Top Law Schools

Hello,

Background:
I am a North Carolina resident with a 3.07 GPA at a lesser NC public University and a 162 February LSAT. I have also done a year-long graduate certificate program (12 hours) and gotten a 3.56. I've been working at law firms in DC as litigation assistant for the past 6 months. I want to study environmental and land-use law. Also, UNC is my clear number one choice and I am a legacy (if that counts for anything).

The predicament:
I applied very late in the cycle (mostly in early April) and have gotten in to U of Oregon and Lewis & Clark with scholarships and Georgia State. I've been waitlisted at Wake Forest. I applied later in the month to UNC, U of Richmond, Tulane, and Georgia. I have been offered a full tuition scholarship at the University of Richmond and I must give them an answer by Monday... I just received an "Application Complete" email from UNC earlier this week. I am also still waiting to hear from Tulane and UGA..

Does anyone know if UNC, Tulane, and UGA have filled their classes yet? Do I have a shot at any of these? Should I turn down the scholarship and wait to hear or should I bite the bullet and commit to U of Richmond?

Does anyone have advice? I'm pretty stressed about this..

jambone wrote:Hello,

Background:
I am a North Carolina resident with a 3.07 GPA at a lesser NC public University and a 162 February LSAT. I have also done a year-long graduate certificate program (12 hours) and gotten a 3.56. I've been working at law firms in DC as litigation assistant for the past 6 months. I want to study environmental and land-use law. Also, UNC is my clear number one choice and I am a legacy (if that counts for anything).

The predicament:
I applied very late in the cycle (mostly in early April) and have gotten in to U of Oregon and Lewis & Clark with scholarships and Georgia State. I've been waitlisted at Wake Forest. I applied later in the month to UNC, U of Richmond, Tulane, and Georgia. I have been offered a full tuition scholarship at the University of Richmond and I must give them an answer by Monday... I just received an "Application Complete" email from UNC earlier this week. I am also still waiting to hear from Tulane and UGA..

Does anyone know if UNC, Tulane, and UGA have filled their classes yet? Do I have a shot at any of these? Should I turn down the scholarship and wait to hear or should I bite the bullet and commit to U of Richmond?

Does anyone have advice? I'm pretty stressed about this..

You are really hurting yourself settling for offers you got from April applications.


Sit out and reapply (you can even retake the LSAT if you want). Make sure you apply the first day applications open and your results will be astronomically better. Do not settle for these options.

Main problem is here that you're applying all over the place. When looking at lower T1 and below schools, look at schools that you have regional ties to go from there. I'd sit out, retake the LSAT for scholly money, do some more research into law school and career options, and apply early for UNC and Wake early in the cycle.

Tiddlywinks wrote:Main problem is here that you're applying all over the place. When looking at lower T1 and below schools, look at schools that you have regional ties to go from there. I'd sit out, retake the LSAT for scholly money, do some more research into law school and career options, and apply early for UNC and Wake early in the cycle.

I'm applying all over the place because I'm applying to schools that have strong environmental law programs. With no guarantee I'll even get into Wake or UNC early next cycle, I'm not sure turning down a free educations at a top 60 school now would be the best idea.

FYI good environmental law programs are nonsense also you will likely get the same offer next year from richmond also top 60 is a dumb distinction also only 60% of people get law jobs out of richmond and richmond isnt that cool.

Tiddlywinks wrote:Main problem is here that you're applying all over the place. When looking at lower T1 and below schools, look at schools that you have regional ties to go from there. I'd sit out, retake the LSAT for scholly money, do some more research into law school and career options, and apply early for UNC and Wake early in the cycle.

This!

jambone wrote:

Tiddlywinks wrote:Main problem is here that you're applying all over the place. When looking at lower T1 and below schools, look at schools that you have regional ties to go from there. I'd sit out, retake the LSAT for scholly money, do some more research into law school and career options, and apply early for UNC and Wake early in the cycle.

I'm applying all over the place because I'm applying to schools that have strong environmental law programs. With no guarantee I'll even get into Wake or UNC early next cycle, I'm not sure turning down a free educations at a top 60 school now would be the best idea.

From what I understand, specialty rankings are based on the professors of the specialty at the school and in no way effect your likeliness of getting a job in that field. Your best bet is looking at schools in the region you want to work in (look at law school transperency) and then interning/externing in the type of job you want to work at during your summers.

