URM taking February LSAT for Fall Admission, Help! Forum

[Duranguense]

I am a latina female in Texas and have a 3.8 GPA with 3 years of work experience and classify as a URM. I was going to take the December LSAT exam but I did not feel I was adequately prepared. I am scared that there wont be any seats left even if I do well on the exam. All of my applications have been sent out. Do some schools hold seats for February LSAT test takers? I heard some schools weigh GPA's much more heavily than others. I have applied to the following Schools.

Tulsa
OU
UH
Texas
Oklahoma City Law
LSU
Texas Wesleyan
South Texas Law
Creighton (fee waiver)

what chances do I have since I am applying rather late? Thanks for everyones help.

[Kohinoor]

I am a latina female in Texas and have a 3.8 GPA with 3 years of work experience and classify as a URM. I was going to take the December LSAT exam but I did not feel I was adequately prepared. I am scared that there wont be any seats left even if I do well on the exam. All of my applications have been sent out. Do some schools hold seats for February LSAT test takers? I heard some schools weigh GPA's much more heavily than others. I have applied to the following Schools.

Tulsa
OU
UH
Texas
Oklahoma City Law
LSU
Texas Wesleyan
South Texas Law
Creighton (fee waiver)

what chances do I have since I am applying rather late? Thanks for everyones help.

what are you testing at?

[Duranguense]

I am testing at UH in February..

[poprox]

I am testing at UH in February..

what is UH?

[Kohinoor]

I am testing at UH in February..

what is the range of your lsat practice test scores I meant. You have a very high GPA but aren't applying to Harvard or Yale.

[Duranguense]

Sorry, University of Houston.

my range has been in the 155-160 area. I am a great student but could do better in standardized exams. I have been concerned about scholarships as well and I am afraid it may be too late to apply. I would tend to lean towards a school that can offer the most money in order to avoid a large debtload upon graduation.

[billyez]

OCU will snap you up like nobody's business. When they sent me my status checker and I logged in for the first time I was already admitted - with 22,000 grand; albeit, with the stipulation that I have to be in the top third of the class. That was back before I brought up my 157 to a 160, but I had a 3.02.

I really think it's a bad idea to apply this application cycle with your high GPA. My GPA, even with two semesters to boost it, is too low to warrant waiting next app cycle but yours is too high NOT to. If you take the Feb LSAT those schools are going to get the score report maybe a week after you get it and the app cycle will be in it's closing stages.

Score a 155+ and with that GPA you'll get full rides to some of those...if you just have to go this cycle then I'd add SMU and Tulane to the list. But I think you'd really be selling yourself short by applying this cycle...

[Duranguense]

Thanks for the advice Billyez, well to be honest I really want to go with this cycle and not have to wait longer. I am taking one shot with the LSAT and going to make it count. I want to go to a good law school but name recognition isnt too important to me. Why did you mention Tulane and SMU? I thought about those because of the location and attractive campuses but the pricetag was discouraging. Do those two have generous scholarships that they offer? 22K is very good for OCU, I am hoping I can get a full ride there if possible..

[Duranguense]

I forgot to add that I have also applied at Texas Tech..

[Kohinoor]

I forgot to add that I have also applied at Texas Tech..

get a 170. go to Yale.

[billyez]

This forum is predicated on the belief that you should either go to a highly ranked school or not bother going at all. I'm not observing your situation with a bias of "top law schools" or name recognition but as a matter of going to a law school that's representative of the GPA you have at this moment.

The price tag for Tulane and SMU are daunting, no question. But if you scored a 155+ and definietly if you scored a 160 I think you could get a full tution ride at somewhere a heck of a lot better than OCU, for instance. Actually, that GPA is just excellent for Texas, but you'd probably have to get above a 160.

Another thing to consider is that the later you're reviewed in the cycle, the less scholly amount is available as it's been allocated to earlier applicants. That being said, you already have your applications sent and I respect the fact that you want to start law school this year (there's no way I'm sitting out a year, either) so I'd say you should focus on UH. It's a cheap school and it's ranked much higher than a number of the other options you've applied too. Good luck on the LSAT!

[Duranguense]

Thanks for the information. I do want to go to the best law school possible but I also have to factor in debt, quality, cost of living, and where I want my career to go. At this point do you think it would be easier to qualify for a full tuition ride at a private school like Tx Wesleyan or OCU rather than a state school like LSU which has more applicants and is tougher to get into? Whats interesting is that OCU is advertising in numerous billboards in the houston area mostly in low income minority areas...makes me think they are angling for more URM's to apply.

[billyez]

Like I said, OCU isn't going to be a problem for you. The thing is, I had a complete file months ago - you didn't. Your going to be way above their GPA medians, but I really think you need to have a good LSAT score in order to separate yourself from the crowd considering how late your applying.

That GPA is awesome but it's impossible for me to say anything regarding your scholly chances without an LSAT score. If you get below a 155 then I think the combination of the socroe and the very late application makes the chances of a full scholly very unlikely. If you get a 160 or above I think you stand a chance. Most of the decisions are going to be made in March and yours is probably going to be one of the last of those...honestly, I think that's the biggest concern if your wondering about money.

