2.94/171, 1 year WE, good GPA addendum.... Forum

[chrisbru]

Hey TSL! Just wondering what you guys think. I'm curious about both admission and $$$.

I received a finance degree from Iowa State in May 2010. I currently work as a financial analyst for a Fortune 50 aerospace company, and will have a little over a year of experience (full-time post graduation) when I start school, as well as an additional one year of full-time co-op/summer internship experience. My numbers are:
LSAC GPA: 2.94 (2.97 degree GPA)
LSAT: 171, October 2010, one-time taker

GPA addendum: Long story short (I'll save you reading the whole thing) my mom did hospital time, radiation, chemo, etc. for my 4th, 5th, and 6th semesters. I spent a lot of time going back home to help with my little bro and dad, and visiting her in the hospital. If I threw out those semesters, I would have ended up with a 3.3 gpa.

I've applied to:
Iowa
Minnesota
Illinois
WUSTL
St. Thomas (MN)
William Mitchell
DePaul
Drake

What are my chances at admission and scholarship $$ at these schools? Anyone have any other suggestions for applications? I want to go to school in the midwest (preferably within 6 hours of Des Moines, where my family lives) and will end up practicing there. I'm NOT super stoked on the Chicago area, but I know it's the best market in the midwest.

On that note, any way I could get into Northwestern?

Thanks for your input TLS!

[FuManChusco]

Numbers are good for all the schools you listed. Probably wouldn't even need a gpa addendum with that LSAT. Midwest loves splitters. NU is a longshot with only 1 year of WE. You could try ED. You'd probably have a good shot there with those numbers in a year.

[chrisbru]

Thank you for the advice... I'll take a hard look at whether or not Northwestern would be a better choice for what I want to do, and consider ED'ing and then trying again next year if I don't make it.

Side note: As for practicing law in the Midwest (Twin Cities, Des Moines, or Kansas City), would going to Northwestern make a big difference? Or do NU students really shoot for the Chicago market instead?

[Cmoss]

Side note: As for practicing law in the Midwest (Twin Cities, Des Moines, or Kansas City), would going to Northwestern make a big difference? Or do NU students really shoot for the Chicago market instead?

Wouldnt this help your efforts? if they are all going to stay in Chi then you have less competition in the previously mentioned cities right?

[Stringer Bell]

You're in at every school easily. I think the midwest T30 170ish splitter scholly is generally around 1/3 tuition, but 1/2 may be possible.

If you want to go to the best school possible you might want to ED at NU or UVA.

[chrisbru]

If I get in to NU... However, what I'm asking is if I don't get into NU, would it be worth waiting a year to MAYBE get in? Or would going to, say, Minnesota be just as good since I'd want to practice in the Twin Cities anyway?

Maybe a more all-encompassing question: Is T14 really better than a Top 30 school in the area of where I want to practice?

[im_blue]

Thank you for the advice... I'll take a hard look at whether or not Northwestern would be a better choice for what I want to do, and consider ED'ing and then trying again next year if I don't make it.

Side note: As for practicing law in the Midwest (Twin Cities, Des Moines, or Kansas City), would going to Northwestern make a big difference? Or do NU students really shoot for the Chicago market instead?

It's probably too late to apply ED to Northwestern for this year. The deadline to complete the mandatory on-campus interview is this coming Monday.

[Grizz]

If I get in to NU... However, what I'm asking is if I don't get into NU, would it be worth waiting a year to MAYBE get in? Or would going to, say, Minnesota be just as good since I'd want to practice in the Twin Cities anyway?

Maybe a more all-encompassing question: Is T14 really better than a Top 30 school in the area of where I want to practice?

If you're from or have ties to the twin cities then yes NW is better.

You're probably too late to ED to NW, but you could apply to Minn. this year and if you don't like the money they give you, ED to NW next cycle where you probably would get in.

[chrisbru]

I applied to Minnesota already, will consider going there if I am accepted w/ $$$. So you think Minn (with $$$) this cycle would be better than waiting to go to Northwestern next year?

[paratactical]

Side note: As for practicing law in the Midwest (Twin Cities, Des Moines, or Kansas City), would going to Northwestern make a big difference? Or do NU students really shoot for the Chicago market instead?

Wouldnt this help your efforts? if they are all going to stay in Chi then you have less competition in the previously mentioned cities right?

You're not matthies. I got all excited but you're not him.

[Grizz]

I applied to Minnesota already, will consider going there if I am accepted w/ $$$. So you think Minn (with $$$) this cycle would be better than waiting to go to Northwestern next year?

See how much money you get and come back.

[chrisbru]

You're not matthies. I got all excited but you're not him.

You lost me here.




Radlaw, thanks, I'll let you know when I get some decisions back from the schools I applied to. Hopefully sometime before Christmas!

[plenipotentiary]

You're in at every school easily. I think the midwest T30 170ish splitter scholly is generally around 1/3 tuition, but 1/2 may be possible.

If you want to go to the best school possible you might want to ED at NU or UVA.

For once, ED UVA is not TCR. UVA hates sub-3.0 GPAs. They rejected a <3.0, 177, URM ED this cycle.

[chrisbru]

Yikes good to know... Glad I didn't spend money on that app.

[Stringer Bell]

For once, ED UVA is not TCR. UVA hates sub-3.0 GPAs. They rejected a <3.0, 177, URM ED this cycle.

How far below 3.0 are we talking? < 3.0 is a pretty broad range. Last cycle there were a couple of 2.9+, 170+ non-urms that were accepted ED. To add the URM component a 2.7, 172 was accepted.

Since OP will get a fee waiver if they ask for it and people with similar numbers got accepted last cycle, how on earth is that not TCR IF that's an option OP might be interested in?