3.6 / 176 Forum

[jhinnyc]

Going to apply in September 2010 to list of schools below. At time of application, I will have been out of school (Tufts) for over a year, working full-time at PR firm. Softs: worked on Senate and House campaigns while in school, interned in Senate office, intern at political consulting firm, held jobs during school. Spent year studying at London School of Economics, got good grades. GPA: 3.60 LSAT: 176

What do you think my chances are at the following schools:

Harvard
NYU
Penn
Columbia
Georgetown
Berkeley
UCLA
Fordham

[09042014]

Going to apply in September 2010 to list of schools below. At time of application, I will have been out of school (Tufts) for over a year, working full-time at PR firm. Softs: worked on Senate and House campaigns while in school, interned in Senate office, intern at political consulting firm, held jobs during school. Spent year studying at London School of Economics, got good grades. GPA: 3.60 LSAT: 176

What do you think my chances are at the following schools:

Harvard out
NYU in
Penn waitlist due to yield protect
Columbia in
Georgetown in
Berkeley 50/50
UCLA in
Fordhamin

I wouldn't go below CCN unless you have to.

[The Brainalist]

Its probably good that you aren't applying to Chicago, Michigan, and UVA. They are in no way comparable to the ones on your non-arbitrary list, and you wouldn't even attend them even if they gave you far bigger scholarships than the ones you have picked.

[jhinnyc]

Not sure I get the sarcasm here. I could see why the list seems arbitrary to you, but I've picked the schools based on a locations I want to be in for personal reasons, as well as strength of programs and things I've heard from friends who attend. One person's arbitrary list is another person's carefully thought-out list, I guess. And I'd be happy to go to either of the three schools you mentioned --- I just don't want to live in Ann Arbor, Charlottesville or Chicago. (Not that there's anything wrong with those towns/cities.) Thanks, though!

[The Brainalist]

Not sure I get the sarcasm here. I could see why the list seems arbitrary to you, but I've picked the schools based on a locations I want to be in for personal reasons, as well as strength of programs and things I've heard from friends who attend. One person's arbitrary list is another person's carefully thought-out list, I guess. And I'd be happy to go to either of the three schools you mentioned --- I just don't want to live in Ann Arbor, Charlottesville or Chicago. (Not that there's anything wrong with those towns/cities.) Thanks, though!

Just in case it isn't clear. Absent sarcasm, you really don't know which schools are going to give you money, how much, and whether (especially at this point) you are going to get in. Unless you have a significant other or kids preventing your geographic mobility, which seems unlikely given that you have selected schools on both coasts, you are doing yourself a disservice by not giving yourself a better shot at better schools with money. Seriously, your list makes no sense because it would seem crazy to choose to attend Fordham or UCLA as safeties when you could have improved your chances at getting into a top 10 school, and there is some probability that one of those schools will give you some money (and you don't know which one, it does seem pretty random). Worst case scenario, you get into Chicago or Michigan, then leverage those acceptances into more money from schools in your preferred locals if you get in. Or, maybe you visit those schools and realize that they aren't so bad. It simply seems premature to rule them out at this point and, yes, somewhat arbitrary when you are not working with all the information.