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Hi everyone, just wanted a bit of input here before I start seriously considering where to apply.

I graduated last August from UC Berkeley with Political Science 3.88/(3.86 LSAC roughly, still waiting on the exact calculations) and a 169 LSAT score in 2009. I have been out of school for a few months now, working and trying to figure out what to do with my life, but want to apply next cycle. I am really interested in international law, and toyed with the idea of getting a masters in IR for a bit, but have come to the conclusion that if Im going to go into debt over the next 3 years, I might as well get my JD. Which brings me back full circle to what my plan was when I was a Junior and took the LSAT even though I had no realistic idea of what was involved. haha.

I am not a URM, (white female), but made it through college with a combination of merit and need-based aid (not sure if that matters). I spent the last year of college abroad in Italy and would probably get my last two letters from professors there (the one I currently have is Polisci) but they are not really law-related fields. Does this make any real difference?

Right now, the one school I am really leaning towards is Georgetown, based on the USNEWS International Law Specialty rankings and my hopes that my numbers will get me in there. Can anyone give me some more options? (Its amazing how much my understanding of this whole process has changed/how much I have forgotten in the last two years.) Thanks in advance!

First, it doesn't matter whether your letters of rec come from professors in law-related fields. Don't worry about that.

Second, you have a good shot at Georgetown. You should also look at Berkeley, NYU, Columbia, Penn, Michigan, Northwestern, Duke, Virginia, Cornell, UCLA, and Texas. All of them have plenty of international law options.

Good luck!

You need to take a prep class and retake the LSAT. 3-4 pt improvement would be enormous with your gpa.

liljerry - really? i was actually practicing in the 170s ( my score was the reason I actually rethought lawschool originally), I was completely self-taught the first time around and actually tutored the LSAT for a bit. I considered retaking at first, but got a lot of mixed feedback. Would a couple points really make that much of a difference?

Relatively sure you have a great chance at GT. I would consider retaking if you want to apply to a broader group of T14 schools. Your alma mater should look at you favorably as well, but a few more points may grant you a great boost. Also, a few points could also mean scholarship money.

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hulahoop wrote:liljerry - really? i was actually practicing in the 170s ( my score was the reason I actually rethought lawschool originally), I was completely self-taught the first time around and actually tutored the LSAT for a bit. I considered retaking at first, but got a lot of mixed feedback. Would a couple points really make that much of a difference?

Georgetown is a slam dunk with your numbers, so I wouldn't retake unless you were aiming for higher schools like CCN.

If you are applying next cycle, and feel like you can stomach it, I'd take another run at the LSAT. You'd be amazed what the difference between a 3.86/169 and a 3.86/172 can mean...

Duke, 3-yr, JD/LLM in international law.

increased LSAT could make life easier with more options and more $$

but ur fine w a 169 - ur around median at a lot of the T14 and u have a great GPA

most T14 schools have good int'l law programs - vandy has a good one too

bighead715 wrote:increased LSAT could make life easier with more options and more $$

but ur fine w a 169 - ur around median at a lot of the T14 and u have a great GPA

Agree with the above (and other posts like it). If you're comfortable with bottom half of the T14 and paying close to sticker, then you're probably fine. You'll (almost definitely) get into at least a few of the bottom half of the T14, and have a legitimate shot higher up.

However, if you have the time and the money and aren't totally averse to the idea, consider taking the LSAT again. I hate it when people answer these questions with "score higher!" because duh, obviously that would help and I'm sure you're already aware of that... but I'm a 3.8/169, and while I'm comfortable with the schools I've gotten into (best so far, and best probably by the end of the cycle, is Columbia), I'm resigned to paying sticker or very very close to it. It's so ridiculous to think that 2-3 more questions right out 100/101 could be worth tens of thousands of dollar in scholarship money and open at least two more schools' doors (not necessarily higher up, but still), but unfortunately that's how it is.

That being said: you're fine, really, where you are! Just depends on whether you want more options.

thanks for all the replies everyone!

despite the horror of putting myself through all of that again, i think iv pretty much resigned myself to giving the lsat another go. im paying of undergrad loans right now, and that nightmare has convinced me that any way to save myself from going into too much debt is worth it.

so, gotta find all my old tests and dust em off. anyone have any input on what admissions committees might think seeing a retake this much later? (my 169 was June 2008, not 2009 as i said earlier. lol time flies) hopefully il at least have forgotten most of the material and can start over with a fresh slate.

hulahoop wrote:liljerry - really? i was actually practicing in the 170s ( my score was the reason I actually rethought lawschool originally), I was completely self-taught the first time around and actually tutored the LSAT for a bit. I considered retaking at first, but got a lot of mixed feedback. Would a couple points really make that much of a difference?

With your good GPA, every point is huge.

hulahoop wrote:thanks for all the replies everyone!

despite the horror of putting myself through all of that again, i think iv pretty much resigned myself to giving the lsat another go. im paying of undergrad loans right now, and that nightmare has convinced me that any way to save myself from going into too much debt is worth it.

so, gotta find all my old tests and dust em off. anyone have any input on what admissions committees might think seeing a retake this much later? (my 169 was June 2008, not 2009 as i said earlier. lol time flies) hopefully il at least have forgotten most of the material and can start over with a fresh slate.

Shouldn't be an issue at all. I hope you score that >=172, and lock yourself in for CCN+.

Im not entirely sure when their deadline is, but if you apply now you might have a shot of getting into georgetown. you might save yourself a year and if your retake goes well, you can reapply to better schools