Top Law Schools

I am trying to decide if I can get into a t14 school with my situation. I have a 3.55 GPA from Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering and a 167 LSAT from June. I also have 5 years working experience at a consulting firm and my engineering license. If needed, I can retake LSAT in October and should do better, I was nervous the first time around and messed up the first section.

Any advice on which schools to apply to? I would really like to go back to Berkeley, but that may be a reach.

Some schools I am considering (but open to suggestions...)

Berkeley
Chicago
Michigan
Texas
Washington

Thanks

Honestly your chances look grim for all of the schools you listed. You will most likely get a GPA boost from schools for the rigor of your course load and your highly ranked UG, but I'm not sure it will be enough to get you in to the places you want to go. My advice would be, study extremely hard and get at least a 170 on your LSAT, or use your softs to stick out so much that your low GPA and LSAT can be overlooked. Good luck.

i disagree with artichoke. i think that with your softs, rigorous courses, and pretty solid lsat you will get into AT LEAST one of them. i think washington and texas look pretty good for you. the other three are stretches but with an ed at one of them i think you can do it. you can at least pull a waitlist or two out of those three.

good luck.

ps. any interst in northwestern? they will love that 5 years WE

chopswithafist wrote:i disagree with artichoke. i think that with your softs, rigorous courses, and pretty solid lsat you will get into AT LEAST one of them. i think washington and texas look pretty good for you. the other three are stretches but with an ed at one of them i think you can do it. you can at least pull a waitlist or two out of those three.

good luck.

ps. any interst in northwestern? they will love that 5 years WE

NW does love people with extensive work experience. I agree with chops - apply there.

I haven't put much consideration into NW but that is good to know they value work experience. I'm hoping to stay around the west coast if I can but I'll definitely do some more research on northwestern. Thanks for the advice

You have no chance at berkeley and chicago. A very very small chance at michigan, and decent chances at texas and wustl. If your talking about UW you will definitely get in. Northwestern is your best (and probably only) bet at cracking the t14. So I would probably retake and hope for northwestern if you don't do any better.

You have no shot at any T14 besides Cornell (since you're below both LSAT and GPA medians), and even for Cornell it's a long shot.

in at Washington. why not ucla, usc? i like you for SC too

artichoke88 wrote:

chopswithafist wrote:i disagree with artichoke. i think that with your softs, rigorous courses, and pretty solid lsat you will get into AT LEAST one of them. i think washington and texas look pretty good for you. the other three are stretches but with an ed at one of them i think you can do it. you can at least pull a waitlist or two out of those three.

good luck.

ps. any interst in northwestern? they will love that 5 years WE

NW does love people with extensive work experience. I agree with chops - apply there.

Zero shot at NW unless you have a 170 or a 3.7.

calbears8 wrote:I am trying to decide if I can get into a t14 school with my situation. I have a 3.55 GPA from Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering and a 167 LSAT from June. I also have 5 years working experience at a consulting firm and my engineering license. If needed, I can retake LSAT in October and should do better, I was nervous the first time around and messed up the first section.

Any advice on which schools to apply to? I would really like to go back to Berkeley, but that may be a reach.

Some schools I am considering (but open to suggestions...)

Berkeley
Chicago
Michigan
Texas
Washington

Thanks

Hey, I finished my cycle a few months ago and had a 3.48 167 with 3 years of WE in finance and accounting. Unfortunately, I was nervous the first time as well, but was just as nervous the second time and repeated my 167 score.
I applied to Berkeley, Georgetown, USC, and Washington and was rejected, rejected, WL, Accepted (WA resident).
I'm not sure if you want to stay on the west coast, but if you do, definitely apply to USC. It seems like 3.6 and 167 is almost an auto admit at USC (and I think USC is definitely a top 18 with it's 40% big law rating, which is actually better than UCLA). I'd add UCLA as well, especially if you want to apply to Texas and you went to Berkeley.
If you're ok with the price and location, I'd add Cornell to the list.

But yeah, go for the retake in October. It can't hurt (unless you score less than a 165).

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot, I made a spreadsheet with schools with my GPA and different LSATs and the percentage chance I had of getting into each school. https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key ... [homophobic language redacted]&hl=en
Go to the tab labeled 'Stats'. This top part is what hourumd/lsn says. The 2nd part is what law school predictor says. And the third part is the average of the two. Keep in mind that it's for a lower GPA than yours and it's for everyone, not for people with 5 years of engineering WE.