But law schools are vain and predictable - give them what they want - at least above a 155 and I think you could do it. I can't comment on billboards are anything like that, only on what I know. If you want money you've got half of the deal sealed up through your GPA, you need an LSAT score. Also, try to advocate for no conditions for your scholly if you get one...but honestly, I wouldn't even bother with this board right now. Everyone here is going to tell you to study hard and wait for next cycle. Keep studying for the LSAT and ignore this place for the most part.

[floppymex]

As a URM who is struggling through this cycle with a high LSAT and low GPA, I'd agree with everyone else to take your time and not rush into an exam. The LSAT is a very learnable exam and the effort it takes to learn it is much less than the amount of work you must have put into your UG. Don't waste that great GPA + combination of being a URM. I know waiting an extra year to go to law school seems like a long time. However, this will be a tremendous investment in terms of time and money, and the three most cited pieces of advice people give are: do well in UG, do well on the LSAT, and apply early. Don't waste that GPA by not heeding to the last two portions of the advice.

[FunkyJD]

Thanks for the advice Billyez, well to be honest I really want to go with this cycle and not have to wait longer. I am taking one shot with the LSAT and going to make it count. I want to go to a good law school but name recognition isnt too important to me. Why did you mention Tulane and SMU? I thought about those because of the location and attractive campuses but the pricetag was discouraging. Do those two have generous scholarships that they offer? 22K is very good for OCU, I am hoping I can get a full ride there if possible..

OP ... unless you have a hell of a compelling reason to not do so, listen to Billyez and Kohinoor here. I would seriously re-consider applying this cycle. You are a high LSAT score away from getting into a world-class law school, or getting significant money at a very good law school. At that point, law school isn't about name recognition or vanity -- it's about getting into a law school that can set you up for the rest of your life, and give you a significant competitive advantage in life, if you play your cards right.

You sound like an excellent candidate for a lot of good things and it would really be a shame if someone with your profile settled for OCU or Texas Wesleyan. I have met the type of attorney TX Wesleyan produces. You do not want to be that person.

Get a 170, go to Yale, or get a full ride elsewhere. Get a full ride or something almost as good from UT, and become the legal Queen of Texas. It will be well worth waiting an extra year.

[billyez]

FunkyJD and floppy have echoed, in a sense, my reasoning. But as I said before, I can understand your willingness to be fine with just going to a law school and being concerned with money. You don't need to have the pressure of getting a 170 or anything like that - you have an excellent GPA and it's clear that you'd be satisfied with a full tuition at a lower ranked school. Everything else is gravy.

By just looking at the money however, I still think it's a bad idea to apply this late. Thus, I want to make one final recommendation - you said that you want the LSAT to be a one shot thing, right? You even sat out the December test in order to feel more comfortable. If your testing and feel uncomfortable about the test in the next few weeks about the test, I suggest you sit it out and wait until next cycle. If you feel fine, then stick it out.

[vanwinkle]

OP ... unless you have a hell of a compelling reason to not do so, listen to Billyez and Kohinoor here. I would seriously re-consider applying this cycle. You are a high LSAT score away from getting into a world-class law school, or getting significant money at a very good law school. At that point, law school isn't about name recognition or vanity -- it's about getting into a law school that can set you up for the rest of your life, and give you a significant competitive advantage in life, if you play your cards right.

You sound like an excellent candidate for a lot of good things and it would really be a shame if someone with your profile settled for OCU or Texas Wesleyan. I have met the type of attorney TX Wesleyan produces. You do not want to be that person.

Get a 170, go to Yale, or get a full ride elsewhere. Get a full ride or something almost as good from UT, and become the legal Queen of Texas. It will be well worth waiting an extra year.

Truth!

I'll add to it with this: There are a hell of a lot of Mexican-Americans in CA and TX, and that means a hell of a lot of them applying to schools in that area. Based on my observations you will get a much larger boost if you apply to schools in the north and east. If you want to stay local, you should apply to Texas and SMU, the two best schools in the region, but that's it. Focus on the LSAT, kill it, and go to a far better school than the entire state of Texas has to offer.

You probably don't even need a 170 to get into Yale or Harvard, with that GPA. High 160s will give you a shot at them, and almost a guarantee at getting into the rest of the T14 law schools in the country, possibly with scholarship $$. Attending any one of those schools will give you a degree valuable enough that you can take it back to Texas when you graduate and be ahead of anyone graduating from any of the schools you mentioned.

Seriously, you have a chance at doing something great with yourself. Think this through, and listen to what people are telling you. Do all the LSAT prep you can, nail the test, and wait and apply next cycle. Applying early in the cycle + mid-high 160s = acceptance to a nationally respected law school. People aren't jerking you around, this is real, you can do this much better if you try.

[floppymex]

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[JazzOne]

Texas claims that they do not consider February LSAT scores for that same admissions cycle. If I were you, I would wait a cycle, study your ass off, take the test in June, and go to Yale. Prestige whoring notwithstanding, you have a great GPA, and as someone who went through an admissions cycle with a low GPA, I try to advise people to get the most mileage out of their hard work in UG. Good luck.

[vanwinkle]

Vanwinkle, have fun this weekend when Tony Romo throws a couple pick 6's to end your season. (j/k)

Fortunately we're playing against Favre, the only QB who can (and will!) compete with Romo for most interceptions in a game