At a crossroad: What would you do? Forum

[JDProspect]

So I applied to a few law schools this cycle, submitted before Thanksgiving but schools had to wait until my December LSAT score. As a result, I haven't heard from many of the schools. My numbers are not great, so if I don't get into any of the schools I'm serious about, then I will be retaking the LSAT in June and reapplying next cycle.

I quit my job in November, applied for unemployment and it was denied. After appealing my case, I was finally granted unemployment benefits. Now, I have been offered a job, where I would be making a decent amount (mid-40k), but it requires that I work until 7pm. If I have to reapply, I want to take an LSAT prep course, so the job would not accommodate that. If I refuse the job, I will be upsetting and potentially burning a bridge with someone within my professional network.

So what would you do?

1. Take the job
2. Refuse the job and start unemployment (it will provide enough for me to get by and some)

(Remember, law schools do not like to see big employment gaps) Also, I've been out of school for 4 years.

If you participate in the poll, please elaborate with a response. Thank you!!!

[FryBreadPower]

Sort of depends on your numbers, how well you think you can do on the LSAT, and what your school prospects are.

[JDProspect]

Sort of depends on your numbers, how well you think you can do on the LSAT, and what your school prospects are.

I'm ashamed of my score, so I don't want to post it, but I know I can definitely improve on the LSAT.

My results so far this cycle:

Acceptances: UC Irvine
Dings: Berkeley & Boston College

Awaiting: USC, UCLA, UC Hastings, UC Davis, and a few others

[tmon]

Is there a reason you're only considering a course? Having gone both the class and self-study routes I'm really glad I rethought whether a course was necessary. There are great resources on TLS for self-studiers, which is both cheaper and more flexible to schedule, and personally helped me improve around 10 points or more. Employment gaps aren't really that big of a deal outside of the very top schools and those that specifically value work experience (NU). The bridge burning thing you mention isn't something I can really factor in because only you know how important that person is for you. Considering you've graduated, there's really only one major factor left that you can influence, and that's the LSAT. Nothing else is that important for admissions purposes, so I'd lean toward really focusing on that if you can swing it.

eta: meant to say that if you self-study it's entirely possible to take the job and study. It's annoying, but doable. If you have any specific questions about making that work I'm happy to share how it went for me, and I'm sure others can help with that too.

[JDProspect]

Is there a reason you're only considering a course? Having gone both the class and self-study routes I'm really glad I rethought whether a course was necessary. There are great resources on TLS for self-studiers, which is both cheaper and more flexible to schedule, and personally helped me improve around 10 points or more. Employment gaps aren't really that big of a deal outside of the very top schools and those that specifically value work experience (NU). The bridge burning thing you mention isn't something I can really factor in because only you know how important that person is for you. Considering you've graduated, there's really only one major factor left that you can influence, and that's the LSAT. Nothing else is that important for admissions purposes, so I'd lean toward really focusing on that if you can swing it.

eta: meant to say that if you self-study it's entirely possible to take the job and study. It's annoying, but doable. If you have any specific questions about making that work I'm happy to share how it went for me, and I'm sure others can help with that too.

Thanks for your sincere response. I am definitely considering self-studying (at least until mid-March, when the potential class would start). I just know that I tend to become a workaholic, prioritizing work over studying. Taking a course would force me to have a committed schedule.

[tmon]

Is there a reason you're only considering a course? Having gone both the class and self-study routes I'm really glad I rethought whether a course was necessary. There are great resources on TLS for self-studiers, which is both cheaper and more flexible to schedule, and personally helped me improve around 10 points or more. Employment gaps aren't really that big of a deal outside of the very top schools and those that specifically value work experience (NU). The bridge burning thing you mention isn't something I can really factor in because only you know how important that person is for you. Considering you've graduated, there's really only one major factor left that you can influence, and that's the LSAT. Nothing else is that important for admissions purposes, so I'd lean toward really focusing on that if you can swing it.

eta: meant to say that if you self-study it's entirely possible to take the job and study. It's annoying, but doable. If you have any specific questions about making that work I'm happy to share how it went for me, and I'm sure others can help with that too.

Thanks for your sincere response. I am definitely considering self-studying (at least until mid-March, when the potential class would start). I just know that I tend to become a workaholic, prioritizing work over studying. Taking a course would force me to have a committed schedule.

