3.61 gpa, 153 LSAT, please help Forum

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

What schools would you apply to? I know, I know, retake the LSAT. My question is, where would you apply? 32 year old that started college 4 years ago and is graduating in May. Work experience in restaurant management and then sales for the last eight years (new home sales, industrial field instrumentation sales). I'm also the first in my family to go to college, that 's why it took me so long to get there. (if any of these things are significant to admissions) I know there are a lot of bright people on this board that are going to impressive schools, but please nothing insulting. If I can't get in anywhere I'll focus harder on the LSAT next go round (June) and get a higher score, but I'd like to know your suggestions of where to apply.

I'd like to be near a large city so my wife can work. It would also be great to go to a big school with a big alumni network (Ole Miss, LSU, etc.). Perhaps there doesn't exist such a school? Your advice of where to apply is appreciated.

[joshhoward]

i can only tell you what you already know --

retake.

the fact is that 153 is pretty rock bottom, and i refuse to believe that if you studied your ass off you couldn't raise back by a good deal (unless there is some special circumstance which you can believably explain in an addendum).

and i think the lower your score is, the easier it is to improve.

[jcl2]

You are looking at Tier 3 schools with those numbers. The most important thing if you did choose to apply without a retake, would be to figure out where you want to work. Schools in that range are extremely regional. Also look to minimize debt because you will not be making a huge salary strait out of school.

The best advise, as you probably already know, is to retake. A jump of five points or so would make a huge difference and make you competitive at most T2 schools.

Unless you can get above about a 165 though, which could be pretty tough to do, you are still going to be looking at regional schools so figure out where you want to end up.

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

i can only tell you what you already know --

retake.

the fact is that 153 is pretty rock bottom, and i refuse to believe that if you studied your ass off you couldn't raise back by a good deal (unless there is some special circumstance which you can believably explain in an addendum).

and i think the lower your score is, the easier it is to improve.

Yeah, I may have to do that. What schools would you apply to?

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

You are looking at Tier 3 schools with those numbers. The most important thing if you did choose to apply without a retake, would be to figure out where you want to work. Schools in that range are extremely regional. Also look to minimize debt because you will not be making a huge salary strait out of school.

The best advise, as you probably already know, is to retake. A jump of five points or so would make a huge difference and make you competitive at most T2 schools.

Unless you can get above about a 165 though, which could be pretty tough to do, you are still going to be looking at regional schools so figure out where you want to end up.

Yeah, I may have to do that. What schools would you apply to?
I hear there are some great online law schools.

[joshhoward]

okay. u got me. total flame.

kudos to you!

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

anybody else got any suggestions of schools?

[jcl2]

okay. u got me. total flame.

kudos to you!

And not a very interesting one.

[Eddieb317]

The above advice about regional schools and retake should be noted. If you want to move forward though you need to do the foot work.

The schools that you should apply to will depend on where you want to live, and what you want to do in law. If you do not know what you want to do in law, then you might take more time to think about actually going to LS an possibly retake.

Basically, there is no one school that anyone can tell you would be good to apply to. You need to research the area in which you want to live after LS, and what schools are in that area that you qualify for. After that, look at what they focus on academically. What areas are there clinics in, what are they known for in the community, who are the biggest regional employers of grads... etc. Price matters, but getting the right skills and positioning for the job market is important also.

Start by going online and looking at LS view books / fact sheets. They will tell you lots of statistics about the student body, the graduation rates, bar passage, employment by sector, etc. You can also give them your address and they will send out a paper copy of their view book. Both online and hard copy will have some focus on an area of law, it might not be explicit, but you will notice that they push the prestige of their Intellectual Property professors... or their Business/Corporate/Deal professors...

It takes time, but it also gives you a chance to get to know where you are going to be spending the next three years, and $100K+ that you probably don't have! Take your time and be thorough.

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

The above advice about regional schools and retake should be noted. If you want to move forward though you need to do the foot work.

The schools that you should apply to will depend on where you want to live, and what you want to do in law. If you do not know what you want to do in law, then you might take more time to think about actually going to LS an possibly retake.

Basically, there is no one school that anyone can tell you would be good to apply to. You need to research the area in which you want to live after LS, and what schools are in that area that you qualify for. After that, look at what they focus on academically. What areas are there clinics in, what are they known for in the community, who are the biggest regional employers of grads... etc. Price matters, but getting the right skills and positioning for the job market is important also.

Start by going online and looking at LS view books / fact sheets. They will tell you lots of statistics about the student body, the graduation rates, bar passage, employment by sector, etc. You can also give them your address and they will send out a paper copy of their view book. Both online and hard copy will have some focus on an area of law, it might not be explicit, but you will notice that they push the prestige of their Intellectual Property professors... or their Business/Corporate/Deal professors...

