3.76 LSAC GPA / 167 June LSAT ED Options? Forum

[jsszippo]

Hello everyone. First post on TLS, so I am sorry if I post something ridiculous. I'll just cut to the chase.

With the statistics I carry, to which law schools should I consider applying early decision once fall rolls around? I was considering schools within the lower T14 (e.g. Duke, G'Town, Virginia) excluding Cornell EA, however, I'm not really sure if I should be aiming higher/lower with an ED.

Additionally, other than providing a link to lawschoolnumbers.com, I was wondering if someone could provide their insight into chances at some schools outside the T14:

UT-Austin
UCLA
USC
WUSTL
Vandy
Fordham
CU-Boulder

Thanks.

[steelersrule]

same lsat, very similar gpa. i went through last cycle with a slightly lower lsat. i'd like to hear opinions from others about EDing strategies for the t14. it seems like we're in a tough spot because neither our gpas or lsat scores are above 75th percentile at any t14 school.

i don't really know much about most of the other schools you listed besides UT. you should be in there (especially if in you're in-state), but i don't think a scholarship is realistic. you should be in at the other schools (besides maybe UCLA and Vandy) and get some good scholarships, but i wouldn't take my word because i haven't done much research on these schools.

[mikey101]

Honestly the ED strategy is pretty simple. With your numbers I wouldn't shoot any higher than MVP, but really, MVPDNC are all peers and I would even include GULC on that list (though MANY on TLS will disagree). With that said, you if you're prepared to go ED, pick which of the MVPDNG (C doesn't have ED) you feel fits you the best and take a shot.

Essentially, if you decide on Northwestern or Penn, you may not apply ED anywhere else during the process per the rules of their ED contract (even if you are rejected, though that's arguably hard to enforce). Michigan, Penn and Northwestern's ED process have hard simultaneously deadlines so you can only apply to one of the three. Virginia and Georgetown can be applied to at any point in the process the former promising a 15 day turn around on a decision and the latter a three week turn around. Lastly Duke has two rounds of hard deadlines one that is simultaneous with P, M, & N (Nov 15), the other is in early to mid January.

If you go the ED route, you should always apply first to your top choice school. However, it is possible to apply to more than one school ED during a given admissions cycle if you really want to. Conceivably, you could apply ED to UVA then Michigan then Duke and finally GULC in the same cycle provided non of those applications were pending simultaneously.

[steelersrule]

are there any t14s that are known for being particularly kind to applicants who ED with these numbers (slightly above GPA median, below median LSAT)?

[mikey101]

are there any t14s that are known for being particularly kind to applicants who ED with these numbers (slightly above GPA median, below median LSAT)?

Michigan, Duke, and Georgetown would probably be your best bet. I got into Duke ED with very similar numbers. UVA tends to like people who are above the 75th percentile in either GPA or LSAT, though that's not a hard and fast rule. Don't know much about Northwestern since I didn't bother since I had no work experience. Penn tends to be a tad bit more competitive numbers wise than its peers, though unsure how true that holds for ED.

Also as an FYI you can search LSN applications by ED applications to each school per cycle (http://search.lawschoolnumbers.com/applications)

[Law Sauce]

You can try these strategies, unfortunately t14 is a long shot for those numbers, vandy, UT, UCLA are better chances