2.8 gpa 172 lsat, top debater Forum

[hdivschool]

Yes, all this possible, but incredibly unlikely, as you state. Your argument works equally well for any college activity. (You did mock trial? Many lawyers did mock trial! Perhaps you should network with attorneys who also did mock trial! You played football in college? Very few people compete on the level at which you excelled at football! This sort of intense competition often builds a strong connection to the activity! etc. etc.)

Sometimes, it's better just to admit that you spoke too quickly rather than try to cover up the scent of bullshit with more bullshit. There's no reason to believe that having debate will allow OP to outperform his numbers. In fact, your point that many law applicants and lawyers have debate experience would suggest just the opposite-if it's not unique then why is it a good soft?

Edited for quote shrinking.

You've offered no evidence to support your position and your analytical arguments are quite weak. Yes, it works well for many college activities (or networks, generally), but there is some reason to believe that debate is special, like the two fellowships I pointed out or this. Given the OP's success as a debater, and his continuing involvement in the activity as a coach, he might have a good network. A debate network could be useful, on the margin, and I'm encouraging the OP to use it.

Debate isn't like football in that the people who competed in the upper echelons (where the community is quite small) of those activities aren't disproportionately represented at law schools. You're right that many lawyers have (high school) debate experience, but very few were as successful (in college debate) as the OP. It's the difference between being on the inter-mural basketball team and playing for the varsity squad in the NCAA tournament.

[sundance95]

If you really think that two non-legal internships postings from 2007 and 2009, along with a user-generated thread from Volokh, somehow indicate that debate is special in terms of law admissions, then I sincerely hope you enjoy living in your Technicolor dream world. Moreover, your point that debate is overrepresented in law school suggests that it *less* likely to help with admissions, not more. It remains true that any 'debate network' effect is equally applicable to any other common college activity. Finally, one doesn't need evidence to point out that a conclusion is invalid-one needs only to point out that your conclusion, based upon the information you provided, is entirely unsupported speculatory bullshit.

At any rate, OP has enough information in this thread to draw his own conclusions.

[ThomasMN]

You are going to have a hard time explaining a sub 3.0 in a period where grade inflation has pushed most UGs to have median GPAs over a 3.0. Did you have a difficult major? Its hard for me to see you in a STEM major if debate was your big thing.

I do undergraduate mock trial and we spend a good 20 hours a week as a team preparing for tournaments, plus time outside of official practices. I think 90% of my team has a 3.5 or above gpa. I think you are going to have to do fairly decent job of explaining to the law schools you apply to why you have sub-median grades.

Also, why the aversion to the midwest? I know that Minnesota is very splitter friendly, with a 170 and your grades you would not just be accepted, but most likely get some money.

[09042014]

OP is vastly overvaluing the importance of debate here.

The only people who care about debate are debaters. Everyone else thinks it is for weirdos.

[teddyaronson]

Will? 40 hours a week??