It takes time, but it also gives you a chance to get to know where you are going to be spending the next three years, and $100K+ that you probably don't have! Take your time and be thorough.

What a doosh. "you need to do the foot work" Hey IDIOT! Message boards exist to get other points of view. I think we can all safely assume that everyone will be doing the "research" before we put down deposits on our seats. I know what schools are on my radar, and I just wanted other opinions from some sharp people who frequent this board. Spare me the , "if you don't know what kind of law you want to practice, maybe you should rethink going to LS" crap. Dooshes like you ruin message boards.

[PLATONiC]

i can only tell you what you already know --

retake.

the fact is that 153 is pretty rock bottom, and i refuse to believe that if you studied your ass off you couldn't raise back by a good deal (unless there is some special circumstance which you can believably explain in an addendum).

and i think the lower your score is, the easier it is to improve.

Yeah, I may have to do that. What schools would you apply to?

I'm actually interested in what story you have in stock to tell adcomms through your personal statement. Since you're a nontraditional, you might want to convince a T1 school that you've got something different to offer their institution.

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

i can only tell you what you already know --

retake.

the fact is that 153 is pretty rock bottom, and i refuse to believe that if you studied your ass off you couldn't raise back by a good deal (unless there is some special circumstance which you can believably explain in an addendum).

and i think the lower your score is, the easier it is to improve.

Yeah, I may have to do that. What schools would you apply to?

I'm actually interested in what story you have in stock to tell adcomms through your personal statement. Since you're a nontraditional, you might want to convince a T1 school that you've got something different to offer their institution.

Do you think I would have a shot at going to USF, Santa Clara, Gonzaga, Loyola Chicago, or reaches at Tennessee, Houston, or Penn State?

(everyone comes here for affirmation )

[vanwinkle]

Cooley.

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

Cooley.

Nah, I could never get into a T14...

[Richie Tenenbaum]

Cooley.

[Trifles]

Do you think I would have a shot at going to USF, Santa Clara, Gonzaga, Loyola Chicago, or reaches at Tennessee, Houston, or Penn State?

(everyone comes here for affirmation )

USC: Out (153 3.99 denied last year on LSN)
Santa Clara: Out (Everyone on LSN is either out or waitlist, out last year)
Gonzaga: In, hurray!
Loyola Chicago: Out (No one with a 153 on LSN was accepted)
Tennessee: Out (not even close, bro)
Houston: Out (not even close, bro)
Penn State: Out, except if you are URM in which case, waitlist

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

Do you think I would have a shot at going to USF, Santa Clara, Gonzaga, Loyola Chicago, or reaches at Tennessee, Houston, or Penn State?

(everyone comes here for affirmation )

USC: Out (153 3.99 denied last year on LSN)
Santa Clara: Out (Everyone on LSN is either out or waitlist, out last year)
Gonzaga: In, hurray!
Loyola Chicago: Out (No one with a 153 on LSN was accepted)
Tennessee: Out (not even close, bro)
Houston: Out (try again you idiot!)
Penn State: Out, (and with that LSAT score, the next two generations of your family will be rejected in all northeastern states for as long as the bright circle rises from the ground)

Hey dude, I appreciate your opinion (I really do), but what up with the sarcasm?

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

You seem like a good fit for here:

Whatever dude. I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID! I TAKE CARE OF MY KID!

[Trifles]

Do you think I would have a shot at going to USF, Santa Clara, Gonzaga, Loyola Chicago, or reaches at Tennessee, Houston, or Penn State?

(everyone comes here for affirmation )

USC: Out (153 3.99 denied last year on LSN)
Santa Clara: Out (Everyone on LSN is either out or waitlist, out last year)
Gonzaga: In, hurray!
Loyola Chicago: Out (No one with a 153 on LSN was accepted)
Tennessee: Out (not even close, bro)
Houston: Out (try again you idiot!)
Penn State: Out, (and with that LSAT score, the next two generations of your family will be rejected in all northeastern states for as long as the bright circle rises from the ground)

Hey dude, I appreciate your opinion (I really do), but what up with the sarcasm?

wasn't being sarcastic, ur pretty much boned, and need to either retake or make a more realistic list of schools to apply to.

[holydonkey]

.

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

Do you think I would have a shot at going to USF, Santa Clara, Gonzaga, Loyola Chicago, or reaches at Tennessee, Houston, or Penn State?

(everyone comes here for affirmation )

USC: Out (153 3.99 denied last year on LSN)
Santa Clara: Out (Everyone on LSN is either out or waitlist, out last year)
Gonzaga: In, hurray!
Loyola Chicago: Out (No one with a 153 on LSN was accepted)
Tennessee: Out (not even close, bro)
Houston: Out (try again you idiot!)
Penn State: Out, (and with that LSAT score, the next two generations of your family will be rejected in all northeastern states for as long as the bright circle rises from the ground)

Hey dude, I appreciate your opinion (I really do), but what up with the sarcasm?

wasn't being sarcastic, ur pretty much boned, and need to either retake or make a more realistic list of schools to apply to.

