Not sure what to do... Forum

[Unknownsou]

So here's the deal: I got into one school. Wisconsin. But I'm really not sure if I want to go there. I do intend to practice in the Chicago area, but I can't shake the feeling that once I graduate, I'll be at a sizable disadvantage over people who went to schools like Northwestern or Michigan. I dunno, maybe I'm reading too much into it. Should I stick with Madison, or reapply in the fall? My numbers are good enough to get me into other places... I think I just applied too late in the cycle.

[romothesavior]

So here's the deal: I got into one school. Wisconsin. But I'm really not sure if I want to go there. I do intend to practice in the Chicago area, but I can't shake the feeling that once I graduate, I'll be at a sizable disadvantage over people who went to schools like Northwestern or Michigan. I dunno, maybe I'm reading too much into it. Should I stick with Madison, or reapply in the fall?

Numbers?

[Unknownsou]

GPA is a 3.8, LSAT is a 168.

[romothesavior]

GPA is a 3.8, LSAT is a 168.

Okay, so what's the scoop? Is there something in your transcript or in your file we need to know about? No way Wisconsin is the best you can do with those numbers.

[servinDizzert]

Def wait and apply next cycle. Why would you want to graduate from a school you're not proud of?

esp with those numbers you shouldn't settle

[Unknownsou]

GPA is a 3.8, LSAT is a 168.

Okay, so what's the scoop? Is there something in your transcript or in your file we need to know about? No way Wisconsin is the best you can do with those numbers.

I dunno... I applied kinda late-ish... early January. I haven't killed anybody or racked up other felonies. I don't have any post-grad work experience as I just graduated this spring, but I have some fairly unique work experience from during college. I didn't do any name-calling in my essays, either.

The easy answer (at least for me) is that I got fucked. I applied to 12 other schools with Madison as a safety, and one by one, the rejection and waitlist letters came in. I'm still waitlisted at WUSTL, ND, and Illinois, but... yeah, I'm probably going nowhere.

[Unknownsou]

Def wait and apply next cycle. Why would you want to graduate from a school you're not proud of?

esp with those numbers you shouldn't settle

I think my biggest concern with doing this is finding a job of some sort. Something tells me that schools would be less than thrilled to see me doing nothing for an entire year, even in the current economy.

I considered the possibility of going to Wisconsin for a year and then transferring out to somewhere else... but if I'm already entertaining that thought... I dunno.

[romothesavior]

Get a job and reapply. I don't care if it is waiting tables. There is no reason to go to Wisconsin if that's not where you want to be, and going to a school with the intent to transfer is a bad idea. You really should reapply. Maybe even retake if you think you can improve your score. There must have been a glaring issue in your PS or your LORs for you to strike out like this.

You and I are numbers twins (168/3.75) and I got 60k to Vandy, 75k to WUSTL, 33k to UIUC, and acceptances to BU and Cornell. No reason you cannot do the same. Something is amiss here. I'd definitely wait a year and reapply (and potentially retake).

[Unknownsou]

That's startling.

Out of curiosity, how would going to Wisconsin instead of a higher-ranked school ultimately affect my job prospects directly out of school? Assuming I intend to be in the Chicago area.

[romothesavior]

That's startling.

Out of curiosity, how would going to Wisconsin instead of a higher-ranked school ultimately affect my job prospects directly out of school? Assuming I intend to be in the Chicago area.

Wisconsin is a fine school, but their job prospects do not justify paying sticker (I'm assuming that's what you'll be paying since you didn't mention a scholarship). Chicago is a very, VERY competitive market. Within the region alone, you've got Chicago, Northwestern, Michigan, ND, UIUC, and WUSTL fighting for it, and to a lesser degree Iowa, UMN, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Throw in the other T14s kids who target it, as well as the lower tier schools in Chicago like Loyola, DePaul, Kent, and JMLS, and you have a lot of competition. I wouldn't go to Wisconsin unless I was okay with staying in the state and I had a significant scholarship.

[Hey-O]

From your results I am assuming there is something wrong with your application. Maybe there is a problem with your PS. I have similar numbers (one point higher LSAT) and I $$ at Duke and Michigan.

[d-cannon]

GPA is a 3.8, LSAT is a 168.

