3.1 / 156 / Great Softs Forum

[chickensoup1234]

I got kids and a super busy career, I aint retaking. I'm likely going to apply 20-30 schools and hope 1-2 take a flier on me...

This seems off to me. You have the time to apply to 20-30 schools but don't have the time to retake the test? Meh... best of luck on your apps sir.

[JazzyMac]

If its a "waste of time", why reply?

PS-- some of you clearly have reading comprehension/personality issues... I definitely would NOT want you to be my lawyer.

PPS-- a friends mom works in a T14 admissions office for about 20 years and was impressed w/ my softs and said they would certainly help, but its tough to quantify exactly how much-- which is why I've attempted to engage with this community.

Don't worry. I can clearly read your posts and know that you're not waving a special snowflake flag around. However, there aren't too many people in these forums who have extensive work experience (or life experience), who can adequately quantify or qualify your softs. I CAN tell you that I've spoken to people with BigCompany softs, a couple of T14 rejected them, while other T5s praised their resumes. I have no reason to think they're lying and even sat in a Skype interview with one (T20).

If you're certain about law school, refine your package and essay to the best you can, retake if possible (if not, just know what to expect), and do your best. You know from your experience that sometimes things aren't always as they seem.

[JazzyMac]

I got kids and a super busy career, I aint retaking. I'm likely going to apply 20-30 schools and hope 1-2 take a flier on me...

This seems off to me. You have the time to apply to 20-30 schools but don't have the time to retake the test? Meh... best of luck on your apps sir.

Well, there are some assumptions here...for instance, it takes a few minutes to apply to a school. However, LSATs are administered four times a year. Let's assume that it didn't take poster a year to draft his/her personal statement. Let's also assume that it doesn't cost more than $170 to apply to law school. Even without these assumptions, it would be reaching to say not having time to retest "seems off".

Let's be smart on this. I applied to 10 schools in an afternoon.

[blsingindisguise]

I got kids and a super busy career, I aint retaking. I'm likely going to apply 20-30 schools and hope 1-2 take a flier on me...

This seems off to me. You have the time to apply to 20-30 schools but don't have the time to retake the test? Meh... best of luck on your apps sir.

Well, there are some assumptions here...for instance, it takes a few minutes to apply to a school. However, LSATs are administered four times a year. Let's assume that it didn't take poster a year to draft his/her personal statement. Let's also assume that it doesn't cost more than $170 to apply to law school. Even without these assumptions, it would be reaching to say not having time to retest "seems off".

Let's be smart on this. I applied to 10 schools in an afternoon.

Oh come on, he could do an hour of prep 3x a week for two months and retake and probably improve significantly, that's a pretty poor score for someone who can handle a complex job. I know what it means to juggle kids and a job, and I'm sure I could do that much. I think attitude is the problem here, not time.

[BigZuck]

I got kids and a super busy career, I aint retaking. I'm likely going to apply 20-30 schools and hope 1-2 take a flier on me...

This seems off to me. You have the time to apply to 20-30 schools but don't have the time to retake the test? Meh... best of luck on your apps sir.

Well, there are some assumptions here...for instance, it takes a few minutes to apply to a school. However, LSATs are administered four times a year. Let's assume that it didn't take poster a year to draft his/her personal statement. Let's also assume that it doesn't cost more than $170 to apply to law school. Even without these assumptions, it would be reaching to say not having time to retest "seems off".

Let's be smart on this. I applied to 10 schools in an afternoon.

It definitely costs more than $170 to apply to 10 schools

Again, knock yourself out but at least be honest that it's laziness and arrogance that drives your decision making. And seriously, please don't harm your family because you can't let go of your halfbaked plan.

[A@M_or_bust]

I got kids and a super busy career, I aint retaking. I'm likely going to apply 20-30 schools and hope 1-2 take a flier on me...

Lawl

[dreamerchic19]

I think you have a great chance at Southern Law Schools or DC, could you possibly re-take the LSAT? If not, that's decent.

[jrass]

Might as well. Best case, your dreams come true. Worst case, it's working people's fault and we're all here to pay higher taxes to bail you out. Our country was founded on Vladimir Lenin's ideology, and your kids should grow up knowing they are responsible people's obligation, not yours.

[Nagster5]

Your refusal to retake is objectively dumb. LSAT score is the lion's share of any application's merit. Not spending a few hours a week to improve on a barely higher than median score means your either lazy, too dumb to do better, have bad judgement, or have a garunteed job upon bar passage and don't care where you go. Those are literally the reasons someone could have that score. It's the difference between a top 20 school and a 50-100 tier school. It's the difference between having a few crap offers or several good ones. Your softs are not great, they are average at best and will do very little to move the needle.

If your connnections are as rock-solid as you say (like your dad or uncle makes the hiring decisions at a firm), and they extend you an ironclad job contingent on bar-passage, and you have no desire to do anything else with a law degree than the job you've been offered, then just go to the best school you can get into for free and that's the end of it. If not, you need to retake to get into a decent school where your connections can leverage an already decent resume, or not go to law school. Anything else is foolish. Many people with what they consider strong inroads or connections find that things change in three years, and that the endorsement of a few people who used to work with you or your cousin/brother/uncle saying you're great is not enough to convince a firm to hire someone at median from a bad school.

