Splitter, where should I apply? 179, 2.63 Forum

[justiceman]

Hello everyone. Was hoping for a little advice from y'all.
I'm not applying this cycle but waiting till next cycle.
I lucked out and got an LSAT score of 179. Undergrad GPA is horrible. I started out college doing fine the first couple of years, mostly As and Bs, then had a huge downturn of lot of bad terms (all Fs). I don't really have a valid excuse for the bad terms. But I left college (was not kicked out, never even on academic probation). Came back 3 years later and did very very well. GPA of 3.9 for a year and a half of classes. But I was only able to raise the GPA to 2.63. I spent those 3 years out of college working for a minimum wage job in the family business and then ran the family business while the owner was very sick while being the caregiver for that sick person.
I'm currently 28, I'll be 29 when I enter law school if I get in.

I'd kind of a prestige whore, so I'd like to get in to the most prestigious law school I can. I've tried all the online calculators but would like some advice from real live people.

If you were me, what schools would you choose as your safeties? Your targets? And your reaches?

Thanks for your honest opinions!

[rapstar]

you can't "luck out" and make a 179. that's like saying you "lucked out" and beat tiger in 18 holes. it just doesn't happen.

FLAME

just to humor you though, apply ED to UVA, Duke, or NW.

FLAME

FLAME

[justiceman]

Well I promise I am not a flame. "Lucked out" is a saying. I studied hard for the LSAT but 179s are very uncommon, so I feel lucky to have scored it.

Thanks for the advice though. I'd like to get into a top school like the ones you mentioned. I'm not sure how realistic that is though.

[brose002]

Well I promise I am not a flame. "Lucked out" is a saying. I studied hard for the LSAT but 179s are very uncommon, so I feel lucky to have scored it.

Thanks for the advice though. I'd like to get into a top school like the ones you mentioned. I'm not sure how realistic that is though.

If I were you, I would apply to the t-14 minus, yale, harvard, stanford, and berkeley. I would then add some safeties outside of the t-14 that are splitter friendly. For example: WUSTL, and UIUC.

[justiceman]

If I were you, I would apply to the t-14 minus, yale, harvard, stanford, and berkeley. I would then add some safeties outside of the t-14 that are splitter friendly. For example: WUSTL, and UIUC.

You are very optimistic about my chances! You think anything below t-14 is a safety? Which means I have a 50% or so chance of getting in a top school. I hope so, I'd really like my hard work this last year or so to pay off and make up for my past!

[big_blue79]

179 is terrific, congratulations!

Make sure your PS incorporates how you came back and got a 3.9 after a period of poor grades and dropping out. Or, you can use an addendum to explain grades (iirc most apps specifically mention this option) and free up your PS for something you feel will show something about who you are/how you've grown.

[cendien]

I hate to be a pessimist here, but I think you need to look lower, just in case. Many of the top schools are going to run away from anything under a 3.0, even with a good addendum. I wouldn't be surprised by an admission at a T14, but at the same time, I wouldn't be shocked if you were locked out either. That big of a split is nearly impossible to predict.

I would suggest a good addendum, early applications next cycle, an ED application (probably at NW, to maximize your chances at T14), and a lot of luck. Beyond that, you should be able to snag some fee waivers at plenty of schools. Use them all.

Sorry to be a bit of a downer, but I've seen some lockouts with GPAs like that. The 179 will, of course, definitely help though. Good luck!

[justiceman]

I definitely plan on applying ED to somewhere and applying very early. I have 8 months to prepare. Was thinking of Georgetown or Cornell. Not too excited about Northwestern, but beggars can't be choosers. Appreciate your opinion.

[pattymac]

Won't his LSAT offset any damage done to the median GPA though? Just a thought...

IIRC, Michigan has been splitter friendly in the past, or this is the general consensus. You'll 100% make it into Georgetown at least part time and can anyone really see OP not getting into Cornell? His LSAT is 10 points higher than their 75th?

[jcunni5]

NW ED next cycle is the best way to go

[jayn3]

i think you could probably make a killer PS/grades addendum - coming back from a long break and getting a 3.9, a substantial improvement from previous results, could be proof that you have grown/matured/hadachangeofheartwhatever and are determined to succeed academically. so some T14s and definitely some T30s.

[justiceman]

I'm not really sure I have a good enough excuse for the bad grades for a killer addendum. You think just maturing and growing is enough? Will law schools be willing to ignore the few bad terms and focus on the beginning and end of my college career? Enough to maybe even consider my GPA as 3.5 (what it would be without the bad terms)? I doubt it.

[justiceman]

I'm thinking of the following schools [quite a long list, I'll have to pare it down]:

Reaches:
Harvard (laugh at me now)
NYU
Penn
Michigan
Duke

Targets:
Cornell
Northwestern
Virgnia
Georgetown
Vanderbilt
UCLA

Safeties:
Notre Dame
Boston
USC
WUSTL
Indiana-Bloomington
George Washington

[GeePee]

If you don't care where you go to law school, I think you should apply ED to UVA on September 1. With the 15 day turnaround, you'll still have time to ED to a lower ranked school if need be. It really can't hurt, and you might get a quick top 10 acceptance.

