Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9 Forum

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smacon22

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Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by smacon22 » Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:54 pm

Female
No URM
State of Residence: Pennsylvania
Age: 20
Undergrad: University of Delaware
Majors: American History and Political Science
LSAT: 168 June 2012

Graduating undergrad in 3 years, and I'll be starting my first year at 20. Do you think my age will hurt me or possibly help me as some sort of diversity? Is it less important than I think it is? I'm planning on writing my personal statement either about how my age is not an indicator of my experiences or my weakness, highlighting life experiences and a sort of unadulterated interest/passion/curiosity that being younger will bring to the table or on my specific interest in child advocacy and international law.

Applying for fall 2013, planning on applying to:
Georgetown
GW
William and Mary
Emory
Alabama
Chicago
Penn
Columbia
UVA
American
Possible: Case Western, WashU, Michigan

Possible early decision to Georgetown...good idea? Should I look anywhere else? Do I need to apply to more safety schools?

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UtilityMonster

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by UtilityMonster » Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:56 pm

In:
Georgetown
GW
William and Mary
Emory
Alabama
American
Case Western
WashU
Michigan

Out:
Chicago
Penn
Columbia
UVA


Your age will hurt your chances.

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alwayssunnyinfl

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by alwayssunnyinfl » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:03 pm

In my opinion, your age won't matter unless you point it out. From your perspective, graduating early is an accomplishment, but most likely to the admissions committee of a professional school, graduating early is going to be you at a disadvantage in maturity. You're going to be drinking-age for the first time while you're going through 1L? Doesn't sound like a positive.

I think it's best to avoid addressing it. There needs to be something more interesting about you other than rushing headlong through undergrad. Also, if you want into the schools in the out list above, retake. Three or four more points and your list of schools will look so different. Take a year off if you need to take extra time to prepare for a retake, and to get work experience. Now that would make you look mature for your age.

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shifty_eyed

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by shifty_eyed » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:19 pm

smacon22 wrote: Graduating undergrad in 3 years, and I'll be starting my first year at 20. Do you think my age will hurt me or possibly help me as some sort of diversity? Is it less important than I think it is? I'm planning on writing my personal statement either about how my age is not an indicator of my experiences or my weakness, highlighting life experiences and a sort of unadulterated interest/passion/curiosity that being younger will bring to the table or on my specific interest in child advocacy and international law.
LOL @ bolded

Get a job next year, study for the LSAT and retake. Then you can have a much better shot at $$ or admissions to a better school. The time off will also help make your age a non-issue.

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twenty

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by twenty » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:35 pm

I don't really think you have to sit out a whole year. Put December LSAT on the calendar, have all your application materials ready, get some fee waivers with the 168, etc. Ideally get up around 174~ on PTs; if not, don't take it in December. If you do, however, take it in December and do well (i.e, 173 or better), apply to HYSCCN. If you don't get what you want, sit the cycle out and apply for real next year.

There are applications that haven't even opened yet. Why throw in the towel this year with a great GPA and an LSAT score with at least some potential?

Also, don't go to GULC for less than 105k. Which means no ED.

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shifty_eyed

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by shifty_eyed » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:36 pm

twentypercentmore wrote:I don't really think you have to sit out a whole year. Put December LSAT on the calendar, have all your application materials ready, get some fee waivers with the 168, etc. Ideally get up around 174~ on PTs; if not, don't take it in December. If you do, however, take it in December and do well (i.e, 173 or better), apply to HYSCCN. If you don't get what you want, sit the cycle out and apply for real next year.

There are applications that haven't even opened yet. Why throw in the towel this year with a great GPA and an LSAT score with at least some potential?

Also, don't go to GULC for less than 105k. Which means no ED.
She's still in undergrad AFAIK, so December LSAT probably won't work for her if she wants to keep her GPA up. She's also going to be 20 next fall, and I don't think getting work experience = throwing in the towel. JMO.

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gaud

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by gaud » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:42 pm

I would ED to UVA before ED to Georgetown.

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TheThriller

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by TheThriller » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:44 pm

shifty_eyed wrote:
twentypercentmore wrote:I don't really think you have to sit out a whole year. Put December LSAT on the calendar, have all your application materials ready, get some fee waivers with the 168, etc. Ideally get up around 174~ on PTs; if not, don't take it in December. If you do, however, take it in December and do well (i.e, 173 or better), apply to HYSCCN. If you don't get what you want, sit the cycle out and apply for real next year.

There are applications that haven't even opened yet. Why throw in the towel this year with a great GPA and an LSAT score with at least some potential?

Also, don't go to GULC for less than 105k. Which means no ED.
She's still in undergrad AFAIK, so December LSAT probably won't work for her if she wants to keep her GPA up. She's also going to be 20 next fall, and I don't think getting work experience = throwing in the towel. JMO.
Calling CC to talk some sense into this underager.

I know it's a very big deal to graduate early but you should think about your development in realms other than your professional life. Law school isn't going anywhere but you only have a limited time to be a kid.

smacon22

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by smacon22 » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:46 pm

I'm actually only going to be 20 for about my first month as a 1L if I start next fall. Thanks for the advice, but I've thought about taking a year off and I'm just not sure that it would be worth it. I have a feeling that it would be harder to get a "real job" at my age than it would be to get into school, and living at home and nannying (or something similar) for a year isn't really something I want to do.

I make clear in my PS that I didn't rush through anything-I've never been precocious and I didn't take an absurd amount of credits each semester, I just did well on APs and my school granted me a ton of transfer credits for them. It's just hard to justify spending the money on another year of undergrad classes when I can finish two majors without it.
twentypercentmore wrote: Also, don't go to GULC for less than 105k. Which means no ED.
Do you think I have a good enough chance to get in without ED though?

