T14 with no soft factors? Forum

[ghostgirl]

I have a 4.0 GPA from a not-so-great state university. According to the practice LSATs I have taken, I am looking at a score of 176-180. However, I have done almost nothing---no extracurriculars, no volunteer work. I work for my dad in our family business and help take care of my mother who has serious health problems, which takes up the majority of my free time. I have done a little bit of tutoring and some freelance proofreading and editing for grad students, but nothing substantial.

My question is, how much does a T14 school care about things apart from GPA and LSAT score? If I have a 4.0/178 will I have a realistic chance at any (or more than one) T14 schools?

[MURPH]

Congrats, enjoy Harvard.

[TCScrutinizer]

Congrats, enjoy [strike]Harvard.[/strike] Yale

[people want what]

I have a 4.0 GPA from a not-so-great state university. According to the practice LSATs I have taken, I am looking at a score of 176-180. However, I have done almost nothing---no extracurriculars, no volunteer work. I work for my dad in our family business and help take care of my mother who has serious health problems, which takes up the majority of my free time. I have done a little bit of tutoring and some freelance proofreading and editing for grad students, but nothing substantial.

My question is, how much does a T14 school care about things apart from GPA and LSAT score? If I have a 4.0/178 will I have a realistic chance at any (or more than one) T14 schools?

straaaaaight fuck softs.

[D. H2Oman]

Oversimplified:

Yale, Stanford, UCB care about softs

Every other T14 school whores for numbers.

[Grizz]

Oversimplified:

Yale, Stanford, UCB care about softs

Every other T14 school whores for numbers.

This.

[ghostgirl]

Oversimplified:

Yale, Stanford, UCB care about softs

Every other T14 school whores for numbers.

Thanks for the feedback. This is sort of what I figured. Thankfully, I don't care for Stanford or Berkeley and I had assumed Yale was out of my reach anyway.

I wish more schools published their actual number of applications/admissions for each GPA/LSAT bracket. It looks like Yale and Duke are the only ones that do.

[jks289]

You would be silly to exclude any school with those numbers. HYS is a crapshoot with any numbers (H less so) but you'd have as good a shot as anyone. If you cover the T10 you'd see a full ride somewhere, assuming you actually pull at 176+ on the real LSAT. Good luck!

[09042014]

Also you can stretch anything into a good story. Help your dad with business? You comanage a small business.

I don't know what the Yale app, but most apps, you just kind of list things you did. Your Personal Statement is where you shine. Just focus on things you are strong in. Nobody has to know you didn't do much in college.

[Moxie]

Oversimplified:

Yale, Stanford, UCB care about softs

Every other T14 school whores for numbers.

This. Now focus on getting a LSAT score within that range.

[Grizz]

Also you can stretch anything into a good story. Help your dad with business? You comanage a small business.

I don't know what the Yale app, but most apps, you just kind of list things you did. Your Personal Statement is where you shine. Just focus on things you are strong in. Nobody has to know you didn't do much in college.

Agreed. It's not like you don't have any softs. Nothing wrong with tutoring and copy editing. That's pretty cool actually. It sounds cooler than "waitress at Chili's."

[Remnantofisrael]

I agree with the idea that you should still apply to yale. Note the importance/effect of taking care of your mother in your PS.

[berkeleykel06]

There is a difference between having no softs and not having great softs. You may not have great softs, but you don't have "no softs," like you claim. As long as you have SOMETHING to put on your resume and application to make it look like you've done something in your life other than go to school, you should be in at most T14 schools with those numbers.