Oh, and there's really no such thing as a "target" with a 2.63. It's more of just applying and hoping.

[chadwick218]

NU ... I know a classmate that was admitted w/ similar #'s who applied late in the game as an RD. Unfortunately, I think that a scholarship will be hard to come by in the T14. Apply!

[vanwinkle]

ED to NU. Your cycle will be over with one app.

If you really want safeties, apply to UVA, Cornell, WUSTL, and UIUC. The last two are for $$$$.

[justiceman]

People keep saying my best chance in the top 14 is to Northwestern. But unfortunately that's the school in the t14 I like the least. But like I said before, beggars can't be choosers in my situation.

[vanwinkle]

People keep saying my best chance in the top 14 is to Northwestern. But unfortunately that's the school in the t14 I like the least. But like I said before, beggars can't be choosers in my situation.

Then ED to UVA. Hell, ED there this cycle. It's not too late, get your app in today.

[chadwick218]

People keep saying my best chance in the top 14 is to Northwestern. But unfortunately that's the school in the t14 I like the least. But like I said before, beggars can't be choosers in my situation.

Why no love for NU? You are almost certainly guaranteed admissions at NU, but you are in an interesting situation with your GPA and your age. Applying ED at a place at NU or even UVA might tie your hands. Although the likes of NYU and Columbia seem unlikely, they are certainly not out of the question (with the right application).

[arfx3]

you for sure need to address the issue of your gpa in an addendum...especially given your story of taking care of a family member while running a business. In addition law schools will favor your last few semesters. Given the fact that your last few were very good you've got a good chance and making that 2.6 look a lot better. I think you should go ahead and apply to all kinds of reaches, especially since as more years go by schools are putting more weight on the LSAT. I'm not sure which school exactly favor the LSAT more so relative to others but I'm sure someone on this board knows.

[JazzOne]

That big of a split is nearly impossible to predict.

[JusticeHarlan]

I definitely plan on applying ED to somewhere and applying very early. I have 8 months to prepare. Was thinking of Georgetown or Cornell. Not too excited about Northwestern, but beggars can't be choosers. Appreciate your opinion.

It's unfortunate you're not a big fan of Northwestern, because it sounds like a very good fit, from my limited knowledge on both the schools and your situation. They like people who are out of UG for some time and have real world, work experience, and I think if you apply early you'd have a very good chance.

What don't you like about Northwestern, though? Great school, great location if you like cities, tends to have excellent placement rates (though who knows anything ITE).

Is it the whole "prestige whore" fixation? Northwestern probably doesn't have the lay prestige as the ivy league schools or some of the other t-14, but I think within the profession its very well regarded.

[JazzOne]

I definitely plan on applying ED to somewhere and applying very early. I have 8 months to prepare. Was thinking of Georgetown or Cornell. Not too excited about Northwestern, but beggars can't be choosers. Appreciate your opinion.

It's unfortunate you're not a big fan of Northwestern, because it sounds like a very good fit, from my limited knowledge on both the schools and your situation. They like people who are out of UG for some time and have real world, work experience, and I think if you apply early you'd have a very good chance.

What don't you like about Northwestern, though? Great school, great location if you like cities, tends to have excellent placement rates (though who knows anything ITE).

Is it the whole "prestige whore" fixation? Northwestern probably doesn't have the lay prestige as the ivy league schools or some of the other t-14, but I think within the profession its very well regarded.

+1
OP: Why no love for Northwestern? It's a terrific school in a cool city, and it's your best shot in the T14.

[justiceman]

I really don't want to spend 3 years in Chicago. And yes, a little bit of it is prestige. It may be superficial, but I'd like to go to a school with some lay prestige. After failing to even apply to any prestigious school for undergrad as an foolish 17-year-old [even though in hindsight I know I had the high school stats to get into some] I went to a TTT university and got a 2.63 GPA. So I'd like to go to a nice school, preferably ivy-league or similar, to have that prestige that I think I "deserve". Yeah, its superficial, but we can't control our emotions can we?
But again, I also know I am in a position where I need to take whatever I can get! I'd rather have Northwestern than anything out of the top 14, because it is top-14. And who knows if I'd even get into a top 14. Without a decent explanation for my undergrad lapses, even though I think I will never go back to that kind of academic behavior, whose to say any adcomm will believe that?
And of course, my other pipe dream is to transfer up during the 2nd year, no matter what school I get into.

[los blancos]

If you don't care where you go to law school, I think you should apply ED to UVA on September 1. With the 15 day turnaround, you'll still have time to ED to a lower ranked school if need be. It really can't hurt, and you might get a quick top 10 acceptance.

Oh, and there's really no such thing as a "target" with a 2.63. It's more of just applying and hoping.

TITCR.

If you want to take a shot now for Fall '10, you can still ED to UVa until March 1st.

Remember, adcomms are dealing with medians, not means. Your LSAT score and your most recent grades show some dedication. If you write a sincere addendum, I think you can get a T14 to bite.