Okay, so what's the scoop? Is there something in your transcript or in your file we need to know about? No way Wisconsin is the best you can do with those numbers.

I dunno... I applied kinda late-ish... early January. I haven't killed anybody or racked up other felonies. I don't have any post-grad work experience as I just graduated this spring, but I have some fairly unique work experience from during college. I didn't do any name-calling in my essays, either.

The easy answer (at least for me) is that I got fucked. I applied to 12 other schools with Madison as a safety, and one by one, the rejection and waitlist letters came in. I'm still waitlisted at WUSTL, ND, and Illinois, but... yeah, I'm probably going nowhere.

If you had applied within a week of the deadlines, then it would reasonable to assume that timing (or poor planning) affected you more than potential issues within your application.

Since you applied in early January, there seems a higher likelihood that there is an issue with your application. Did you have multiple people (not just friends and family) review your applications? Are you 100% sure that your recommenders wrote a GREAT, personally crafted letter for you? As silly as this next question may seem, did you follow directions and write compelling essays?

If you are unsure about any of your answers to the questions above, I recommend hiring a law school admissions consultant to go over your applications. Then reapply no later than October.

[romothesavior]

Yeah there was definitely a mistake in your app, dude. Your numbers should have made you a lock at UIUC, WUSTL, and ND.

[Eliyahu7]

That's startling.

Out of curiosity, how would going to Wisconsin instead of a higher-ranked school ultimately affect my job prospects directly out of school? Assuming I intend to be in the Chicago area.

I actually spoke with the career services office at Wisconsin a couple months ago concerning this very issue. Apparently, with the economy the way it is, job prospects in the Chicago area for Wisconsin graduates are rather bleak. In fact, the school has been having a lot of difficulty even getting Chicago-based firms to come up for on campus interviewing. If you want to practice in the Chicagoland area, attending Wisconsin might not be a terribly good idea unless you happen to have some connections. Also, to reiterate what some other posters have already mentioned, your numbers suggest that you should be getting some much better admission opportunities.

[09042014]

Something stinks with your App. Look it over. If I were you I'd ED to NU or Michigan. It doesn't really matter which one, unless you have no work experience in which case make it Michigan.

[Unknownsou]

That's startling.

Out of curiosity, how would going to Wisconsin instead of a higher-ranked school ultimately affect my job prospects directly out of school? Assuming I intend to be in the Chicago area.

I actually spoke with the career services office at Wisconsin a couple months ago concerning this very issue. Apparently, with the economy the way it is, job prospects in the Chicago area for Wisconsin graduates are rather bleak. In fact, the school has been having a lot of difficulty even getting Chicago-based firms to come up for on campus interviewing. If you want to practice in the Chicagoland area, attending Wisconsin might not be a terribly good idea unless you happen to have some connections. Also, to reiterate what some other posters have already mentioned, your numbers suggest that you should be getting some much better admission opportunities.

Yeah, but I'd hope that's the case at other schools like WUSTL and ND, too. I guess I'm ultimately just concerned that going to Wisconsin is going to be a scarlet letter of sorts... that if I go in for an interview for a good job, they'll look at my resume, see my school, and be like "pffff get the fuck outta here wit' dat bullshit." Maybe that's a bit dramatic, but you get the idea.

[romothesavior]

WUSTL and UIUC both got hit hard at OCI, but it doesn't seem like nearly as many firms pulled at at these two schools as Iowa and Wisconsin. Wisconsin won't be a scarlet letter, but seriously dude... your numbers should get you into Cornell, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Texas, etc. Reapply.

[Grizz]

Something is fishy. Numbers twins w/Romo. Didn't apply to exactly the same schools, but I applied mid-Jan to Vanderbilt and Texas and was in with $$. Re-evaluate your admissions stuff.

[Unknownsou]

WUSTL and UIUC both got hit hard at OCI, but it doesn't seem like nearly as many firms pulled at at these two schools as Iowa and Wisconsin. Wisconsin won't be a scarlet letter, but seriously dude... your numbers should get you into Cornell, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Texas, etc. Reapply.

So I hate to keep asking the same general questions in slightly different ways, but I guess I gotta convince myself of what to do. Why should I opt for one of those schools over Wisconsin.

