Top Law Schools

I’m finalizing my list of law schools I will apply to and I’m worried that I have too many reaches and not enough targets. What do you guys think? Any suggestions for additional targets/removing reaches that I have absolutely no shot with?

Here are my stats –
LSAT: 169
GPA: 3.4
Good work experience. Good professional and academic LoRs.

Reaches:
Duke
Georgetown
Cornell
University of Michigan
Northwestern

Targets:
George Washington U
Minnesota (Fee Waiver)
USC
Boston U

Safeties:
University of Washington
Emory
William & Marry (Fee Waiver)

I think it makes good sense to cast your net wide with reaches. Besides the application fee, you have little to lose in applying and you won't have to dwell on the could-have-beens once decision letters start coming out.

I know there was a post where Ken argued in favor of a reach-heavy list of schools, and I'd definitional agree with that. You have a great LSAT score and you never know what might be in your application file that could get a school to bite.

Good luck!

rolark wrote:I think it makes good sense to cast your net wide with reaches. Besides the application fee, you have little to lose in applying and you won't have to dwell on the could-have-beens once decision letters start coming out.

I know there was a post where Ken argued in favor of a reach-heavy list of schools, and I'd definitional agree with that. You have a great LSAT score and you never know what might be in your application file that could get a school to bite.

Good luck!

The app money is definitely worth even a 1% chance of getting into a school for me personally.

I'm 3.88 168 and plan on applying to virtually all T14 sans YHS. All you need is for one to bite, like they said above me I'd widen your net by a fair margin.

Thanks, everyone! I guess I'm just concerned that I have no chance at schools where I'm below both medians. Is this a valid concern? Or are they really things in your PS, resume, and LoRs that will motivate a school to drop their bar?

evandm wrote:Thanks, everyone! I guess I'm just concerned that I have no chance at schools where I'm below both medians. Is this a valid concern? Or are they really things in your PS, resume, and LoRs that will motivate a school to drop their bar?

I think your original list is pretty solid. I think going any further up is a waste of money.

1. Go to Law School Predictor
2. Put in your stats
3. Apply to all your weak and normal considers
4. Apply to all your strong considers and admits that you would want to attend
5. ???
6. Profit

evandm wrote:I’m finalizing my list of law schools I will apply to and I’m worried that I have too many reaches and not enough targets. What do you guys think? Any suggestions for additional targets/removing reaches that I have absolutely no shot with?

Here are my stats –
LSAT: 169
GPA: 3.4
Good work experience. Good professional and academic LoRs.

Reaches:
Duke
Georgetown
Cornell
University of Michigan
Northwestern

Targets:
George Washington U
Minnesota (Fee Waiver)
USC
Boston U

Safeties:
University of Washington
Emory
William & Marry (Fee Waiver)

I would recommend sending a lot of app fee waiver requests to schools in the 15-30 range.

Schools I would consider adding:
Texas
Vanderbilt
WUSTL (they throw money at high LSAT scores)

Really, the more schools you can add in the 20-30 range, the better. T14 is probably unlikely, with Cornell being your best shot.

evandm wrote:Thanks, everyone! I guess I'm just concerned that I have no chance at schools where I'm below both medians. Is this a valid concern? Or are they really things in your PS, resume, and LoRs that will motivate a school to drop their bar?

Yes it is. Unless URM, military, or other amazing softs it is very, very doubtful that a school will dip below both medians for you. If the money is not a concern, go for it though. Just go in with the expectation that it probably won't happen.