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gaud

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by gaud » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:51 pm

Why are you so set on Gtown?

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TheThriller

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by TheThriller » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:53 pm

gaud wrote:Why are you so set on Gtown?
Or on growing up when everyone who is above 45 wish they had their 20s back

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twenty

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by twenty » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:55 pm

smacon22 wrote:Do you think I have a good enough chance to get in without ED though?
Very.

http://myLSN.info/7nlzeq

Heck, you have a 50/50 shot at NYU right now (better with ED). You'd be in Penn for sure with an ED.

Now change the LSAT number to 171. You picked up anywhere from 60k-90k in scholarship money by retaking.

Now change the LSAT number to 173. Have fun at HYS.

EDIT>
so December LSAT probably won't work for her if she wants to keep her GPA up.
I was thinking this too, but a first time 168, you could probably wiggle that up to mid 175's by December without screwing up your school schedule too much. As long as she stays above 3.9, she's good everywhere. If first time take was 165, I wouldn't recommend this, though.

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by smacon22 » Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:33 pm

gaud wrote:Why are you so set on Gtown?

I want to do International Law and I'd rather be in D.C. than NYC. They're #3 for International after NYU and Columbia. It's not the only school I'm considering, but it is my top choice at this point.

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shifty_eyed

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by shifty_eyed » Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:41 pm

smacon22 wrote:
gaud wrote:Why are you so set on Gtown?

I want to do International Law and I'd rather be in D.C. than NYC. They're #3 for International after NYU and Columbia. It's not the only school I'm considering, but it is my top choice at this point.
Specialty rankings are pretty much meaningless. International Law is pretty much an elaborate flame, from what I'm told on TLS. Hopefully someone else can explain further why that is.

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sky7

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by sky7 » Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:48 pm

smacon22 wrote:
gaud wrote:Why are you so set on Gtown?

I want to do International Law and I'd rather be in D.C. than NYC. They're #3 for International after NYU and Columbia. It's not the only school I'm considering, but it is my top choice at this point.
*Incoming "specialty rankings don't mean anything" posts*

Edit - beaten to the punch!

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gaud

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by gaud » Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:35 pm


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twenty

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by twenty » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:20 pm

In short, there's no such thing as "international law." In the limited cases where there is, (i.e, ICC, UN, EC), it's simply out of your range in life right now. Most of these lawyers aren't even really lawyers as much as they are "super-policy wankers". To get an internship there is straightforward enough, and in that it looks like H > Y/S > T14 > etc, but your chance of getting a job is pretty much nil.

If you plan on going to law school, figure that, precluding the extraordinary, you'll be in NYC working 14 hours a day. If you're lucky.

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052220151

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by 052220151 » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:28 pm

smacon22 wrote:
gaud wrote:Why are you so set on Gtown?

I want to do International Law and I'd rather be in D.C. than NYC. They're #3 for International after NYU and Columbia. It's not the only school I'm considering, but it is my top choice at this point.
1) take a year off
2) fuck around
3) study
4) get 175+ on LSAT
5) get full-ride to T14 school of choice (maybe T6).
6) ?????
7) Profit

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northwood

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by northwood » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:29 pm

you are 20.. take a year off to be a kid, party, work a retail job and make sure this is what you really want. Once you start law school the opportunities for you to travel, hang out with friends and do what you want- becomes extremely difficult. I dont mean to press, but how committed are you to a life of law? If you are dead set on going- great! ( and ignore what i just typed). If you have a sliver of doubt, or wanted to try something then i would strongly urge you to take a year off at least. Most of your clasmates will be 23and older, so even if you wait until you are 22-you will be at the same age. Plus, the added experience will give you something else to talk about in interviews.

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alwayssunnyinfl

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by alwayssunnyinfl » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:33 pm

So, to sum up this page, you're in a great position. The only way you can go wrong is settling for a bad school (and, IMO, with potential like yours, GULC would be settling.) Throw in apps, see what happens, but don't be scared of taking a year off if you need to. Congrats!

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by T14hoping » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:43 pm

I mean, you're going to do what you're going to do, but I'll echo what's been said. I'll be graduating this coming year as well, albeit having taken 4 years, and I flirted with the idea of rushing straight into law school. However, the more I thought about it, the more prudent taking a year or two in between to work or do whatever seemed. Not only can you improve your #s (LSAT), you can also potentially add decent, full-time WE to your resume. And that's just looking at the professional aspect.

This is doubly true in your case, as it would also get rid of your young age (if this is even an issue, which some say that it is).

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by Ernert » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:46 pm

northwood wrote:you are 20.. take a year off to be a kid, party, work a retail job and make sure this is what you really want. Once you start law school the opportunities for you to travel, hang out with friends and do what you want- becomes extremely difficult. I dont mean to press, but how committed are you to a life of law? If you are dead set on going- great! ( and ignore what i just typed). If you have a sliver of doubt, or wanted to try something then i would strongly urge you to take a year off at least. Most of your clasmates will be 23and older, so even if you wait until you are 22-you will be at the same age. Plus, the added experience will give you something else to talk about in interviews.
I think this is really good advice. A lot of ppl graduating early have their sights set and want to just push through a plan, but I'd seriously consider 1-2 years off. Your numbers are great and with a retake you could be HYS-secure. Enjoy yourself a little and your time in school will be a lot better too.

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by The Platypus » Wed Sep 26, 2012 8:13 pm

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Re: Age 20; LSAT 168; GPA 3.9

Post by Real Madrid » Sat Sep 29, 2012 7:50 am

Agree with above posts. Your age may not be a factor in admissions, but I think it certainly would be when you're interviewing for jobs.

Life is too short to keep hurrying through school on your way to that first job. Once law school begins, you're in it for the long haul. Take some time to enjoy life. You may not ever get another chance. :|

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