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I'm an english major with a math minor. I have a 3.2 GPA with a very strong upward trend. And I really only have three grades below a B, 1 F (5 credits in russian, what a nightmare) 1 D, and 1 C. They're destroying my GPA especially because I actually only have about 2/3 the normal number of credits due to credits from high school. Anyway all A's the last two semesters, A's and B's the last four.

I took the LSAT in Dec. and got a 170, just took it again and am hoping/feeling I got a 175-178.

I don't have a lot of softs. A little volunteering. A lot of working blue collar type jobs.

I will have very strong LOR's (my teachers offered them unsolicited)

I'm pretty confident I'll be able to craft a good Personal Statement.

I know my GPA all but rules me out for a lot of T-14, but I'm wondering what my odds might realistically be, assuming I snag that 178, at Northwestern or UCLA without taking a year to do Americorps or cure cancer for example. I'm considering just travelling before law school, but I might get a little more serious if it will really mean the difference between getting in and not.

Or am I pretty much just screwed regardless?

This thread is pretty worthless until you receive your February LSAT. As it stands, you're out at Northwestern until you get work experience; it's the same for almost every applicant. UCLA is a good possibility, but they favor high GPAs as well. I would guess you're in if you ED early next cycle.

My advice if you want T14 regardless of scholarship money? ED to UVA on the first day of the 2011-2012 admissions cycle.

Thanks.

NU only cares about post-college WE- not pre college or during college.

Get some WE and ED NU, alternatively ED UVA this cycle.

Edit: Actually, blue collar WE could be a good soft (but NU still virtually requires post-grad WE).

That's great to hear, I've been roofing houses and putting up billboards post-graduation too. I've just never really figure that counted for anything even at Northwestern. My tour guides there were like yeah we were worked for a few years...for our congressman. Thanks.

feralinfant wrote:I'm an english major with a math minor. I have a 3.2 GPA with a very strong upward trend. And I really only have three grades below a B, 1 F (5 credits in russian, what a nightmare) 1 D, and 1 C. They're destroying my GPA especially because I actually only have about 2/3 the normal number of credits due to credits from high school. Anyway all A's the last two semesters, A's and B's the last four.

I took the LSAT in Dec. and got a 170, just took it again and am hoping/feeling I got a 175-178.

I don't have a lot of softs. A little volunteering. A lot of working blue collar type jobs.

I will have very strong LOR's (my teachers offered them unsolicited)

I'm pretty confident I'll be able to craft a good Personal Statement.

I know my GPA all but rules me out for a lot of T-14, but I'm wondering what my odds might realistically be, assuming I snag that 178, at Northwestern or UCLA without taking a year to do Americorps or cure cancer for example. I'm considering just travelling before law school, but I might get a little more serious if it will really mean the difference between getting in and not.

Or am I pretty much just screwed regardless?

+1 for Russian screwing up your GPA. I would have had a 3.7ish without Russian as opposed to my 3.5

chasgoose wrote: +1 for Russian screwing up your GPA. I would have had a 3.7ish without Russian as opposed to my 3.5

I know, and I didn't even need it for a general requirement. I took it on a whim because I really like Dostoyevsky and then skipped out on the whole last half of the second semester in it. Sooo stupid.