school in Louisiana if you aren't from Louisiana.
South Texas College of Law
Accepted, but not a good school.

Am I making a mistake by not taking the LSAT again?

A HUGE mistake. Really study this time. What you've been doing obviously hasn't worked. Check out the Prep forum for advice regarding study materials.

Am I just worrying to much (is my app. stronger than I think? Should I apply at more "long shot" schools (ex: georgetown) just to see? Will being a minority help? Any/all advise is appreciated! Thanks...

Umm no. Your app is a lot weaker than you probably think, so don't waste your money on long shot schools when most of the schools you listed are long shots.
& as previously stated, you're not a URM, so no that won't help you overcome your very weak LSAT.

I appreciate your feedback but I'm pretty confident I'll get into Tulane and the University of Houston. Also, how is being Cuban not a URM? It's Hispanic - same thing

[LegalEagle111]

tell us about your goals

I'm not exactly sure what my long term goals are but as of now my #1 goal is getting into a respected law school.

Then why do you want to go to law school?

My dream job would be a judge and i'll need a JD ...

Even if I change my mind I think that having a law degree can/will open doors for me.

[03152016]

how important is it to you to obtain legal employment after graduating from law school?
how much would you like to earn if you do find legal employment?
how much debt are you willing to take out?

i'm not trying to play "gotcha"
these are questions you should answer before you even THINK about law school

[LegalEagle111]

how important is it to you to obtain legal employment after graduating from law school?
how much would you like to earn if you do find legal employment?
how much debt are you willing to take out?

i'm not trying to play "gotcha"
these are questions you should answer before you even THINK about law school

If I had another way to earn a comfortable income, (six figures) I wouldn't mind if it wasn't in the legal field.

If I do find legal employment I would like to earn 90K+ my first year.

My parents will pay for everything if I go to a school thats reasonably priced (University of Texas/University of Houston)... but if I got into a school like Georgetown for example, (Which is obviously far fetched at this point) I would probably take out loans... I'm not really sure how much... not more than 100k

[03152016]

here is some info you may find useful

i agree with rigo's analysis of your odds at each school
i think he was being a little generous actually
but we agree that you'll get into a&m and south texas

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/texasam/2013/
38.1% employment rate (full-time legal jobs)
http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... osts/2013/
$182,392 debt-financed cost

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/southtexas/2013/
61.2% employment rate (full-time legal jobs)
http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... osts/2013/
$186,530 debt-financed cost

http://www.roberthalf.com/salary-guides
$53,750-$75,250 starting salary for first year small firm associates in 2014 (no shot at large firms from either of these schools)

[LegalEagle111]

here is some info you may find useful

i agree with rigo's analysis of your odds at each school
i think he was being a little generous actually
but we agree that you'll get into a&m and south texas

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/texasam/2013/
38.1% employment rate (full-time legal jobs)
http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... osts/2013/
$182,392 debt-financed cost

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/southtexas/2013/
61.2% employment rate (full-time legal jobs)
http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... osts/2013/
$186,530 debt-financed cost

http://www.roberthalf.com/salary-guides
$53,750-$75,250 starting salary for first year small firm associates in 2014 (no shot at large firms from either of these schools)

Well I guess I disagree with you both haha... Thank you for all of the advice! I really appreciate it and I'll definitely check out the articles

[03152016]

i just looked up apps in your range
i was a little pessimistic, but not by much

The University of Texas
0/10 admits
Tulane
3/24 admits
SMU
1/18 admits
Baylor
1/17 admits
The University of Houston
0/15 admits
LSU
7/23 admits

http://mylsn.info/dnqle0/

[mvp99]

Cubans are over represented in the legal profession. Especially in Miami. If you were MA or PR then you could claim you were URM for LS purposes.

[kcdc1]

Well I guess I disagree with you both haha... Thank you for all of the advice! I really appreciate it and I'll definitely check out the articles

Don't disregard important information. The fact that it's not what you're looking to hear does not make it any less true.

[ood]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/urm-applicant-faq.html


You're not a URM. And no, Cuban is not the same as Hispanic. In my opinion, you should look into an alternative career. Save your money, time, and innocence.



Edit -----

Nevermind, you should totally go all in. Disregard all the advice the posters above me are peddling. You are not a number or another statistic. You are unique and law schools will see you shine.

[chuckbass]

Also possibly get new recommendations. Did you actually work for the judge/attorney or were they your professors? Cuz if not, then that's a dumb LOR. LORs aren't about prestige people writing them for you, it's about someone that knows you well.

[mvp99]

Also money shouldnt be the only/main reason to attend LS. it should be mainly bc you want to become a lawyer. and thats something unlikely to occur considering your options. Being a lawyer is not for everyone and thats fine. You can probably find something better to do with ur life, if not retake

[Rigo]

Also, how is being Cuban not a URM? It's Hispanic - same thing

For someone who has "overthought" law school for the last 10 months, it's shocking how misinformed you are.
Per the link posted by someone above, the only Hispanics who count as URM's are Mexicans and Puerto Ricans.

Also, you not a special snowflake. Don't be offended. I'm not either. You will not outperform your weak numbers. You should sit out the cycle and really study hard for a June or September retake and apply next cycle. It's really not that hard to at least get into the 160's if you study effectively.