Listen to everyone and just out this term and reapply, also retake if you can.

jambone wrote:

Tiddlywinks wrote:Main problem is here that you're applying all over the place. When looking at lower T1 and below schools, look at schools that you have regional ties to go from there. I'd sit out, retake the LSAT for scholly money, do some more research into law school and career options, and apply early for UNC and Wake early in the cycle.

I'm applying all over the place because I'm applying to schools that have strong environmental law programs. With no guarantee I'll even get into Wake or UNC early next cycle, I'm not sure turning down a free educations at a top 60 school now would be the best idea.

I chose based on the number of professors who were former astronauts. We're in the same boat. Specialty programs are marketing schemes. They are not real. Schools say "ehh this year we'll be the top ranked Law and Dentistry school", next year we're the best Law and Jazz school. It's made up to attract people who don't know better, it doesn't affect employment options.

You have to apply at a reasonable time to get reasonable results.

Everyone here is totally right. Think about where you want to work/long term goals and retake and reapply. You will be grateful to have better options (schools than can get you a job and maybe have the reach to give you some geographic versatility) and $$$$. Best of luck!

jambone wrote:Hello,

Background:
I am a North Carolina resident with a 3.07 GPA at a lesser NC public University and a 162 February LSAT. I have also done a year-long graduate certificate program (12 hours) and gotten a 3.56. I've been working at law firms in DC as litigation assistant for the past 6 months. I want to study environmental and land-use law. Also, UNC is my clear number one choice and I am a legacy (if that counts for anything).

The predicament:
I applied very late in the cycle (mostly in early April) and have gotten in to U of Oregon and Lewis & Clark with scholarships and Georgia State. I've been waitlisted at Wake Forest. I applied later in the month to UNC, U of Richmond, Tulane, and Georgia. I have been offered a full tuition scholarship at the University of Richmond and I must give them an answer by Monday... I just received an "Application Complete" email from UNC earlier this week. I am also still waiting to hear from Tulane and UGA..

Does anyone know if UNC, Tulane, and UGA have filled their classes yet? Do I have a shot at any of these? Should I turn down the scholarship and wait to hear or should I bite the bullet and commit to U of Richmond?

Does anyone have advice? I'm pretty stressed about this..

Give Carolina a call. Don't wait be proactive.

With my qualifications, I doubt UNC would give me any kind of scholarship money. If I want to practice in the NC and VA area, would paying sticker (in-state) at UNC really be worth it as opposed to a free education at U of Richmond?

I'd strongly consider Akron. Great facilities.

Lol the akron thing always gets me.

WhyYaCryin wrote:Lol the akron thing always gets me.

Seriously though OP, UNC isn't worth it. Look. into. Akron.

mornincounselor wrote:

jambone wrote:

Tiddlywinks wrote:Main problem is here that you're applying all over the place. When looking at lower T1 and below schools, look at schools that you have regional ties to go from there. I'd sit out, retake the LSAT for scholly money, do some more research into law school and career options, and apply early for UNC and Wake early in the cycle.

I'm applying all over the place because I'm applying to schools that have strong environmental law programs. With no guarantee I'll even get into Wake or UNC early next cycle, I'm not sure turning down a free educations at a top 60 school now would be the best idea.

I chose based on the number of professors who were former astronauts. We're in the same boat. Specialty programs are marketing schemes. They are not real. Schools say "ehh this year we'll be the top ranked Law and Dentistry school", next year we're the best Law and Jazz school. It's made up to attract people who don't know better, it doesn't affect employment options.

You have to apply at a reasonable time to get reasonable results.

Eh, specialty programs are mostly flame in terms of helping you get a job. That doesn't mean they're not "real."

For example, Vermont has an environmental law journal and an environmental law clinic. They attract a lot of students who want to do environmental law, and I think have several who used to work at the EPA and are going back to the EPA after graduation. So, the specialty program is "real."

That said, Vermont's overall employment stats are not great. It's a "national" law school insofar as Vermont itself has almost no legal market to speak of. A higher ranked law school with no specialty would help you more.

IMO the benefit of a specialty program is basically just an opportunity to demonstrate an interest in a particular area.

I agree with the others that you should reapply early next cycle. By the time their application deadlines come up, schools have already made their initial offers of admission and are working the waitlist. You can be above both medians and get waitlisted if you apply late.

Glad I waited. Just got into UNC in-state with a 12K scholarship!

You could still save a lot of money by retaking and reapplying. As in, a lot a lot. What is a realistic salary outcome and what will your monthly debt payment be?