Chances at Fordham Law? Forum

[jlevin6591]

I had originally posted a topic with misguided information as far as my GPA was concerned so I figured I would try to repost with more accurate info and more realistic goals.

I got my October 2011 LSAT scores and got a 164.

I am a junior from Rutgers U who is double majoring in English and Psychology. I am also in the Honors/ Scholars Program at Rutgers. I will be studying abroad this spring in Rome at John Cabot University.

My GPA is a 4.0.

Here are a list of some of my soft factors:
-Professional Experiences: Honors House Coordinator for Rutgers and worked at a Top Global Swiss Bank as an Asset Management Intern where I created a side letter provisions template for their legal team.

-Research Experiences: Worked as a research assistant on a Psychoanalysis and Latin American Narratives Project with the Chair of American Studies. I am currently working as an external researcher with another professor on a project called History of Melodrama, as well as doing an independent study through the Psychology department. In my senior year, I will be completing an honors thesis in English.

-Clubs: Editor and secretary (Editor-in-chief next year) at my school's first literary arts magazine. Founder and President of the Rutgers Hillel Russian-Jewish Club. Co-Founder and Secretary of the Rutgers Behavioral Neuroscience Society. Also, I have positions as an Honors Program ambassador, programming board member, and peer mentor.

Honors And Awards: Dean's List; Excellence Awards; Member of Psi Chi and National Society of Collegiate Scholars Member, Rutgers Merit Scholarships

Ongoing: I will be applying for the Fulbright and Rhodes Scholarships my senior year. Also, I am currently developing an inter-collegiate Israel Advocacy Program for the Russian-Jewish student communities of NJ and NY for spring 2012, which would be the first such program at RU and subsequent financial grant for Rutgers.

I would love to get everyone's input with this information now. I know a lot of people are telling me to retake, but what are my chances at getting to Fordham? I think that's the most realistic school for me at this point.

Also, would it make any difference that I come from an Uzbek-Jewish background?

Any and all advice would be much appreciated.

Happy New Year to everyone, btw!

[MrAnon]

You're a so-so candidate. If I were you I would have spent more time studying for LSAT and less time doing soft factors. They won't help much, maybe a bit at the margins. Rutgers isn't a powerhouse so your 4.0 isn't too special by itself, but having a 4.0 from Pillsbury's College of Baking would be an asset in law school admissions since scores and GPAs are all that count in the end. Your ethnic background doesn't matter. If I were you, I would take a year and study like mad for the LSAT. Or to put it another way, spending the next 6 months re-studying for the LSAT would be much more beneficial to your future than spending the next 6 months in Rome. You can always go to Rome for a week later in life. If 164 is your first score you should hit 170. Ultimately the bigger picture is you can do better than Fordham and you ought to. It would be silly to spend all that time working on your softs and then now run off to Fordham where you will find you have a 25% to 33% chance at getting your dream job and a 66% to 75% chance of getting a job that won't afford you to pay off your loans. So go work on LSAT.

[allmodcons]

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[hdsoc]

I have to disagree with the above poster. Going abroad is a once in a lifetime experience, while you can put off going to law school. I really treasure the time I spent abroad (also in Italy, BTW) and will most likely never have an opportunity to do something like that again. I think you'd be fine at Fordham now, but I do agree, though, that unless you absolutely believe you've reached the limits of your LSAT ability, you should re-take. Buckle down first semester senior year and take the October LSAT or take a year off, get some WE under your belt and take the LSAT later. If you get a 168+, you'll be a strong candidate for the top schools.

Also, make sure you focus on maintaining your GPA. You can re-take the LSAT but you can't re-take your GPA.

[JoeMo]

I have to disagree with the above poster. Going abroad is a once in a lifetime experience, while you can put off going to law school. I really treasure the time I spent abroad (also in Italy, BTW) and will most likely never have an opportunity to do something like that again. I think you'd be fine at Fordham now, but I do agree, though, that unless you absolutely believe you've reached the limits of your LSAT ability, you should re-take. Buckle down first semester senior year and take the October LSAT or take a year off, get some WE under your belt and take the LSAT later. If you get a 168+, you'll be a strong candidate for the top schools.

Also, make sure you focus on maintaining your GPA. You can re-take the LSAT but you can't re-take your GPA.

You can go abroad in law school too. Fordham has pretty shitty employment prospects. I wouldn't pay sticker at Fordham. Especially, because given OP's softs and GPA they could get into Columbia or NYU with a retake.

[JoeMo]

Oh, and BTW, I'm not one of these retake obsessed TLS'ers. I kept my 164 and have had an awesome cycle. I also wasn't set on going to NYC which makes it easier since NYC is the most competitive market (easily).

[JenDarby]

I know people with these exact numbers who were accepted early in the game last cycle. I only read your numbers, which I truly believe are all that matters at Fordham (and everywhere, but since I am at Fordham I am speaking from my experience there), and skimmed the rest. I don't think your background matters much, considering they let in a heathen like me, and most of my section mates.