Any schools I'm overlooking? 169/3.68 Forum

[radio-edit]

- 169/3.68.
- White female.
- Texas resident/UT grad.
- Teach ESL (professionally, not as a volunteer) and write software training materials for a local company.
- Pretty boring person, really. LoRs and PS are solid but not going to widen any eyes.

I want to work in PI and live in the Pacific Northwest or, if that doesn't work out, the Rockies. I'd prefer to add as little debt as possible to my undergrad load, so I'm hoping for scholarships.

My list:

UCLA (got a fee waiver, so why not, etc.)
U Texas
U Washington
Arizona State
U Colorado
U Arizona
Lewis & Clark
U Oregon
Seattle U

I overlooked Utah on purpose and I'm iffy on applying to either Arizona school. Neither are places I would want to live.

I've run my numbers through the calculators and dug around LSN, so I think I know my statistical chances fairly well (though if anyone has any non-calculator-based input, I'd love to hear it). I'm more curious as to whether there are any schools I'm overlooking that I could reasonably get into and that have good employment prospects in the Mountain States/Pacific Northwest. I don't have the budget to apply to a long list of reach schools just to see what sticks, especially since I probably won't want to pay for them if I do get in, but I feel kind of dumb for not looking at more schools in the top 20/30 and for applying to schools in the 80s. Maybe I've just been lurking around here for too long. :)

[budafied]

I don't really know what places in your area of interest, but you can definitely get into a ~ top 10-15 school. You should seriously consider going to a top 25 school. Many of them would offer good scholarships for your stats.

Someone else can be more precise, but there are definitely better viable options for you at this point.

[Veyron]

I don't really know what places in your area of interest, but you can definitely get into a ~ top 10-15 school. You should seriously consider going to a top 25 school. Many of them would offer good scholarships for your stats.

Someone else can be more precise, but there are definitely better viable options for you at this point.

In the mountain states, top 25 doesn't mean shit. Either go to the best local school where you want to work or try for Cornell (which will place as well as any non HYS T-14 in the Mountain West)

Obviously, Texas if you want to work in Texas, though in other western states, it doesn't seem to be any better regarded than the local schools.

P.S. Why don't you want to work in Arizona, WTF is wrong with you?

[Patriot1208]

With those numbers you have chances at Michigan, Cornell, Duke, and Georgetown. You'd probably need ED at one of them though. I'd do Michigan because of their LSAT being lower. But if you don't want any debt than obviously ED is not what you want to do. But you could get scholarship for sure at a top 30. So i'd definitely look at more 18-30 schools.

[radio-edit]

Thanks, guys! I'll comb through the top 30 again and see what their geographic placement numbers look like, and I'll probably add Cornell so I can at least say I tried.

Obviously, Texas if you want to work in Texas, though in other western states, it doesn't seem to be any better regarded than the local schools.

I didn't know that, thanks! I was just looking at the TLS profile's section on their employment prospects, but now that I've looked at their career services page, you're right - they're only placing 30 percent of students out of state and only four percent in PI. I'll probably still apply so I don't get tried for treason, but if I do get in I'll have to think about it really carefully.

[grandslam]

I had pretty much the same numbers and I got a decent scholarship from Cornell. So definitely try there.

[romothesavior]

OP, you seem like you are aiming really low. You could get serious money to a lot of T20-T30 schools. And if you're going to apply to Cornell, you should be applying to MVPB on down.

[Grizz]

I didn't know that, thanks! I was just looking at the TLS profile's section on their employment prospects, but now that I've looked at their career services page, you're right - they're only placing 30 percent of students out of state and only four percent in PI. I'll probably still apply so I don't get tried for treason, but if I do get in I'll have to think about it really carefully.

You can't just look at it like that. You have to take into account that many students self-select into Texas firm jobs. It's not that they can't get the other jobs.

[Grizz]

Also do you have any connections or ties to these areas you want to work in?

[radio-edit]

You can't just look at it like that. You have to take into account that many students self-select into Texas firm jobs. It's not that they can't get the other jobs.

Noted! I'm already planning to drive down for their Law Day (and ACL), so I can talk someone about it while I'm there.

Also do you have any connections or ties to these areas you want to work in?

I'm a military brat. I have connections everywhere!

Seriously, though - my Texas residency is relatively new. I have close friends in Portland and Seattle both, in addition to a sibling who's seriously contemplating moving there and would be settled in well before I got there, should I go. I also used to live in Colorado, still have friends there, and generally go back to visit least once a year, sometimes twice. None of these people are going to be helpful in the job department, if that's what you meant, but I'm not just throwing darts at the map. Promise. :)

[Shaggier1]

OP, you need reaches. As of right now, you really don't have a single one. I had weaker numbers than you and every school I applied to was ranked above even the highest-ranked school in your current list. I came out with one acceptance, four waitlists, and four rejections.

EDIT: Just saw the bit about your desire to do PI and work in Pac. NW. If I were in your shoes I would only really apply to:

U Washington
Berkeley
Lewis and Clark
Oregon

You are likely to see substantial money from L & C and U of O. Also, UW has a phenomenal, albeit quite competitive, PI scholarship. Make sure you apply for that.

[Grizz]

Also do you have any connections or ties to these areas you want to work in?

I'm a military brat. I have connections everywhere!

Seriously, though - my Texas residency is relatively new. I have close friends in Portland and Seattle both, in addition to a sibling who's seriously contemplating moving there and would be settled in well before I got there, should I go. I also used to live in Colorado, still have friends there, and generally go back to visit least once a year, sometimes twice. None of these people are going to be helpful in the job department, if that's what you meant, but I'm not just throwing darts at the map. Promise. [/quote]

I meant in the sense so that employers know why you want to be in the area and don't see you as a flight risk. Sounds good.

[Belili]

<--

[radio-edit]

Thanks for the ego boost, y'all. I'm going to trim off the schools on my list I wasn't that excited about, since it sounds like I might not need to be worrying so much about the ones I am excited about, and then maybe I can replace them with some of these higher-ranked schools without breaking my budget and see what happens.