Help 4.0 165 Forum

[mvredd]

Hey guys,

Thanks in advance for your help. So I'm feeling pretty discouraged about my score (I expected higher, but eh). Here are the details.

Major: English Minors: History and Political Science
URM: No. I am female, however and from a historically poor area.
School: I go to a smaller undergrad school in Virginia. It's regionally known, but not a national power house like VT, UVA, or W&M.
Involvement: Great. I've done everything on campus from tour guiding to tutoring to mentoring kids from the Appalachian Mountains. Currently, I'm the Student Body President and the student representative to the Board of Visitors (same as Board of Trustees). Nominated to who's who and a scholarship recipient. I'm also graduating as an honors scholar through the honors academy here.
Personal Statement: Good. I'm from Appalachian coal country. We're talking seriously poor. I'm playing that to my advantage in this statement. As a high school student, I got accepted to Ivys, but couldn't afford it, nor did I want to leave my ailing mother (divorced. I'm the only child). I think the personal statement will be good. I'm aiming for the "overcoming obstacles" theme.
Letters of Recommendation: Good. One professor whom I've had several times, the Dean of Students who is the adviser to Student Government and knows me very well, and the president of my university (I've had monthly meetings with her for the past year and a half and we're from the same home town. She knows me well).

My questions:

1)What are my chances of T14? I know the LSAT is a little low, does everything else make up for that or no?
2)Where would you recommend I apply?

[NoodleyOne]

Your softs are probably not really eye-openers, and your PS mirrors mine to a disturbing degree (also from Appalachian Mtns, single mother, ridiculously impoverished, and got accepted into Brown but went to VCU instead). With your GPA and LSAT, you may get in to some of the lower T14, with perhaps Boalt being in play as well, and you'll probably get a bump at UVA for being in state... you'll probably want to blanket and wait out some waitlists. I don't know if you're under any LSAT floor, so you may miss on the T14 all together.

Basically, with your GPA I'm going to give the time honored advice so often given in these hallowed halls....

Retake. Score 172+. Enjoy HYS.

[toothbrush]

x

[RSterling]

I got into UVA ED a couple of years ago with a 4.0 166 (non-resident). You would probably get in with your numbers ED (maybe even RD) since you're a resident. But if you want the cream of the crop you'll need to retake.

[SaintsTheMetal]

Definitely just suck it up and retake! Study as long as you need to get a decent score. You worked hard in college to get a 4.0, what's a few more months of hard study on the LSAT? Either take in December and apply late, but you might get diminished scholarship $, or go all out and take in Febuary/June, apply EARLY next cycle, and enjoy your pick of anywhere you want

[Doorkeeper]

You absolutely should retake the LSAT. That is the correct decision here, all else being equal.

If for some reason you HAVE to go to law school this year, you'll get into one or two of the lower T14 (UVA, Michigan, Northwestern, Georgetown, Cornell). More recent stats show you MIGHT get into Penn or Berkeley, but there are very few data points to make a concrete statement.

[mvredd]

Yeah, I'm not going to lie, I really don't want to retake. I'm getting married, and, frankly, I ready to be a lawyer. I'm thinking a good list for me is:

1) T14: Aiming just for UVA and Georgetown. UVA ED. As a resident I think I'll get a boost. My university president went there too and is actively donating to their law school. I think her LoR will help at least bring my name up in the conversation.
2) Realistic Scools: W&M, Wash and Lee, and *maybe* GW.
3) Safety: U of R.


What do you think? Looking at their data, I think I stand a good chance for getting in at all my realistic schools (hopefully with some $$$) and maybe an ED to UVA at sticker price.

[mvredd]

*I'm... whoops.

[twenty]

I ready to be a lawyer.

2) Realistic Scools: W&M, Wash and Lee, and *maybe* GW.

The problem being, your chances of actually practicing law to the ends of paying off your law school debt drop significantly by going to any of these schools (unless you have an IP background). If you refuse to retake, I'd ED to UVA, but you'd do yourself a huge favor by retaking in December. Your GPA gives you an "out" from having to work 4-5 years in BigLaw just to pay off the debts. Take advantage of it.

[ndirish2010]

You'll get into UVA ED, but please, please, please retake! You have a 4.0, you could go anywhere.

[lilhugsy24]

I don't understand reverse splitters...why would someone ever want to be one? It just doesn't make sense to me.

[twenty]

I don't understand reverse splitters...why would someone ever want to be one? It just doesn't make sense to me.

There are legitimate reasons to be a reverse splitter. I have one friend that, try as he could, was not able to get above 160 due to dyslexia. LSAC wouldn't grant him extra time or accomidations because he was higher than 150. Another friend lived in a Spanish-speaking household until age 18, so while he did really well on LG and LR, could not, for the life of him, do RC.

The idea, however, is that if neither of these are you, always retake.

[20130312]

Yeah, I'm not going to lie, I really don't want to retake. I'm getting married, and, frankly, I ready to be a lawyer. I'm thinking a good list for me is:

1) T14: Aiming just for UVA and Georgetown. UVA ED. As a resident I think I'll get a boost. My university president went there too and is actively donating to their law school. I think her LoR will help at least bring my name up in the conversation.
2) Realistic Scools: W&M, Wash and Lee, and *maybe* GW.
3) Safety: U of R.


What do you think? Looking at their data, I think I stand a good chance for getting in at all my realistic schools (hopefully with some $$$) and maybe an ED to UVA at sticker price.

You will probably get into UVA ED, but the bolded is the issue. If I told you I would give you $10,000 to retake, would you? Well, UVA might decide to give you $100k to retake if you get just a few points higher. You're going to have a family to worry about soon. Why stress yourself out about having $200k+ worth of debt when you could just wait one more year?

[toothbrush]

x

[JWalker]

RETAKE

[BerkeleyBear]

Obviously, Retake.
If you ultimately decide to not go this route, I hope your fiance has the good sense to sack up and tell you to really reconsider your goals and whole mentality on life. I think since your essay revolves around having been/being poor, you should not show a terrible lapse in judgment by opting for a crushing amount of debt with a less likely chance of biglaw to pay it off. And do yourself a favor, stay away from Georgetown, why in the hell would you want to go there? And you're getting married, why wouldn't you retake and settle in? It seems strange to be rushing into LS when you could literally just wait less than a year and have an excellent chance at good money at a school you would never get into with a 165.

Good luck and I think you have a good shot at UVA, I hope you make the right choice and save yourself a bunch of money.