If you are an older T14 applic, does age count against you Forum

[lawapplicant2017]

I have a 2.8 LSAC GPA/178 and decided to obtain a few years of work experience before applying to the Top 14.

My fiancee is 31 and plans on applying Fall 2018. He has a 175/3.2 gpa. When he applies he will be 34, and when finishes will be 37. Are there any Top 14 law graduates that are 37 when graduate, or 34 when apply and get accepted? Does age count against you for Top 14?

[cavalier1138]

I applied this cycle at age 30 (I'll be 31 by the time classes start), and I feel like it was only a good thing at most schools.

The main hurdle both of you will face is that you're both splitters (admittedly, you're a much bigger splitter), but thanks to your age, your undergraduate GPA will count less if you have good WE or graduate study. That said, they still care about numbers, so that GPA is going to be an issue. You need to demonstrate that you've gained wisdom, experience, etc. through your years out of school. So your personal statement might actually be pretty important.

I would focus on splitter-friendly schools, and I would especially focus on Northwestern. If both of you like the school, ED at Northwestern could be a really good move. They have a generally older student body, and ED would secure you scholarship funding that your GPAs would likely exclude you from getting.

[Londonbear]

I don't think age counts against you when you apply. I'll be 31 when I graduate and I don't think it was viewed negatively when I applied. It seems to be a trend now, where people get some work experience in between. Some of the people who worked before had pretty impressive resumes. It might even be a plus if your grades aren't up to par if you can reflect that the time helped you as the above poster mentioned.

[Nagster5]

I'm 27 with almost your exact numbers and had a great, heading to UVA with a small scholarship, you'll do fine.

[texasrangersjb]

I have a 2.8 LSAC GPA/178 and decided to obtain a few years of work experience before applying to the Top 14.

My fiancee is 31 and plans on applying Fall 2018. He has a 175/3.2 gpa. When he applies he will be 34, and when finishes will be 37. Are there any Top 14 law graduates that are 37 when graduate, or 34 when apply and get accepted? Does age count against you for Top 14?

Also be careful because LSAT scores stay valid for only 5 years. 175 is a great score as you already know if he's applying in Fall '18 he would have had to take it no later than June '13.

[HonestAdvice]

Won't affect admissions, but being 10 years older than most people will probably make for a different experience. Whether it's good or bad probably depends on the person's characteristics other than age.

[Loney M. Setnick]

Somewhat related to OP's questions, how do employers feel about older graduates who have already had a career before pursuing law school? Do they prefer younger associates or does it matter?