How much can WE compensate for numbers? Forum

[calgoldenbear]

I've been out of school for 2.5 years and working at a prestigious job in the field I'm interested in. How much do you think this can help soften the blow of numbers below the median of a school, at least in your experience?

[fliptrip]

I've been out of school for 2.5 years and working at a prestigious job in the field I'm interested in. How much do you think this can help soften the blow of numbers below the median of a school, at least in your experience?

Conventional wisdom is not much at all. W/E can be a tiebreaker, but not something that will overcome a problematic LSAT or GPA.

[kcdc1]

In order of importance, schools care about maximizing their: LSAT median, GPA median, employment data, and then everything else. If your WE boosts your chances of securing a good job (from the school's perspective: biglaw, federal clerkship, JD required, JD preferred), then the school has reason to factor that into how your admission would impact their numbers. But if your LSAT and GPA are both below median, you're waging an uphill battle.

[calgoldenbear]

In order of importance, schools care about maximizing their: LSAT median, GPA median, employment data, and then everything else. If your WE boosts your chances of securing a good job (from the school's perspective: biglaw, federal clerkship, JD required, JD preferred), then the school has reason to factor that into how your admission would impact their numbers. But if your LSAT and GPA are both below median, you're waging an uphill battle.

I would say that this position would help me secure a good job after law school, so I'm hoping they take that into consideration. Does your opinion change for a URM applicant?

[kcdc1]

I have no URM-specific knowledge. My understanding is that URM-status is a big boost on its own. I would imagine that if URM-status is a big enough boost that a school is willing to take a hit on both LSAT and GPA (I don't know that this is true -- just speculating), then other factors would become more meaningful.

[fliptrip]

I would say that this position would help me secure a good job after law school, so I'm hoping they take that into consideration. Does your opinion change for a URM applicant?

Whoa! Record scratch! Being a URM changes everything in admissions calculus. Forget about the work experience, tell us what kind of URM you are, what your stats are and what school(s) you're considering.

URM is pretty much the ultimate soft.