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2 years out of undergrad with a pretty great job. Looking to attend either a solid TT or just go to a local part time night program (Boston or NY).

I have noticed that my stats are usually around the 75%+ for gpa and 25%/Median for my LSAT. If one has reverse spliiter stats, what are your chances at a second tier school? My thought process is to send out applications to fifteen or more schools and see what happens. Some of my top choices - USF, Pepperdine, Loyola, Northeastern, Hofstra/St. Johns.

I know my potential applications may look all over the place, but I have friends and family on both coasts and wouldn't mind relocating.
Please do not mention re-taking or not applying at all for debt reasons. My stats are my stats.

(155/3.65)

Everyone is going to tell you the same thing, so I'll save you the suspense. Retake the LSAT. I'm not sure why you would want to go to a lower-ranked school, and if you do, make sure you get a full scholarship (though, I wouldn't really endorse that decision then, either).

If this isn't a flame, I would do a lot more research. It would be hard to get a job in New York out of Northeastern and difficult to get a job in Boston out of Hofstra. Nevermind that the prospects are poor in either school even in their home market, especially the latter (I respect Northeastern a lot but it doesn't change the placement rate in the current economic climate).

It's been too long since I went through the process to recall which schools are splitter friendly, but if you go to lawschoolnumbers.com, you should easily be able to tell.

This is an awful idea, and if you have two years work experience (it could help post-law school, it doesn't matter much for admission) and a GPA that would really only keep you out of HYS, I think you should spend more time considering why you would make this type of choice. If it's just a lack of information, so time on this site and others could radically change your mind. If it's stubbornness, go read jdunderground and see what people say who've attended those schools.

Best of luck.

You're not a reverse-splitter. You're just someone who needs to retake the LSAT. Regardless of whether you want to hear it or not, that's what everyone here is going to tell you, as retaking is one of only two non-moronic courses of action available to you -- the other being keeping your great job and not attending law school.

Retake.

First, the advice you asked for. Check out the graphs on lawschoolnumbers to get a feel for how these schools deal with reverse splitters. In general, a 25-50th/75th+ should do about as well as a 50th/50th, but this obviously depends from school to school. Also, scholarships are less likely when you have a below-median number, but this too depends. Remember that these schools are very much regional; where you attend will likely affect where you get employed, if you get employed at all, so be prepared to live anywhere you apply.

Second, the more valuable advice you don't want to hear. You have a "pretty great job" and you're looking to make a career move into law- why? I assume you've "always wanted to be a lawyer" and that's great, but you have to weigh that against the sense it makes. The schools you mentioned have terrible employment stats, and you'll be coming out with 6 figures of debt since scholarships are unlikely.

If you don't want us saying "retake or don't go" you have to work with us; what the hell would the third option be, and why would it make sense?

Well since I can't tell you to retake because you refuse to do so or to not go because of debt reasons I will tell you this:

Your stats suck, you're not a reverse splitter, and you shouldn't go anywhere because any school that will accept these sucky numbers is not worth attending because the chances are greater than 50/50 that you won't ever become a lawyer. How's that sound?

But seriously, retake. Hit the 160s and you will have a legit shot at becoming a lawyer.

You're not really a reverse splitter. You just have mediocre numbers. Retake the LSAT.

I'm convinced this is a flame (actually a pretty good one).

If it's somehow not a flame, I would say this person will likely get their just desserts.

I would rarely ever say any law student (prospective or otherwise) deserves getting mired in 100k-200k of debt with no job prospects because I think a lot of people are misinformed and are just lazy about researching the legal industry. Listening to some law schools rattle off employment "stats" can be really misleading. I think the vast majority of people attending TTTs made an error in judgment but I would put it well below, say, drinking and driving. And honestly, unless you kill or maim someone or seriously injure yourself, it's much easier to get over a DUI and move on with your life.

That said, if the OP really feels that his or her "stats are my stats," and thinks you can apply to these types of schools for employment on whatever "coast" the school is located on, then this person probably doesn't deserve sympathy or a lot of further attention.

As an aside, I retook the LSAT. Went from a 163 to a 169 (in the days when you a 169 and a semi-decent GPA could get you into DCNG and MVP) and went to a T14. Could you argue that was still a dumb choice? Sure. But, it doesn't reach the lack of common sense that OP evidences. Even though I'm convinced that this is a flame: there are people who think like this, go to a place like TLS where the real story is clearly explained by a seemingly infinite number of people on either side of the success fence, and still refuse to budge. For those people, I really have no sympathy at all.