[Tls2016]

Why are you going to law school? It sounds like you have a good life now. I don't think your softs will overcome your mediocre LSAT if that is the only question you are asking.
I don't understand just applying at a bunch of schools to see who takes you with low numbers. You must have some life plan. If you are independently wealthy, then go for it, but I think you like find better things to do with your time and money.

[GMasters5]

You do you, NorCal. But I truly believe the best piece of advice you should take away from all of these replies is that going to law school part time really makes sense in your situation, if you are unwilling to retake of course. You could keep your job or get a new one while going to law school, since you clearly want to go at all costs.

[lawlaura3494]

Well in other news, I have a friend who had around a 3.3 gpa and a 155 and got into Miami. So maybe with the good softs you have hope. I think UF might be a huge reach (especially this late in the cycle); the dean of admissions is working really hard to try and boost the median LSAT score significantly. Best of luck to you!

[Commode, Emeritus]

You're chances of defaulting increase going with your pipe dream.

[gazorpazorp]

156 and you're accusing others of having Reading Comprehension issues?

Retake the LSAT and mimimize your debt.

[seashell.economy]

I got kids and a super busy career, I aint retaking. I'm likely going to apply 20-30 schools and hope 1-2 take a flier on me...

This seems off to me. You have the time to apply to 20-30 schools but don't have the time to retake the test? Meh... best of luck on your apps sir.

It takes far, far less time to apply to 20-30 law schools than it takes to study and obtain a great score on the LSAT.

[seashell.economy]

Not spending a few hours a week to improve...

If only it took a few hours a week to improve on the LSAT everyone would be getting 170+

[jrass]

Just go where you'll have fun. Cold weather would be a bad call. Miami, Hawaii, etc. Going with these #'s you should be treating law school like your last supper. It is 99% likely your life is going to be terrible so you should be having fun. Focusing on anything but party rankings and weather would be like Ted Bundy ordering steamed broccoli for his last meal.

[Nagster5]

Not spending a few hours a week to improve...

If only it took a few hours a week to improve on the LSAT everyone would be getting 170+

If you spend ~10 hours a week working on LSAT prep for a few months and can't score higher than a 156, you probably need to rethink law school. Anyone who isn't painfully dumb should be able to break 160 given time and minimal effort.

[ticklemesilly]

OP, what are your goals? If you have plenty of family connections that will guarantee you gainful employment after law school, and you truly don't care where you end up so long as the cost of living isn't absurd, apply broadly and you'll get in somewhere accredited. It will be to a crappy school (the only soft that could overcome those numbers would be URM, and even then you wouldn't be looking at T14) and it will probably be expensive, but it's up to you.

Never assume you are the exception to any rule. Plenty of people have work experience before law school, and some of it is more impressive than yours.

[Dawg57]

Of all the threads with BigZuck telling folks to retake this one has been one of the more interesting reads in awhile. so thanks to all. I would spout my usual claim of figure out whether you are biglaw or regional/T14 or T1/T2 and go from there. but this guy has it figured out, so what the heck does he care what I have to say. lol

[BigZuck]

Of all the threads with BigZuck telling folks to retake this one has been one of the more interesting reads in awhile. so thanks to all. I would spout my usual claim of figure out whether you are biglaw or regional/T14 or T1/T2 and go from there. but this guy has it figured out, so what the heck does he care what I have to say. lol

y u mad tho?

Eta: and y u bump?

[Dawg57]

Of all the threads with BigZuck telling folks to retake this one has been one of the more interesting reads in awhile. so thanks to all. I would spout my usual claim of figure out whether you are biglaw or regional/T14 or T1/T2 and go from there. but this guy has it figured out, so what the heck does he care what I have to say. lol

y u mad tho?

Eta: and y u bump?

Not mad in any way, just know that OP is not going to fully listen to anyone. Also, just felt like browsing somewhere other than lounge and Senioritis threads. I admire your staunch consistency in your advice Zuck, other than the rare times that you tell folks not to retake when it actually makes sense.

Also, idk why I bumped, I read several of these in a row and got sort of tranced before I realized this was from weeks ago, consider my presence here closed. No more bumping from me.

[KiltedKicker]

.

[billybevans]

Ultimately it's going to come down to how well you use your essay to talk up your softs. Don't listen to the haters on here. They often have trouble thinking outside the numbers. Your softs, from your blurb, don't sound too outside the box but obviously it more depends on the nature of your experience in a legal career. I think you have a great shot at UF if you can write a convincing essay.

[bretby]

I dont think I'll end up at Stetson, but if I did, the nice thing about it is we have a beach house not too far from there...

Those numbers aren't very good at all, but you know that. I wouldn't expect those softs to move the needle too much, so I would think mysln would give you a pretty good idea of your options.