Struck Out. Next Steps? Forum

[LazyPaladin]

Perhaps a bit premature but, here's where I'm at:

Dec '14 - 155
Oct '15 - 161
Dec '15 - ~158 - 163 ( Probably got at worst 30 wrong, at best maybe 21 wrong, depending on the curve, most likely -13/14 would be the range I could see)
PT Average - 167 (highest PT 171, lowest PT 162)
LSAC GPA - 3.99

I've been through every PT essentially, read every book (Manhattan, Powerscore, The Trainer), used 7sage, Manhattan Forums, TLS, this subreddit and r/LSAT, and absorbed tons of information. I could probably teach any part of the test to someone at this point except some LR. I don't feel like I don't understand the test, but my scores obviously don't reflect that. Too late for that now.

Obligatory myLSN

• 1. Is it worth it to attend LS at this point? Obviously my score ceiling hasn't been reached - but I would have to wait another year (at a minimum I believe) to take a fourth time. That puts me back into c/o 2017. I don't know what to do in the meantime.

• 2. Speaking of the meantime, I have a shit job and a ton of UG debt (basically I make 25% of my debt annually, I pay the minimum towards each which is $750/mo for the next nine years). I've tried looking for another job but to no avail. No one wants a Philosophy/Poli Sci major.

• 3. I can still potentially go to PSU/Cardozo/Rutgers/Seton Hall (NJ res) for a full scholarship (potentially) and only take out COL loans. This would probably set me back $60-70k. Is it worth the gamble to be $100k+ in the hole at these schools? I, and traditional wisdom, would say no. But I'm at a loss of where to go next? Grad school? GMAT? TOEFL?

• 4. Fucking Game 3.

Any life advice is appreciated.

[acr]

I would pursue a different career for the time being. Once you can retake the LSAT again after a couple of years, and once you've built up some savings, then consider going to law school. I wouldn't waste that GPA this cycle.

[GreenJay]

Have you applied to T14 schools. I know people with surprisingly good outcomes as reverse splitters, including one at CCN with a half scholarship and a low LSAT.

[LazyPaladin]

Have you applied to T14 schools. I know people with surprisingly good outcomes as reverse splitters, including one at CCN with a half scholarship and a low LSAT.

I haven't, I figured it wouldn't be worth the application when most schools 25ths are at like 163. If January looks favorable, maybe I'll throw one or two out for the waitlist but that's about it.

[GreenJay]

Have you applied to T14 schools. I know people with surprisingly good outcomes as reverse splitters, including one at CCN with a half scholarship and a low LSAT.

I haven't, I figured it wouldn't be worth the application when most schools 25ths are at like 163. If January looks favorable, maybe I'll throw one or two out for the waitlist but that's about it.

Yes the person I am talking about rode the waitlist, but did get generous offers from Northwestern and Texas/UCLA/Vandy straight away.

[SPerez]

As an admissions person, I really would have liked to see "But I really want to be a lawyer," in the OP somewhere. To me that's always the threshold question. I don't care if you are 180/4.5, if you don't want to be a lawyer then 9 times out of 10 you shouldn't go to law school.

Folks are right about your GPA. To give you some context from my region, I've seen many applicants get into SMU with 3.8+ GPAs despite 148-150 LSAT scores. Texas has a 25th% of 163, but even there almost 15% of applicants with 150-159 and 3.75+ were accepted in 2013. (https://officialguide.lsac.org/Release/ ... px?sid=148).

If you pick your applications right, you should have your choice of full-rides at solid regional schools. Find one with low cost-of-living and you'll be better off than most law school-bound folks. The rub here is your existing debt, though. It's up to you whether you want to be a lawyer that bad or if you're just throwing good money after bad because you don't feel like you have other options. (If that's the case, then that's a whole other conversation. E.g. What if you put the time and energy you've put into studying for the LSAT into finding a better job?)

Dean Perez
Texas Tech Law