To Ella -

I'm not really sure what constitues a "flame". But A) I'm pretty sure this thread is designated to what are my chances questions and B) I clearly stated that I did not want to retake. I think its actually quite laughable that some people can totally dismiss the propencity of becoming a lawyer simply because a person scored sub-160 on the LSATs. Totally dismisses intangibles like hardwork, networking, and what sort of connections one has. The legal field in general is in tough times, but so is plenty of job markets

I'm not going to get into that sort of debate here. I have done adequate research for my own purposes, analyzed the risk, and am still going for something I want to become.

My thread was simply asking for advice on how to compare your stats to 25%, median, 75%. Call my stats shitty all you want, come find me 20 years when your teaching a Kaplan course.

JAAHJAAHCITY wrote:To Ella -

I'm not really sure what constitues a "flame". But A) I'm pretty sure this thread is designated to what are my chances questions and B) I clearly stated that I did not want to retake. I think its actually quite laughable that some people can totally dismiss the propencity of becoming a lawyer simply because a person scored sub-160 on the LSATs. Totally dismisses intangibles like hardwork, networking, and what sort of connections one has. The legal field in general is in tough times, but so is plenty of job markets

I'm not going to get into that sort of debate here. I have done adequate research for my own purposes, analyzed the risk, and am still going for something I want to become.

My thread was simply asking for advice on how to compare your stats to 25%, median, 75%. Call my stats shitty all you want, come find me 20 years when your teaching a Kaplan course.

Hardwork, networking etc don't mean much. Everyone works hard. The power of your school in the respective market makes the biggest difference. What is the compelling reason you have not to retake?

JAAHJAAHCITY wrote:To Ella -

I'm not really sure what constitues a "flame". But A) I'm pretty sure this thread is designated to what are my chances questions and B) I clearly stated that I did not want to retake. I think its actually quite laughable that some people can totally dismiss the propencity of becoming a lawyer simply because a person scored sub-160 on the LSATs. Totally dismisses intangibles like hardwork, networking, and what sort of connections one has. The legal field in general is in tough times, but so is plenty of job markets

I'm not going to get into that sort of debate here. I have done adequate research for my own purposes, analyzed the risk, and am still going for something I want to become.

My thread was simply asking for advice on how to compare your stats to 25%, median, 75%. Call my stats shitty all you want, come find me 20 years when your teaching a Kaplan course.

'sup Jah'rakal. I thought you were banned.

nmop_apisdn wrote:Retake.

Or dont go.

hibiki wrote:'sup Jah'rakal. I thought you were banned.

Aw crap, you're right. Well played, Jah'rakal.

USF -In
Pepperdine - In
Hofstra - In
St. Johns - In

Loyola - Out
Northeastern - Out

I wouldn't go to any of these but it's your life.

OP, honestly i love everyone on this site, they are helpful, generous, and will never really get on your case when you ask for advice. However, the one gripe I have with the users on this site (and not necessarily a bash) is that they will tell you not to go to law school if you cant get in to a t14. Yes they have their reasons and i'm sure they're very credible reasons. But I for one, agree with you on the notion that if you put in the hardwork, network well, and do the other intangibles than there is no reason someone who scores below 160 should be told NOT to attend law school. You could just as easily say that I say this because I am pretty sure I wont be scoring a 170 on the test (although hopeful ) but I believe in supply and demand and I believe that this job situation will turn around for us.

HOWEVER...with a score of 155 you MIGHT be just out of reach on some of the schools you mentioned such as St. Johns and Hofstra. These are credible schools if you are from the NYC area,people will tell you otherwise here and they will throw very credible stats at you. Another issue I have with the 155 score is you wont be getting any $$ if you get into one of these schools. If you can get your score up a bit and receive atleast SOME money, then by all means go for it. But work your FREAKING TAIL OFF!

JAAHJAAHCITY wrote:To Ella -

I'm not really sure what constitues a "flame". But A) I'm pretty sure this thread is designated to what are my chances questions and B) I clearly stated that I did not want to retake. I think its actually quite laughable that some people can totally dismiss the propencity of becoming a lawyer simply because a person scored sub-160 on the LSATs. Totally dismisses intangibles like hardwork, networking, and what sort of connections one has. The legal field in general is in tough times, but so is plenty of job markets

I'm not going to get into that sort of debate here. I have done adequate research for my own purposes, analyzed the risk, and am still going for something I want to become.

My thread was simply asking for advice on how to compare your stats to 25%, median, 75%. Call my stats shitty all you want, come find me 20 years when your teaching a Kaplan course.

Hard work? Like, working hard to make sure that you get above a 155 on the LSAT?

Quit feeding the troll.