[romothesavior]

WUSTL and UIUC both got hit hard at OCI, but it doesn't seem like nearly as many firms pulled at at these two schools as Iowa and Wisconsin. Wisconsin won't be a scarlet letter, but seriously dude... your numbers should get you into Cornell, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Texas, etc. Reapply.

So I hate to keep asking the same general questions in slightly different ways, but I guess I gotta convince myself of what to do. Why should I opt for one of those schools over Wisconsin.

You could go to a better school with better job prospects for significantly cheaper. With a good application, you should get at least 60 to Vanderbilt, 75 to WUSTL, and probably some decent money at UCLA, USC, and Texas. You would probably get a full ride to go to Illinois, which is a much better school than Wisconsin and places FAR better into Chicago.

Are you getting money to go to Wisconsin?

PS. Rad law, aren't you also my numbers twin?

[Grizz]

WUSTL and UIUC both got hit hard at OCI, but it doesn't seem like nearly as many firms pulled at at these two schools as Iowa and Wisconsin. Wisconsin won't be a scarlet letter, but seriously dude... your numbers should get you into Cornell, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Texas, etc. Reapply.

So I hate to keep asking the same general questions in slightly different ways, but I guess I gotta convince myself of what to do. Why should I opt for one of those schools over Wisconsin.

You could go to a better school with better job prospects for significantly cheaper. With a good application, you should get at least 60 to Vanderbilt, 75 to WUSTL, and probably some decent money at UCLA, USC, and Texas. You would probably get a full ride to go to Illinois, which is a much better school than Wisconsin and places FAR better into Chicago.

Are you getting money to go to Wisconsin?

PS. Rad law, aren't you also my numbers twin?

Ya I am. I agree with the analysis, and I posted something of my own above.

[Unknownsou]

WUSTL and UIUC both got hit hard at OCI, but it doesn't seem like nearly as many firms pulled at at these two schools as Iowa and Wisconsin. Wisconsin won't be a scarlet letter, but seriously dude... your numbers should get you into Cornell, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Texas, etc. Reapply.

So I hate to keep asking the same general questions in slightly different ways, but I guess I gotta convince myself of what to do. Why should I opt for one of those schools over Wisconsin.

You could go to a better school with better job prospects for significantly cheaper. With a good application, you should get at least 60 to Vanderbilt, 75 to WUSTL, and probably some decent money at UCLA, USC, and Texas. You would probably get a full ride to go to Illinois, which is a much better school than Wisconsin and places FAR better into Chicago.

Are you getting money to go to Wisconsin?

PS. Rad law, aren't you also my numbers twin?

I'm getting some money from Wisconsin. Like 7k a year... which is pretty low compared to what other schools seem to give people. It's not a great offer.

[webbylu87]

I was in your position last year. Got in at only my safeties (Wisconsin and American) because of a later app. Knew American wasn't worth the debt so was heavily considering Wisconsin by default. No money at Wisconsin which although disappointing wasn't wholly unexpected. My numbers are considerably lower than yours (163/approx. 3.5). I knew I didn't want to stay in Wisconsin after graduation so I managed to find a job for the year and reapplied.

This cycle was a lot better for me. I'll be attending UIUC with a decent scholarship which has made it about the same cost as Wisconsin would have been. I'm very happy with decision to take a year off and frankly, you would be too if you did the same.

Long story short: Take the year off. Your numbers deserve better (either in school prestige or scholarship $$$). Wisconsin isn't likely to get you where you want to be ITE.

[Unknownsou]

So if I take a year off, how legit does my job have to be? Chances are I'll end up working retail or something like that thanks to the economy, but if that's all I have to be doing in the meantime... I'll at least consider it.

[webbylu87]

So if I take a year off, how legit does my job have to be? Chances are I'll end up working retail or something like that thanks to the economy, but if that's all I have to be doing in the meantime... I'll at least consider it.

I don't think it really matters to be honest. The economy sucks and adcomms know it. There's no shame in retail when everyone is feeling the economic burn. This is a "do what it takes" moment.

FWIW, I've been an AmeriCorps this year and couldn't be happier with my decision. I've been working with an agency which deals with discrimination and poverty. I've had the opportunity to make some great contacts and build skills. I'd look into AmeriCorps if you can handle the idea of being broke for a year.