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I am a recent graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a 2.6 gpa. I am trying to get into law schools that are local to the Atlanta area but I have no idea what my actual chances are of getting in. I took the LSAT last week and I estimate my score at around a 153 (haven't gotten it back yet). I have been taking practice tests at around 157 or so. I am currently working for a probation company and I am also hispanic. I am applying to John Marshall Law, Georgia State and University of Georgia. I have solid letters of recommendation as well as a decent personal statement. I am worried that my gpa is going to hold me back but my UG school was rediculously tough. I am SOL? Thanks in advance.

I stopped readying after 2.6 gpa you might be s.o.l.

ilovebobbyflay wrote:I stopped readying after 2.6 gpa you might be s.o.l.

Don't listen to bobby flay groupie.... the GPA is the least of your concerns. I'd worry more about the LSAT..... but why don't you just wait and see what you get, then decide on whether or not to retake then.

reasonabledoubt wrote:

ilovebobbyflay wrote:I stopped readying after 2.6 gpa you might be s.o.l.

Don't listen to bobby flay groupie.... the GPA is the least of your concerns. I'd worry more about the LSAT..... but why don't you just wait and see what you get, then decide on whether or not to retake then.

Are you kidding? At least he's scoring above average on the LSAT. Unless he can pull it up to 160+ though he's going to be stuck with the bottom 1/3 of the unranked schools and even those are iffy.

OP, I won't sugar coat it for you, and I hope you appreciate that (as much as it hurts). Your GPA is going to cause 90% of schools to simply toss your application out without even looking at it (regardless of undergrad difficulty). For the other 10%, you're going to need to KILL the LSAT to even break the top 100 schools. Even if you did better than you thought and pulled a 157, you're still going to have to retake.

http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/

Go to that website and test out different LSAT scores to see where you need to be.

mb88 wrote:

reasonabledoubt wrote:

ilovebobbyflay wrote:I stopped readying after 2.6 gpa you might be s.o.l.

Don't listen to bobby flay groupie.... the GPA is the least of your concerns. I'd worry more about the LSAT..... but why don't you just wait and see what you get, then decide on whether or not to retake then.

Are you kidding? At least he's scoring above average on the LSAT. Unless he can pull it up to 160+ though he's going to be stuck with the bottom 1/3 of the unranked schools and even those are iffy.

OP, I won't sugar coat it for you, and I hope you appreciate that (as much as it hurts). Your GPA is going to cause 90% of schools to simply toss your application out without even looking at it (regardless of undergrad difficulty). For the other 10%, you're going to need to KILL the LSAT to even break the top 100 schools. Even if you did better than you thought and pulled a 157, you're still going to have to retake.

http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/

Go to that website and test out different LSAT scores to see where you need to be.

He can't change his GPA - he can retake the LSAT. I tend to recommend focusing on things you have control over.

There is a reason you studied engineering and not poly-si, you are better in the sciences. You have a degree where you can find employment, any school you can get into absent a score well into the 98-99% is not going to get you a job. Don't ruin your life.

so even if if I get into john marshall law I shouldn't go because I won't be able to find a job? I am trying to become a patent attourney by the way. So schools don't honestly consider difficulty of university? Even with a 2.6 I was usually top 10% of my class. Often times with a C I had the highest grade in the class. They barely curved at my school

reasonabledoubt wrote:

ilovebobbyflay wrote:I stopped readying after 2.6 gpa you might be s.o.l.

Don't listen to bobby flay groupie.... the GPA is the least of your concerns. I'd worry more about the LSAT..... but why don't you just wait and see what you get, then decide on whether or not to retake then.

I appreciate the advice by the way. The issue is all my apps are due on march first which is the same day my scores come out. So I have to apply blindly this go around. If I don't I have to wait a full year.

To be honest you probably f-ed yourself by taking the February LSAT wanting to attend school this fall. If you somehow rocked the LSAT you are going to be disappointed you only applied to 153 lsat median schools (because you are applying blind based on your guess at how you did). If you only score 153 then you probably won't get into a single reach because all those below median spots will have already been taken by other's with similar stats who applied 6 months before you. Leaving only schools where a 153 will improve their median, and that is a short list of mostly undesirable schools.

Your best bet is to apply next cycle when you have your score in hand. Plus if you want to you can study and retake in June/September and rock it. Many schools will forgive a sub 3.0 GPA provided you have the right LSAT score. A 160/2.6 will on average net you better schools than a 153/4.0. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

You need a 165 or better.

Get some WE to help make the GPA a bit more forgiving and to figure out if you really need to go to law school to be happy. If you do those things, you can go tier-2 and do IP and be employable.

You got a long road ahead of you though.

Class rank not reported to U.S. news. IP law helps cushion the pain from this economy (for instance, the IP people at GW still have some job opportunities while the rest are mostly SOL) but nothing will help you if you go to John Marshall. If your class rank was as high as you claim, you are intelligent enough to do much better on the LSAT with some serious studying.

