Odds of getting in: STEM major? Forum

[dnptan]

Hi all,

I am a graduate of Boston University (2012) double majoring in Biology and Biomedical Engineering.

I've spent the last few months working full-time as an associate for a Prior Art firm. I specialize in patent/literature searching for Medical Devices (Invalidity, Patentability, Freedom-to-Operate). We have clients such as J&J and Novartis; our IT group worked on the Apple vs. Samsung case.

I've made the decision to apply to law school, and would like your input on my chances considering the following criteria:

1) Late application - I am cutting it close for (1 month from deadline at the EARLIEST) most schools
2) LSAT score: 170
3) GPA: 3.82 (Double major in Engineering [Magna] and Science [Summa])
4) Experience with IP
5) I am not a US citizen (Philippines)

I would like to make it into one of the T14s, in particular:
1) Stanford
2) Yale
3) Harvard
4) NYU

Below are some interesting facts about me. Perhaps someone could help me leverage these for a stronger application?

Misc Information:
1) I have 2 solid recommenders (and 2 spares): One has been my mentor since Freshman Year and I've taken 3 classes with him; The other was my senior project advisor for a novel project which my friend and I tried to start a company with (failed on the grounds of patentability).
2) I am a capable writer, although this might be skewed because I went to school with Engineers. I am trained in technical writing.
3) My father is the founding partner of a successful practice back home. My mother is also a lawyer who now works in public service. (Her rank is such that she personally knows the president). Both got their LLMs from NYU (Corporate and Tax, specifically) I grew up arguing and being very critical of word choice (very helpful in my current line of work).
4) I am very interested in IP law. I have friends in business schools (most notably MIT Sloan) who I want to work with for founding/supporting start-ups. I am also considering an MBA to help me be more competitive. (Science/Engineering, JD and MBA for start-up support).

If there is any additional information I could provide that could be helpful, please let me know. Thank you very much for your time and insight!

-Nate

[dextermorgan]

You are a 170/3.82 applying now?

I'd say you have a decent shot at the T6.

[dnptan]

Yes, I know it's a bit late but I only decided to take the Dec LSATs because I found myself (surprisingly) enjoying my job! I only started the work for LoRs/transcripts Last week; If I make it in then great! If not, I'm sure another year at my firm will only help my chances.

Thanks for the reply though.

Also for softs:
Phi-Beta-Kappa
3 other lower-tier national honor societies
[Failed] co-founder of company (Diabetes-related)
6 months experience in an IP firm

Only included notable ones.

[bbsg]

Consensus is the softs aren't going to make or break you. You're probably out at YS, a bit of a reach at H (maybe the softs will help you out here, but you'll have to spin 'em nice and even then it's unlikely to really make a big difference), and quite competitive (better than 50/50) for CCN.

Your GPA is hurting you at HYS, but if your LSAT was 4-5 points higher you'd be in a healthier position for H (closer to 50/50), almost a lock at CCN, and you'd be more competitive for YS (but still probably under 50-50).

Edit - The science background and IP background will help you a lot come OCI and employment time, but is unlikely to make a big difference at this specific stage.

Also, if your LSAT was 4-5 points higher you'd probably be looking at a fair bit of $$ from NYU. If money is a concern and you're enjoying your current job then retaking and waiting a cycle is probably smart. If money isn't much of a concern though, I'd be surprised if you got dinged NYU at this stage. An earlier application would have helped a lot though as NYU sends out a lot of admits in December.

[dnptan]

Thanks for the reply.

Money isn't an issue. The goal is to get into the best school possible. I was under the impression that my tech background would give me a significant boost for law school, especially IP ones. Does your major not matter for admission? I had thought a high GPA in a tough/rare major would be more attractive than a stellar GPA in a more common one (ie English, Philo).

Also, what's the consensus on BU as an undergrad: Low, mid, or high tier? Thanks!

[Puffin]

Major and quality of undergrad will not heavily impact your admissions. An English major with a 3.85 170 from XYZ state > A science Major 3.82 170 from a top institution. They will however give you an edge over someone with identical numbers, they boil down to mediocre softs.

[dnptan]

Hey all,

So I met (skype) with a 3L Stanford student and he was telling me Stanford "doesn't play by the rules" when it comes to LSATs/GPA. Apparently they take more consideration to softs. Now to recap my stats are:

LSAT 170
GPA 3.82 edit: 3.81 as per lsac
Double Major (BU) Biomedical Engineering (Magna) and Biology (Summa)

He says I have a solid shot if my recommendations are good and my personal statement sells my tech background/IP experience. For my recs I have:

My Biology professor who I'm close with. Known me for 4 years, we have each other's personal cell-phone numbers. Got me my double major.

My Boss at my company. I work as litigation support for prior art (patents). I've only been here 6 months but my boss says I'm doing great.

Both letters are targeted.

[francesfarmer]

Hey all,

So I met with a 3L Stanford student and he was telling me Stanford "doesn't play by the rules" when it comes to LSATs/GPA. Apparently they take more consideration to softs. Now to recap my stats are:

LSAT 170
GPA 3.82
Double Major (BU) Biomedical Engineering (Magna) and Biology (Summa)

He says I have a solid shot if my recommendations are good and my personal statement sells my tech background/IP experience. For my recs I have:

My Biology professor who I'm close with. Known me for 4 years, we have each other's personal cell-phone numbers. Got me my double major.

My Boss at my company. I work as litigation support for prior art (patents). I've only been here 6 months but my boss says I'm doing great.

Both letters are targeted.

Apply anyway, but your friend is incorrect and your softs are not particularly special.

http://myLSN.info/xr1nv1

Maybe get your parents to donate a wing to Stanford?

[dnptan]

So I just met with a 3L Harvard student and he said the personal statement may be able to give me a boost. Any advice on which topic would be most compelling would be great:

1) My experience as a co-founder of a <failed> start-up
2) Getting lost in Eastern Europe and finding my way back after a Visa mishap
3) Experience in my IP firm
4) Graduating from a public school in a developing nation, to becoming a successful student in the US

Thanks a bunch!

Also my top choice is Stanford, if anyone can give insight on my chances/how to improve them. Lastly, is having NYU as a safety reasonable, considering both my parents got their LLMs from there?

[bbsg]

Regard NYU as a target school (an LSAT boost would make it almost a safety, though) and Stanford as a reach. Your friend is right that Stanford is more of a black box that will take softs more seriously than other schools, but your GPA is still low by their standards and your softs are unlikely to overcome it. It wouldn't be a -miracle- if you got in, but it's not like your softs and stats make you a shoe-in by any stretch.

Personal statement -- I'd say the failed startup, personally. But that's just because I think it probably has the most interesting story.

And no, your parents having LLMs from NYU is unlikely to have any substantive impact. I wouldn't go so far as to promise it would have 0 impact, but I'd be rather surprised if it had any.

Edit - Note you're a splitter at NYU (http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=nyu) between the 25th and 75th and you're applying late in the cycle (they issue a massive flurry of their acceptances in December and early Jan). I'd put money on you getting in, but I wouldn't be entirely shocked if you didn't. Would be shocked if you got rejected with an October application though.

[dnptan]

Hey thanks for the info,

Forum has been helpful. Will definitely keep this in mind as I continue with my apps. I'll post again after I get my results, to confirm which schools I got in.

Thanks again for the help!

[bbsg]

Please do come back with info for people to see in the future!

Best of luck with Stanford!