Trying to get into Notre Dame Forum

[HornetGuy]

165 LSAT, 3.1 GPA (3.63 the past three years)

I'm 27, I went to JR college for a couple years out of high school and screwed around and tanked my GPA. Got a full-time gig writing for the local mid-sized daily paper. Wrote, conceptualized and edited a special section that won a national Associated Press award. Got inspired by a family tragedy to get off my duff and chase down my dream and make something out of myself. Looking at a sub-2.0 GPA I scribbled out a plan to at least make myself a decent candidate for Notre Dame, my dream school. Pretty much entailed that I come close to straight-As over the next three/four years.
Went back to school while still working 40-50 hours a week and basically reformed my grades, near straight-A's since summer of 2007.

Quit my job and transferred to State School A, named most-dedicated member of my pre-law frat, twice elected president of a partisan political club, grew that club to be the largest in the state-wide organization's history, named most-outstanding club of the statewide org for 2009-2010. Registered near 1,000 voters via volunteer effort I organized, worked for a state legislative candidate this past spring. Fundraised more than $25,000 for our club. Been working 20-50 hours per week and going to school for almost my entire academic career.

Feel comfortable that with my writing background I can hammer out a decent personal statement/Why Notre Dame letter. Took the LSAT on Saturday and felt really good about it. I was PTing in the mid-160s really consistently this past month. When I started back in July I was in the low 150s.

This is my "cut-my-left-pinkie-off-to-get-in" school. There were times were I'd be doing homework at 4 a.m., knowing I had to be at work in five hours and I'd slip on my Notre Dame hat and just bear down. Really if it wasn't for that school, I don't know that I'd be in a position to apply to any school.

Anyway, what do you think? Have I done enough? Is there anything else I can do? Thanks.

[Barbie]

Its worth applying, but IMO if ND is really that important to you, retake the LSAT if you don't hit at least their median (167). Your experience may give you a little bit of leniency with your GPA, but if you don't have at least a median LSAT to support it, chances seem grim.

[HornetGuy]

Thanks. Should I apply for ED with my LSAT pending or should I wait and see what the score is and potentially wait to apply in late December?

[Barbie]

Thanks. Should I apply for ED with my LSAT pending or should I wait and see what the score is and potentially wait to apply in late December?

I'm not sure if you can apply ED with a pending LSAT? I would look that up. It would also depend on how confident you are. If you hit at least 165-166 I suppose it could be worth a shot.

[CanadianWolf]

Do you already have an actual LSAT score of 165 or are you guesstimating your October score ?

[HornetGuy]

Guessing based on what I was hitting on my practice scores (couple 165s last week) and how I felt about how I did.

[HornetGuy]

Thanks. Should I apply for ED with my LSAT pending or should I wait and see what the score is and potentially wait to apply in late December?

I'm not sure if you can apply ED with a pending LSAT? I would look that up. It would also depend on how confident you are. If you hit at least 165-166 I suppose it could be worth a shot.

Applications are due Nov. 1 with supporting documents due by Nov. 10 so I was kind of thinking I'd have my LSAT by then and just have the rest of the application ready to go by then. I'm cautiously (knock on wood) optimistic about my score. My biggest hamstring on the LSAT has been finishing the sections, when I finish sections I do pretty well and I came three questions short of finishing every section on Saturday.

[kalvano]

Guessing based on what I was hitting on my practice scores (couple 165s last week) and how I felt about how I did.

It's entirely possible you scored a 160. Get back to this in a few weeks.

[Grizz]

Guessing based on what I was hitting on my practice scores (couple 165s last week) and how I felt about how I did.

It's entirely possible you scored a 160. Get back to this in a few weeks.

This. Since you don't have an LSAT score, your chances are nil.

[andythefir]

I'm with you in the cut-off-pinkie-for-ND club, unfortunately a lot of the data available is useless now since they changed the dates and the EA/ED. My school's prelaw adviser says that ND rejects people with awesome numbers and accepts sub-par numbers as a mark of purity. Still, looking at their 25th/75th some interesting trends emerge. For example, the 50th and 75th percentile LSAT are only a point apart so 167-168 range seems to be the most competitive. That said, I would imagine applying super early would be ideal, I wouldn't be surprised if their interesting story spots are spent in ED and the numbers spots come later. Also very interesting is I can't get anyone on TLS to admit to applying ED, and none of the accounts on LSN say they've applied ED. Good luck, hope to see you in Indiana next fall.

[Grizz]

I'm with you in the cut-off-pinkie-for-ND club, unfortunately a lot of the data available is useless now since they changed the dates and the EA/ED. My school's prelaw adviser says that ND rejects people with awesome numbers and accepts sub-par numbers as a mark of purity. Still, looking at their 25th/75th some interesting trends emerge. For example, the 50th and 75th percentile LSAT are only a point apart so 167-168 range seems to be the most competitive. That said, I would imagine applying super early would be ideal, I wouldn't be surprised if their interesting story spots are spent in ED and the numbers spots come later. Also very interesting is I can't get anyone on TLS to admit to applying ED, and none of the accounts on LSN say they've applied ED. Good luck, hope to see you in Indiana next fall.

I wouldn't ED. Not worth sticker.

[thebookcollector]

I'm a ND 1L. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

I got into Notre Dame with a 3/4 tuition scholarship even as a late applicant (late January). My advice: be sure to write a strong "Why ND?" essay (this is what wins you the scholarship money), have some strong extracurriculars and leadership (they look at this as much as LSAT and GPA; this is why they sometimes reject people with otherwise good numbers), and come across as ethical.

Feel free to shoot me any questions you have!

[Barbie]

I thought about EDing, and if I were going to, I would do it to ND. It seems like a scary idea, though, being stuck paying 40k+ a year Not that I would get accepted anyways

[HornetGuy]

I'm a ND 1L. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

I got into Notre Dame with a 3/4 tuition scholarship even as a late applicant (late January). My advice: be sure to write a strong "Why ND?" essay (this is what wins you the scholarship money), have some strong extracurriculars and leadership (they look at this as much as LSAT and GPA; this is why they sometimes reject people with otherwise good numbers), and come across as ethical.

Feel free to shoot me any questions you have!

Thanks for the advice, I'm working on my statement and essay right now. I will definitely hit you up on that down the road. This is pretty reassuring, though. The big nagging concern for me is my grades, if you take the past three years I'm in decent shape with a mid-high 160s LSAT. I think my extracurriculars hold up under the leadership scrutiny, too.

Like was said earlier, it's moot until I actually get that first score back. For all I know I could've misbubbled and wound up in the 140s. Oh lord. Deep breaths.

[HornetGuy]

167 LSAT.

Three good letters of rec. ranging from academic to professional. Seven years work experience. Busy extra curricular.

What do you think?