3.77 GPA/164 LSAT URM Mexican Male. What are my chances? Forum

[abarrios]

I have a 3.77 GPA with a 164 on my LSAT. The only thing that I think will really hurt my application are all of the tickets I have received in the past. I have a class B misdemeanor for theft, a class C misdemeanor for theft, a minor in possession and a public intoxication. However, I completed probation sucessfully for every ticket and I haven't had any problems with the law in over two years. I had a lot of problems throughout high school and in my first year of college and I plan on explaining that in my addendum.

I'm a Hispanic male and I am a philosophy and political science double major. I will be applying to the following schools:

University of Houston
Baylor
Southern Methodist University
University of Texas
Notre Dame
Stanford
Cornell
Boston College
Pepperdine
Duke
Berkeley
University of Southern California
UCLA

All of the Texas schools are my safe schools, besides UT. I would really like to go out of state to a T-14 college, though.

So, what do you think? What are my chances of getting into most of these schools? Are there any T-14 colleges I should apply to that aren't on this list? Any chances I will be receiving scholarships if I do get accepted?

Any opinions and information are extremely appreciated.

Thanks!

[Geist13]

I have a 3.77 GPA with a 164 on my LSAT. The only thing that I think will really hurt my application are all of the tickets I have received in the past. I have a class B misdemeanor for theft, a class C misdemeanor for theft, a minor in possession and a public intoxication. However, I completed probation sucessfully for every ticket and I haven't had any problems with the law in over two years. I had a lot of problems throughout high school and in my first year of college and I plan on explaining that in my addendum.

I'm a Hispanic male and I am a philosophy and political science double major. I will be applying to the following schools:

University of Houston
Baylor
Southern Methodist University
University of Texas
Notre Dame
Stanford
Cornell
Boston College
Pepperdine
Duke
Berkeley
University of Southern California
UCLA

All of the Texas schools are my safe schools, besides UT. I would really like to go out of state to a T-14 college, though.

So, what do you think? What are my chances of getting into most of these schools? Are there any T-14 colleges I should apply to that aren't on this list? Any chances I will be receiving scholarships if I do get accepted?

Any opinions and information are extremely appreciated.

Thanks!

edit: shit I missed the part about you being Hispanic. In that case, I have no clue.

[abarrios]

Bump. Please share any thoughts!

[redsox]

Your list of schools looks pretty incoherent.

[rman1201]

It seems like a very unique case, so all you can really do is apply and find out.
But Duke, Stanford, and Berkely are probably out. The rest you'll just have to apply and find out.

[abarrios]

Your list of schools looks pretty incoherent.

Well, where should I be applying? I really want to get into a top 30 school. Any suggestions?

[redsox]

Your list of schools looks pretty incoherent.

Well, where should I be applying? I really want to get into a top 30 school. Any suggestions?

I guess it's just that the list seems very geographically scattered and in no particular order, and also that you seem to be willing to go pretty much anywhere but fail to include similar schools/nearby cities in your list. Why BC and not BU? Why Boston but not DC or NY?

[romothesavior]

Your record could be an issue. The fact that it was multiple items over the span of a few years makes it more problematic than just one thing. I'm not saying it will be a deal-breaker, but you'll need a great addendum.

I'd say out at Stanford, Berkeley, and Duke. Maybe WL at Texas and UCLA. Probably in beyond that. But it is really hard to say how your record will be viewed and I think there is less predictability involved with Hispanics than there is with non-URMs or even AAs, so I'm offering mere conjecture here.

[romothesavior]

Also, +1 to this list being incoherent. Where do you want to practice?

[abarrios]

Your list of schools looks pretty incoherent.

Well, where should I be applying? I really want to get into a top 30 school. Any suggestions?

I guess it's just that the list seems very geographically scattered and in no particular order, and also that you seem to be willing to go pretty much anywhere but fail to include similar schools/nearby cities in your list. Why BC and not BU? Why Boston but not DC or NY?

Yea, I really would be willing to go basically anywhere in the top 30. I put the list together pretty quickly and I didn't want to put every single school in the top 30 plus the other ones that I will be applying to for sure. Just trying to get a feel for what schools I can get into. I'm really just unsure about how my URM status and prior tickets will affect my application so I'm trying to figure out what others think about it. Thanks anyway.

[abarrios]

Also, +1 to this list being incoherent. Where do you want to practice?

I'd like to practice in Houston when I graduate.

[romothesavior]

Also, +1 to this list being incoherent. Where do you want to practice?

I'd like to practice in Houston when I graduate.

Then you need to focus less on getting into a T20/30 school and focus more on going to a school that will place you into the Houston market. Texas and UH should be your top targets at this point. Certainly apply to schools like UCLA, Cornell, USC, maybe ND and WUSTL, but applying to schools like Pepperdine is not going to help you get back to Houston.

Also, I have no first-hand experience with the school, but it sounds like you should avoid Baylor like the plague.

[abarrios]

Also, +1 to this list being incoherent. Where do you want to practice?

I'd like to practice in Houston when I graduate.

Then you need to focus less on getting into a T20/30 school and focus more on going to a school that will place you into the Houston market. Texas and UH should be your top targets at this point. Certainly apply to schools like UCLA, Cornell, USC, maybe ND and WUSTL, but applying to schools like Pepperdine is not going to help you get back to Houston.

Also, I have no first-hand experience with the school, but it sounds like you should avoid Baylor like the plague.

I work in the law library at the school I am attending right now. A 3rd year law student told me that it would be better to go to a top 30 law school rather than a shittier one in Texas. And yea, if I get into UT that is where I plan to go.

And why do you think I should avoid Baylor?

[romothesavior]

I work in the law library at the school I am attending right now. A 3rd year law student told me that it would be better to go to a top 30 law school rather than a shittier one in Texas. And yea, if I get into UT that is where I plan to go.

And why do you think I should avoid Baylor?

Depends on your definition of "shittier." If you mean third and fourth tier Texas schools, then yes, you'd probably be better off at a higher ranked school (or not going to law school at all).

But the T30 is not some magic cutoff. There is no way you would be better off for the Houston market by going to North Carolina, Boston College, UC Davis, Indiana, etc. than you would be by going to Houston just because they are in the top 30. Most of the schools you have listed are strong regional and quasi-national schools. They may have some reach, but they aren't national schools like the T14.

As for Baylor, I have just heard people on TLS say the school atmosphere is atrocious and cutthroat. You should ask someone with more knowledge on it, because I know very little about Baylor.