Top Law Schools

If you were in my situation, what would you do?

Profile:
GPA: 3.82
LSAT: 156
White Caucasian Female, 23 yrs. (will be 24 in 3 weeks)
BA - Political Science/French
MA - International Affairs
2 yrs. work experience in asbestos litigation
Very strong leadership softs
Worked many good jobs throughout undergrad/full-time during grad school

Accepted:
Seattle U (visiting 4/16)

Waitlisted:
Indiana-Bloomington (visited 3/29 and loved)
Illinois-Champaign-Urbana (visited 3/28 and liked)
Washington & Lee (visiting the WL student day 4/9)
American
Georgetown
Wisconsin-Madison

Have not yet heard from:
Santa Clara University
University of San Diego
UC-Davis

Great cycle, right? Damn LSAT screwed me.

ps - pushing enrollment to Fall 2011 to retake the lsat = not an option.

in b4 retake.

Write LOCIs like it's your job.

If you don't have any luck getting off the waitlists (and assuming you don't have a strong geographic preference), go to Davis or Santa Clara if admitted. They will yield the best job opportunities of your remaining choices.

Best of luck to ya.

Take the June LSAT and send your score to the schools that waitlisted you. Oh, and I haven't heard back from those three Cali schools either. I almost managed to forget I applied there.

Its a shame that sitting out till the next cycle isnt an option, because it is BY FAR your best option.

...go with the highest ranked school that admits you, whether it ends up being Seattle, one of the schools still pending, or one of the WL's. The only problem I can foresee is if you end up getting accepted to two schools ranked similarly. Then, just choose the one that is cheaper (unless the other has a MUCH better name/national reputation).

Why not retake?

GermX wrote:Why not retake?

Because I refuse to waste an entire year sitting around waiting to do law school. I need to move on. While I completely see the benefit in waiting and getting into a better school, etc. I really don't know that I would do better on the LSAT. I took a class and everything and scored the EXACT same as I scored on the diagnostic. During my practice tests at home (I was strict with myself) I scored in the 160-162 range, but idk...the time restriction gets to me during the actual ones and I lose concentration. So I just don't think I would improve enough to make it worth waiting a year (maybe if I were guaranteed to post a 170...but totally doubt that one).

Snazzygirl wrote:

GermX wrote:Why not retake?

Because I refuse to waste an entire year sitting around waiting to do law school. I need to move on. While I completely see the benefit in waiting and getting into a better school, etc. I really don't know that I would do better on the LSAT. I took a class and everything and scored the EXACT same as I scored on the diagnostic. During my practice tests at home (I was strict with myself) I scored in the 160-162 range, but idk...the time restriction gets to me during the actual ones and I lose concentration. So I just don't think I would improve enough to make it worth waiting a year (maybe if I were guaranteed to post a 170...but totally doubt that one).

I was in your exact position when I took the LSAT in fall 08. I was PTing in about the same range as you, maybe even a few points lower. I didn't do as well as I hoped, and I was facing some choices at schools I really didn't want to go to. I decided to take a year off and work a different job while studying my ass off for the LSAT. The result was about a 12 point increase. I got into my top choice T10 school and now I couldn't be happier. It was probably the best decision I made in my entire life. It was a hard decision, since I was worried I would feel like a lazy-ass, and all my friends were already moving on doing bigger and better things with their lives. In the end, it was a great decision.

If taking a year off to work out the kinks isn't an option, then I would start writing some really great LOCIs, get another really good recommendation and take the June LSAT. If that doesn't work, I would start to convince myself that I wanted to live in Seattle really bad because thats where I'd probably be placed if I went to Seattle U.

This ^^^^

xyzzzzzzzz wrote:

dp73816 wrote:...go with the highest ranked school that admits you, whether it ends up being Seattle, one of the schools still pending, or one of the WL's. The only problem I can foresee is if you end up getting accepted to two schools ranked similarly. Then, just choose the one that is cheaper (unless the other has a MUCH better name/national reputation).

I disagree. With these schools, rankings stop being an issue. Go to a school where you can see yourself living indefinitely.

And I will still have to disagree. A degree from say, a Rutgers or Miami (both ranked in the 70's and squarely T-2) is much more portable than a Richmond degree, though its ranked similarly. When they are close, I say go with name-recognition.

I'd be surprised if you couldn't improve your LSAT score. Maybe you should take an advanced LSAT class. Also, if you do reapply, you should add some serious volunteer work to your resume. Also look for an opportunity to do some meaningful travel. No one is advising you to spin your wheels for a year: get a job, study for the LSAT and get some life experience. A year of life well-lived could be a huge asset on top of an LSAT improvement. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

foxyeconomist wrote:I'd be surprised if you couldn't improve your LSAT score. Maybe you should take an advanced LSAT class. Also, if you do reapply, you should add some serious volunteer work to your resume. Also look for an opportunity to do some meaningful travel. No one is advising you to spin your wheels for a year: get a job, study for the LSAT and get some life experience. A year of life well-lived could be a huge asset on top of an LSAT improvement. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

I could not agree more. Go out and do something positive for a year and study for a re-take. Law school and the legal profession aren't going anywhere. Don't settle because you feel like you bombed one test. You have a great GPA, so the only thing holding you back from a great school is your LSAT. One year isn't going to break you, you owe your future-self the fortitude to give it another shot.

Thanks all. You guys are most likely 100% correct - I should just suck it up and continue to work at my job, volunteer, and retake the LSAT. I'll try to wrap my head around it...but it's not looking good.

RETAKE

That is all.

Snazzygirl wrote:Thanks all. You guys are most likely 100% correct - I should just suck it up and continue to work at my job, volunteer, and retake the LSAT. I'll try to wrap my head around it...but it's not looking good.

Send LOCI to Wl'd schools, wait for final decision, not happy, retake LSAT and try again next year. I'm in a similar boat (poor LSAT score), yet I have no fallback options (haven't received a offer letter yet), but I refuse to attend a school that I don't want to go to, or somehow "settled" on. I'm gearing up to retake Sept. or Dec. LSAT with the intent to do better. Good luck!

Great cycle? Not yet buddy. Retake, it's worth waiting a year. Seriously.

D. H2Oman wrote:Retake, it's worth waiting a year. Seriously.

I agree. Plus it'll put her one year further into the economic recovery.

In my typically hubristic fashion, I originally took the LSAT cold. (Actually, considering my fly broke during the exam, I mean this literally as well as figuratively.)

I was unhappy with my score and my options. I ended up deciding to wait a year and retook. I went from the 86th percentile to the 99th. Don't doubt yourself, Snazzy. It takes a really long time to absorb all the LSAT-think. Study over the next six months and you will up your score. Don't worry about 'losing' a year. I'm considerably older than you and I decided it was worth it.