166 to 170 to...retake? Forum

[DaftAndDirect]

I've worked for 2.5 years and have been accepted with some $ to Michigan this cycle. I am set on pursuing transactional law and I'm hoping for placement in a large firm in Chicago (ties), Boston (ties), or NYC (no ties).

I took the LSAT twice 166 to a 170. I have been considering a re-take more and more lately since I don't think I left it all on the field even the second time around.

I think I would love attending Michigan because the culture seems a perfect fit, and it's a great school but I am concerned about Mich's lagging NLJ 250 stats from the last 2 years (less than 40% of grads ending up in the NLJ250).

What would you do if you were me? Has anyone been in a similar situation?

[srfngdd6]

whats your gpa

[DaftAndDirect]

LSDAS 3.7

My bad. Thanks.

[srfngdd6]

If you think that you can improve from the 170 and don't mond taking the year off I think there is little downside to re taking...worst comes worst I think you would get Penn ED next year which would objectively give you a better shot at a big firm in NY

[20130312]

If you were to retake and apply next year, would you continue to gain work experience and income over the next year?

[DaftAndDirect]

If you were to retake and apply next year, would you continue to gain work experience and income over the next year?

Yeah I would, but the responsibility is mounting and hours are getting longer making studying more difficult. I also hate what I do, but am willing to stomach it to an extent for the "smart" economic decision.

[Doorkeeper]

There have been other posts in the forum about how Michigan's bad stats were a result of bad advice from the career services people to bid in Chicago instead of NYC, where they promptly got owned by Chicago and Northwestern kids. If this is the case, it wasn't an institutional issue that caused their drop and I wouldn't be concerned about it.

[20130312]

If you were to retake and apply next year, would you continue to gain work experience and income over the next year?

Yeah I would, but the responsibility is mounting and hours are getting longer making studying more difficult. I also hate what I do, but am willing to stomach it to an extent for the "smart" economic decision.

I'm leaning towards just go to Michigan now. You got in to a school that you described as perfect (with money, at that), and cited the recession era stats as your only concern. Combined with your work experience and ties to multiple large legal markets, Michigan would place you in a great position for getting transactional biglaw.

[StarLightSpectre]

Why not put a seat deposit down for Mich. then retake in June.

If you score substantially higher you can wait a year or renegotiate schollys, and if you don't do better you have the back up plan of attending Michigan with $. Which isn't all that bad if you ask me.

[20130312]

Why not put a seat deposit down for Mich. then retake in June.

Seconded.

[spleenworship]

Why not put a seat deposit down for Mich. then retake in June.

Seconded.

Thirded.

[Tiago Splitter]

Why not put a seat deposit down for Mich. then retake in June.

Seconded.

Thirded.

+4.

Michigan is a very nice backup plan.

[portaprokoss]

Too many moving parts. I would go to Michigan. You're almost always going to feel like you could have done better.

Undergrad was 3.71, before I took the test my last 15 PTs were 178-180 (with one aberration of 173). I had diarrhea during the test and had to leave during the second section, which was scored. I ended up with a 171: devastated. I waited to retake.

A year later my retake rolls around and I wake up with a migraine. I'd never had a migraine in my life. I went to take the test and knew I had seriously under-performed so I cancelled my score. I knew I was capable of at least a 175+, but I also knew it was time to move forward. I'm at Michigan now.

I'd go to Michigan: 1) it's a sure thing; 2) they've given you some money; 3) you don't have to wait a year; 4) you don't have to retake; 5) you say you like the culture and that's important ; 6) your retake could actually be lower or stagnant; 7) you could do better but still get rejected from YHSCCN; 8.) conceivably, you could do a little better, still get rejected from YHSCCN, and get rejected from Michigan too b/c they think you'll flake out again.

Also, I assume you've visited Michigan. Have you visited CCN? Chicago was my first pick. I was in w/ a scholarship that was virtually the same as what Michigan offered me. I went to visit Chicago and it didn't click; nothing about it fit me. I was WLed then dinged @ Columbia and NYU, so I can't compare. You options may be better if you're low on the totem pole @ CCN. But M is still a top-10 school. All the top schools have virtually identical opportunities for good students. Save Yale, I'm not convinced that the caliber of the students or profs is generally any higher @ HS-CCN. Undergrad GPA seems to be 1 part intelligence, 3 parts anal-retentiveness. As for LSAT, the difference between a 170 and a 173 can be the difference between Virginia & Columbia. But take those two kids who scored a 170 and a 173, make them retake, and their scores could just as well switch. For me, when I needed to take a shit was the difference between Harvard and Michigan. Oh well. There's more qualified than there are spots, might as well sort 'em by shit-clock.

So my advice is this: if you like Michigan, go ahead and enroll. There is noway of knowing what will happen a year from now. If you don't like Michigan, then wait and retake.

P.S.:

Why not put a seat deposit down for Mich. then retake in June.

If you score substantially higher you can wait a year or renegotiate schollys, and if you don't do better you have the back up plan of attending Michigan with $. Which isn't all that bad if you ask me.

. . . but yea, this is true. My response was premised on you waiting a year. If you think you can do better in June, why not try then?

[DaftAndDirect]

Thanks loads to the above poster. I was really looking to hear from someone who was in a similar situation (granted I never had colon-blow during the LSAT but I think you get what I mean).

Thanks to everyone else who responded as well. Taking the LSAT this June would - unfortunately - be a logistical nightmare for several reasons which I'd rather not share in semi-public. A re-take would thus require another year off.

This thread has made me feel much more comfortable about Michigan, which I was secretly hoping would be the result of the poll.