Yeah, that accountability factor can be an advantage, but the way I see it, either way it's going to be on you for a good amount of the work. When you sign up for a course you'll obviously have class sessions where you'll learn the material and maybe do a few drills, and you might have some proctored practice tests. But outside of that, if you're really going at the material hard and need to improve a lot then you'll need to be doing plenty of drills/sections/PTs outside of class, and a lot of that likely wont be assigned by your course. The way I overcame the accountability thing was by making a really well-planned out and detailed daily study schedule. When I say detailed, I mean everything....page numbers I had to read, the exact questions I was going to do, etc, for each and every day that I was doing work. It's a little intimidating at first, and there's a "where the heck do I start" feeling, but it's not too hard with some of the threads around here. This time last year I started doing that, was PTing under the 160s, and by June I was around 170.

The only reason I'm really trying to sell this is that a solid job is harder to come by ITE, so it seems like it makes a lot more sense to self study IMO, especially if your current options are "job" or "LSAT" because with this you really can do both with some planning and commitment.

I'll stop trying to sell you on this now though. Either way, good luck

[JDProspect]

If I go the unemployment route, it won't just be LSAT. I will continue to look for a job, intern or volunteer in the mean time and do LSAT. The job that I've been offered is with a company for which I've worked before. I had left a job with them for a better one, the one I quit after a budget cut. So in a sense I feel like I'm taking a step back instead of forward. However, with this economy it is still a solid job.

[quiver]

I might be wrong, but I think you may lose unemployment benefits if you turn down a job offer.

[kalvano]

I'm curious how you got unemployment when you quit instead of got fired.

[JDProspect]

I'm curious how you got unemployment when you quit instead of got fired.

[keg411]

Take the job. Get a private tutor that will work around your work schedule.

[murray18]

I would take the job, and use the extra money you would be making to pay for a private tutor. Try and study with the tutor on weekends and do practice tests during the week. Also, a good job will make for a much more comfortable situation if you have to take a cycle off (which you would be wise to do if you retake).

[UnamSanctam]

Take the job. Get a private tutor that will work around your work schedule.

This. Take the job and keep the professional connection. IMO classes are overrated. You can self-study or have a private tutor and hold a job that nets you money.

[2014]

Take the job and find a class that fits your schedule. I did an online class in the evenings and as far as I can remember there were plenty of time options across a bunch of companies.

[operagrl71]

.

[sunynp]

As you asked what I would do, I would take the job. I would never go on unemployment in this economy and expect to find another job. I would take the job: it will help with your applications, give you a chance to save a little money and it gives you some security if the LSAT doesn't work out again.

[MTal]

Take the job, work hard, make yourself indispensable to your employer, and don't look back.

[dingbat]

I'd never choose unemployment over working - even if I'd be financially better off

[FlanAl]

take the job and look into online courses. it sounds like you've had legit jobs before. Being on unemployment would probably shake your confidence and make it harder to study etc.. I took a shitty part-time job in between ug and law school mainly because I wanted time to study for the lsat and apply to schools. (but also because finding a real job is an intense job itself and studying for lsat being broke and job hunting was too much for me). Being under/unemployed really sucks even if you spend the entire time studying for the lsat (if you're anything like most people that won't happen) you'll still wonder what you're doing with your life. In my opinion this makes it hard to succeed.

Also most people are cool but there's definitely a little stigma attached to the fact that i didn't spend my year in between ug and law school working some "prestigious" job.

[Randomnumbers]

I'm pretty sure that if you are on unemployment, you'd be required to take the job offer, or lose unemployment benefits. This could theoretically come up on C&F later.

[Guchster]

take the jerb.
get private tutoring help.
profit.

[20130312]

Take the job. Who knows, maybe you'll like it so much you end up not going to law school?

[Geetar Man]

As most have said, take the job and self study/hire a tutor.

The amount of money you can make in 1 year in your job significantly outweighs the amount for unemployment, which is a huge factor. If, lets say, you had a job were you would only be making a little bit more than unemployment, then I would say take the unemployment.

I mean, you could potentially pocket half of 40k (assuming you don't have any outstanding debt), while studying. That's what I would do. Never say no to money, whether hard earned or not.

[lawyerwannabe]

Take the job. Read the LR and LG Bibles before hiring a tutor. Hire a tutor and iron out your weaknesses. Profit.

[d.schoenfeld16]

1) If you decline the job offer you lose unemployment benefits anyway, so this discussion is really a nonstarter

2) I don't want my tax dollars subsidizing your extra LSAT study time.....


Take the job and adjust your study schedule around it