151 LSAT --> Biglaw: some hope for those who are down
Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 11:40 pm
I remember spending many hours in this forum when I was studying for the LSAT. I want to provide a "success" story for those who didn't nail the LSAT the first time, or the second or the third. I put the "success" in quotes because my future is uncertain and success is relative, but for some my story may be encouraging.
I started studying for the LSAT 9 years ago in the summer going into my senior year of college. I did the Kaplan course. My diagnostic was 147, which was disheartening. By the end of the class, my test scores were up to 160. I took the LSAT my senior year for the first time and scored a 151. I had a panic attack, had to leave the test room just so I could calm myself down. It was a disaster. I took it a second time later in my senior year. Scored a 156. Again, huge disappointment. I applied to law school with an undergrad in the social sciences/humanities. I was rejected nearly everywhere. I couldn't even get into the part time programs of schools whose full-time programs I once considered "safety schools." This was a low point, one many people on this forum have shared. I got into one school. I would have needed to pay sticker to attend. Like many of you, I had once considered myself one of the bright ones.
At the end of law school I took a risk I don't necessarily recommend.* I applied to graduate programs in the computer science and computer engineering fields. IP Lit seemed interesting. I didn't have a science background so my options were limited to weak programs that were willing to take my money in return for a degree. I was accepted to a program on the condition I performed well in the introductory classes. Over the course of 4+ years, I worked during the day in that field and took classes at night towards a masters degree, which I eventually completed. I got married. I studied for the LSAT throughout this time, took each practice test more than once. My practice tests reached the high 160s.
I took the LSAT again two years in and reached the 160s, although once again had the nerves. Later, I took the LSAT a fourth time and boosted my score a bit. From there, I applied and negotiated a 50%+ scholarship to a solid school (Wusl/BU/Fordham/Uwash/GW) in the city I wanted to live in. I made the top 10%, law review, had my pick of offers for Biglaw IP Lit and have been practicing for a couple years. The job is up and down but I mostly enjoy it. I never wanted to be an engineer so I don't regret (yet) not just getting a job as a programmer. I have a lot of debt. I don't have the best job security. I'm not sure where I'll be in a few years. Who knows if/when I'll be pushed out. I still consider myself relatively lucky.
I tell this story because there isn't just one way to reach your goals. I took that test 4 times and in my mind
I failed every time. Even when you think the world is ending, I promise you, it isn't.
*what worked for me may not work for others. My path is one of many possibilities. You do you.
I started studying for the LSAT 9 years ago in the summer going into my senior year of college. I did the Kaplan course. My diagnostic was 147, which was disheartening. By the end of the class, my test scores were up to 160. I took the LSAT my senior year for the first time and scored a 151. I had a panic attack, had to leave the test room just so I could calm myself down. It was a disaster. I took it a second time later in my senior year. Scored a 156. Again, huge disappointment. I applied to law school with an undergrad in the social sciences/humanities. I was rejected nearly everywhere. I couldn't even get into the part time programs of schools whose full-time programs I once considered "safety schools." This was a low point, one many people on this forum have shared. I got into one school. I would have needed to pay sticker to attend. Like many of you, I had once considered myself one of the bright ones.
At the end of law school I took a risk I don't necessarily recommend.* I applied to graduate programs in the computer science and computer engineering fields. IP Lit seemed interesting. I didn't have a science background so my options were limited to weak programs that were willing to take my money in return for a degree. I was accepted to a program on the condition I performed well in the introductory classes. Over the course of 4+ years, I worked during the day in that field and took classes at night towards a masters degree, which I eventually completed. I got married. I studied for the LSAT throughout this time, took each practice test more than once. My practice tests reached the high 160s.
I took the LSAT again two years in and reached the 160s, although once again had the nerves. Later, I took the LSAT a fourth time and boosted my score a bit. From there, I applied and negotiated a 50%+ scholarship to a solid school (Wusl/BU/Fordham/Uwash/GW) in the city I wanted to live in. I made the top 10%, law review, had my pick of offers for Biglaw IP Lit and have been practicing for a couple years. The job is up and down but I mostly enjoy it. I never wanted to be an engineer so I don't regret (yet) not just getting a job as a programmer. I have a lot of debt. I don't have the best job security. I'm not sure where I'll be in a few years. Who knows if/when I'll be pushed out. I still consider myself relatively lucky.
I tell this story because there isn't just one way to reach your goals. I took that test 4 times and in my mind
I failed every time. Even when you think the world is ending, I promise you, it isn't.
*what worked for me may not work for others. My path is one of many possibilities. You do you.