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I currently am finishing my last semester of undergrad and I have already applied for Law school for this upcoming Fall semester, but I believe that my failure to research this step of my life adequately has left me to commit some blunders and would love to get some advice on what I should do next. To get this stuff out of the way....

GPA: 3.26 (By the end of this semester I will probably have a 3.33 or so)
LSAT: 165 (I have taken it only once [last September])
Non-URM

I applied to four schools. Also, I made the mistake of applying mid-February.....

University at Buffalo -Accepted (Not sure about scholarship yet)
Albany School of Law (I don't plan on going there at all at this point) -Accepted Full Ride
Fordham - Waiting
George Washington - Waiting

I live in Buffalo, New York and would prefer to stay in New York as my family is here. But I am willing to leave if this means better employment prospects. I will be financing through loans as well as a little help from my father. My general career goals would be midlaw, biglaw, or public interest.


From what I understand, it is in one's best interest for the prospects of employment to get into a T14 school and I believe this is what I want to do. I now understand "trap schools" and I am reconsidering if I want to go to Fordham and GW (especially if I'll be getting little scholarship money). My current plan is that I will take this next year off, while seriously thinking about my commitment to law school. If I want to continue pursuing law school I will retake the LSAT later this year, possibly twice, in an attempt to increase my LSAT score to at least 170 (Which I believe I am capable of doing). I would then apply in the Fall to a few T14 schools and then maybe some other T1 schools (and not apply extremely late like I previously did).

Is this a smart avenue to take and would you recommend it? With a 170 LSAT do I have good prospects for getting into a T14? Would I get scholarship money?

On a side note...If I reapply at the end of the year, can I use the same letters of recommendation that I used for this cycle (Just wondering). I'm assuming the personal statement has to be different.

Any advice will be appreciated and I'm sorry if I sound ignorant. I don't want to ruin my life with a ton of debt and am open to any suggestions.

I don't want to ruin my life with a ton of debt and am open to any suggestions.

This ensures you don't sound ignorant. Definitely sit out this year, retake the lsat. You should be shooting for 170+ and your odds will improve with each point. Consider taking a couple years, as well, rather than just the one. Substantive work experience should be a small boost during the course of your application process, and it will certainly help during OCI. I'd go ahead and withdraw your apps this cycle, and head on over to the LSAT prep forums to help you prepare for your next take.

naenna wrote:My current plan is that I will take this next year off, while seriously thinking about my commitment to law school. If I want to continue pursuing law school I will retake the LSAT later this year, possibly twice, in an attempt to increase my LSAT score to at least 170 (Which I believe I am capable of doing). I would then apply in the Fall to a few T14 schools and then maybe some other T1 schools (and not apply extremely late like I previously did).

You seem to know and understand what you're doing.

Is this a smart avenue to take and would you recommend it? With a 170 LSAT do I have good prospects for getting into a T14? Would I get scholarship money?

On a side note...If I reapply at the end of the year, can I use the same letters of recommendation that I used for this cycle (Just wondering). I'm assuming the personal statement has to be different.

This is correct.