3.1/LSAT TBA Forum

[cjl95]

I'm a rising senior at an Ivy League university (Cornell) and I'm pretty confident that law school is something I want to pursue. Trouble is, it's been kind of a bumpy ride getting to that point, as I spend my first three years exploring different majors and taking adventurous classes before settling on a political science degree, which is reflected in my 3.1 GPA. I have no illusions about what a disadvantage it most likely puts me at. I'm just wondering if, with an excellent LSAT score in the 175+ range (I do well with standardized testing and I've been doing well on the practice LSATs I've been taking so far) a set of great recommendations, and a few years of work experience I might have a shot at any T14 schools.

I spoke with a prelaw adviser today about the whole process, and she mentioned addendums, explanations I can send to schools and so on, but it seems like even with an upward trend in grades, there's not much that can concretely prove my academic rigor to them beyond just the final numbers in my GPA. It's really frustrating because I really do feel that I could handle the work at an elite institution, it's just it took me a few years to get serious about continuing school after my UG.

The reason I ask is because the issue of the job market really scares me. While I'm confident I'd enjoy law and find it fulfilling, I want to go for a career that has good prospects. My older sister got her law degree from Rutgers Camden a few years ago; she has been really struggling to find any significant steady employment since then and it's taken a toll on her. I don't want to end up in that situation, and I love the idea of going to a renowned law school, but if it's not in the cards for me then I don't want to invest the time in preparing for it when I could focus my efforts on another career path.

[mallard]

Yes, 3.1/175 gives you a shot at T14s, I think.