In at Tennessee.
(I just got the Christmas card).

[Trifles]

Congratulations, this makes you the first person with your numbers to have ever been accepted! You must have written one heck of a personal statement.

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

Congratulations, this makes you the first person with your numbers to have ever been accepted! You must have written one heck of a personal statement.

(I was making a joke. I'm sure I'm not the only one to have received a Christmas card from University of Tennessee. By the way, my personal statement is not that impressive. A "whah!" story about coming from a physically abusive home. I'm honestly not a terrible writer but, like a lot of you I'm sure, I find it REALLY hard to write about myself. With my situation: Don't worry, I'm JUST as pessimistic as the rest of you.)

As University of Tennessee has reminded us: LET'S BE DEPRESSED, IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!

[sarlis]

The above advice about regional schools and retake should be noted. If you want to move forward though you need to do the foot work.

The schools that you should apply to will depend on where you want to live, and what you want to do in law. If you do not know what you want to do in law, then you might take more time to think about actually going to LS an possibly retake.

Basically, there is no one school that anyone can tell you would be good to apply to. You need to research the area in which you want to live after LS, and what schools are in that area that you qualify for. After that, look at what they focus on academically. What areas are there clinics in, what are they known for in the community, who are the biggest regional employers of grads... etc. Price matters, but getting the right skills and positioning for the job market is important also.

Start by going online and looking at LS view books / fact sheets. They will tell you lots of statistics about the student body, the graduation rates, bar passage, employment by sector, etc. You can also give them your address and they will send out a paper copy of their view book. Both online and hard copy will have some focus on an area of law, it might not be explicit, but you will notice that they push the prestige of their Intellectual Property professors... or their Business/Corporate/Deal professors...

It takes time, but it also gives you a chance to get to know where you are going to be spending the next three years, and $100K+ that you probably don't have! Take your time and be thorough.

What a doosh. "you need to do the foot work" Hey IDIOT! Message boards exist to get other points of view. I think we can all safely assume that everyone will be doing the "research" before we put down deposits on our seats. I know what schools are on my radar, and I just wanted other opinions from some sharp people who frequent this board. Spare me the , "if you don't know what kind of law you want to practice, maybe you should rethink going to LS" crap. Dooshes like you ruin message boards.

hey, n00b, eddieb took the time to write you a good post about what he thinks is the best option for you. You don't need to call him a douche for taking time out of his day to give you advice.

[LSAT! Nooooooooo!]

The above advice about regional schools and retake should be noted. If you want to move forward though you need to do the foot work.

The schools that you should apply to will depend on where you want to live, and what you want to do in law. If you do not know what you want to do in law, then you might take more time to think about actually going to LS an possibly retake.

Basically, there is no one school that anyone can tell you would be good to apply to. You need to research the area in which you want to live after LS, and what schools are in that area that you qualify for. After that, look at what they focus on academically. What areas are there clinics in, what are they known for in the community, who are the biggest regional employers of grads... etc. Price matters, but getting the right skills and positioning for the job market is important also.

Start by going online and looking at LS view books / fact sheets. They will tell you lots of statistics about the student body, the graduation rates, bar passage, employment by sector, etc. You can also give them your address and they will send out a paper copy of their view book. Both online and hard copy will have some focus on an area of law, it might not be explicit, but you will notice that they push the prestige of their Intellectual Property professors... or their Business/Corporate/Deal professors...

It takes time, but it also gives you a chance to get to know where you are going to be spending the next three years, and $100K+ that you probably don't have! Take your time and be thorough.

What a doosh. "you need to do the foot work" Hey IDIOT! Message boards exist to get other points of view. I think we can all safely assume that everyone will be doing the "research" before we put down deposits on our seats. I know what schools are on my radar, and I just wanted other opinions from some sharp people who frequent this board. Spare me the , "if you don't know what kind of law you want to practice, maybe you should rethink going to LS" crap. Dooshes like you ruin message boards.

hey, n00b, eddieb took the time to write you a good post about what he thinks is the best option for you. You don't need to call him a douche for taking time out of his day to give you advice.

My bad. I won't say anything else until I reach the monumental accoumplishment of having 665 posts like you. Let me be in awe of your achievement of "typing" (a lot) over long periods of time. Yes, this truly makes your opinion more valid than any "nOOb" on this board...

By the way, I sincerely do appreciate all of your opinions (even the Cooley blast) EXCEPT for "Doosh (eddieb) and Doosher (sarlis)" over here.