LOL at everyone acting like this guy needs some act of heaven or miracle to get into a decent law school w/ that GPA. All he has to do is score in the 75% percentile w/ the LSAT at the schools he applies to and he will have some opportunities. Yeah the LSAT is no joke but if someone’s future plans hinge on scoring a 161,162 on the LSAT, I am pretty sure that can be accomplished.

Lulz at "decent" law school ls IRE when people from the t6 are working for free bc they can't get a paying job.

^^If this person gets an LSAT score in the 162-165 they will definitely have some good options in the 50-100 range and with a score above 165 they will get some t1 schools to bite no doubt. Yeah a 2.6 LSAC GPA is low, kill the LSAT though and some good options will present themselves. Florida and Florida ST are definitely solid schools for example and an LSAT in the mid 160's even with a 2.6 will most likely get you in (assuming you put together a good all around application obviously."

You need to wait a year, take the June LSAT, do your best to break 160. That may give you a decent shot at a tier 2. With a low LSAT and extremely late applications, you are at an enormous disadvantage. If LS is important enough for you to spend three years on it (and the rest of your life in law), going to a better school is worth one year. Besides, the economy will hopefully be better, and the class of 2014 will be in better shape than 2013.

reasonabledoubt has best avatar everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

timshel wrote:reasonabledoubt has best avatar everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I knew it! all Yankee's fans like men lol jp

I can't believe no one has asked you this, but what kind of hispanic are you? You might get a limited boost for admissions.

Also, +1 to what everyone said about sitting this cycle out and retaking. Do not go to John Marshall. Don't go to GA State unless you plan on doing extremely well to compete for those ATL jobs.

164 seemed to be the magic number for UGA this cycle; most 164 applicants and higher seem to have been admitted (http://georgia.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats). But you have a lower GPA. If you could raise your score to a 164+, which is not impossible, I bet you could have a decent shot at UGA next cycle. With its well-regarded in-state reputation, this would be a great option for you. Someone suggested UF and FSU, which aren't too bad, as long as you are okay with staying in Florida after you graduate.

rad law wrote:I can't believe no one has asked you this, but what kind of hispanic are you? You might get a limited boost for admissions.

Also, +1 to what everyone said about sitting this cycle out and retaking. Do not go to John Marshall. Don't go to GA State unless you plan on doing extremely well to compete for those ATL jobs.

164 seemed to be the magic number for UGA this cycle; most 164 applicants and higher seem to have been admitted (http://georgia.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats). But you have a lower GPA. If you could raise your score to a 164+, which is not impossible, I bet you could have a decent shot at UGA next cycle. With its well-regarded in-state reputation, this would be a great option for you. Someone suggested UF and FSU, which aren't too bad, as long as you are okay with staying in Florida after you graduate.

great advice. I'm actually Mexican. Family born and raised in Mexico so I'm first generation. Surprisingly I'm Jewish too.

Veyron wrote:There is a reason you studied engineering and not poly-si, you are better in the sciences. You have a degree where you can find employment, any school you can get into absent a score well into the 98-99% is not going to get you a job. Don't ruin your life.

I'm not gonna agree with the second half about ruining your life...but really you have a good technical degree why do you want to be a lawyer...if you don't like engineering okay...but if you don't hate it I would say do that for a while then try and get an mba...you'll probably do better onthe gmat and get into a better bschool than you will law school especially with a 153 or a 150 anything for that matter.

mb88 wrote:Your GPA is going to cause 90% of schools to simply toss your application out without even looking at it

This is completely inaccurate. A 2.6 GPA with a 171+ LSAT can get into NU and most schools outside the t17.

sc24evr wrote:

rad law wrote:I can't believe no one has asked you this, but what kind of hispanic are you? You might get a limited boost for admissions.

Also, +1 to what everyone said about sitting this cycle out and retaking. Do not go to John Marshall. Don't go to GA State unless you plan on doing extremely well to compete for those ATL jobs.

164 seemed to be the magic number for UGA this cycle; most 164 applicants and higher seem to have been admitted (http://georgia.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats). But you have a lower GPA. If you could raise your score to a 164+, which is not impossible, I bet you could have a decent shot at UGA next cycle. With its well-regarded in-state reputation, this would be a great option for you. Someone suggested UF and FSU, which aren't too bad, as long as you are okay with staying in Florida after you graduate.

great advice. I'm actually Mexican. Family born and raised in Mexico so I'm first generation. Surprisingly I'm Jewish too.

I believe that Mexican is one of those URMs that get a boost. If you could write a diversity statement about being a first-generation American, this would probably also help you greatly.

Joga Bonito wrote:

Veyron wrote:There is a reason you studied engineering and not poly-si, you are better in the sciences. You have a degree where you can find employment, any school you can get into absent a score well into the 98-99% is not going to get you a job. Don't ruin your life.

I'm not gonna agree with the second half about ruining your life...but really you have a good technical degree why do you want to be a lawyer...if you don't like engineering okay...but if you don't hate it I would say do that for a while then try and get an mba...you'll probably do better onthe gmat and get into a better bschool than you will law school especially with a 153 or a 150 anything for that matter.

Yup I hated it.

There are some seriously flawed posts ITT.

i got one word for you................. fiesta!!!! which is spanish for "retake the lsat"