Top Law Schools

AA male URM with 170 LSAT (retaking June with a lot more studying than first time, expected 3+ boost). Given that would you suggest...

Applying early when seats are more abundant with a 3.55ish GPA? or
Applying a few months later (mid-late December) with a 3.65ish GPA?

Specifically if my targets are HYSCCN.

Thanks!

Thanks in advance!

Depending on how good your school is about giving out grades, you should still be able to beat the influx of people applying after they receive their Dec LSAT score.

If you can do this, then I would wait. Mathematically that is a pretty significant jump, especially when you consider how much the top schools care about numbers. Also, given the downtrend in law school applications, schools are being more selective and digging deeper into the admissions process to fill their seats.

Hope that helps :/

Coveted wrote:Depending on how good your school is about giving out grades, you should still be able to beat the influx of people applying after they receive their Dec LSAT score.

If you can do this, then I would wait. Mathematically that is a pretty significant jump, especially when you consider how much the top schools care about numbers. Also, given the downtrend in law school applications, schools are being more selective and digging deeper into the admissions process to fill their seats.

Hope that helps :/

Makes sense. I ask because it doesn't seem like a 3.5+/167+ has been rejected from H in the last 3/4 years. Additionally it seems like solid URM numbers applicants (especially 170+/3.5+) get early JS1s and subsequent early decisions.

With those things in mind, I didn't really think breaking the 3.6 barrier was nearly as significant as being above the 3.5 one - especially compared to the advantage of applying when every seat is open.

John_rizzy_rawls wrote:

Coveted wrote:Depending on how good your school is about giving out grades, you should still be able to beat the influx of people applying after they receive their Dec LSAT score.

If you can do this, then I would wait. Mathematically that is a pretty significant jump, especially when you consider how much the top schools care about numbers. Also, given the downtrend in law school applications, schools are being more selective and digging deeper into the admissions process to fill their seats.

Hope that helps :/

Makes sense. I ask because it doesn't seem like a 3.5+/167+ has been rejected from H in the last 3/4 years. Additionally it seems like solid URM numbers applicants (especially 170+/3.5+) get early JS1s and subsequent early decisions.

With those things in mind, I didn't really think breaking the 3.6 barrier was nearly as significant as being above the 3.5 one - especially compared to the advantage of applying when every seat is open.

When you put it that way I see your concern. I guess I never really thought about the URM side of things, since I am not one myself.

Though, at this point, Dec 6th... you're already late as it is? Would waiting another 15 days hurt that much?

Would it be possible to add an addendum stating the expected increase in GPA? Sorry I am not a TLS master, but I'm trying, lol.

Hopefully some others will chime in.

.

.

I feel like this is more about hopping the 3.6 threshold than getting to a 3.64 or whatever, right? If so, I'm going to just take 3 or 4 classes Winter Session at a CC and that should put me around a 3.62ish come the end of Summer 2013, in time for early applications.

Best of both worlds. Not like I need food, sleep, or a life anyway.

Done and done.

Thanks a bunch for the advice.

John_rizzy_rawls wrote:I feel like this is more about hopping the 3.6 threshold than getting to a 3.64 or whatever, right? If so, I'm going to just take 3 or 4 classes Winter Session at a CC and that should put me around a 3.62ish come the end of Summer 2013, in time for early applications.

Best of both worlds. Not like I need food, sleep, or a life anyway.

Done and done.

Thanks a bunch for the advice.

3.6 is a nice threshold, but just remember everything is done mathematically.

a 3.6 vs a 3.65 is still a significant difference if you look at it in terms of statistics/medians etc.

Either way, keep up the good work and get those grades!

Coveted wrote:

John_rizzy_rawls wrote:I feel like this is more about hopping the 3.6 threshold than getting to a 3.64 or whatever, right? If so, I'm going to just take 3 or 4 classes Winter Session at a CC and that should put me around a 3.62ish come the end of Summer 2013, in time for early applications.

Best of both worlds. Not like I need food, sleep, or a life anyway.

Done and done.

Thanks a bunch for the advice.

3.6 is a nice threshold, but just remember everything is done mathematically.

a 3.6 vs a 3.65 is still a significant difference if you look at it in terms of statistics/medians etc.

Either way, keep up the good work and get those grades!

Just got advice from an HLS attendee: apply as early as possible and supplement application with December grades if need be. That's the plan.