Top Law Schools

Well now that I finally have my LSAT score I thought I'd make one of these threads.

My law school GPA is currently about 3.55, undergrad is 3.59 (damn you 5 credit CC calculus class!). My undergrad is a big state school that isn't prestigious. I should 4.0 one last summer class to bump up to roughly a 3.575. They probably won't care about trends but I've gotten a 3.76 over my last 46 credits, including a 4.0 in my most recent semester. My LSAT score is my first and only attempt. I am willing to retake, but there is no guarantee I'd do better.

I plan on applying to:

Columbia
Chicago (I anticipate Columbia/Chicago will be toss ups, with a slightly higher chance of getting in at Columbia)
NYU
Michigan
Duke
Northwestern (maybe not due to no work experience)
Cornell

and maybe a few schools outside of the t14 that throw me fee waivers. I am a little confused with Virginia and Penn, as LSN seems to suggest they might yield protect me, which I find surprising given my relatively low GPA. Berkeley looks like they will reject me because my GPA is just too low, and Harvard would be a moon shot.

Luckily, the most recent cycle has faired better than past ones. Here it is:

http://myLSN.info/nimey6_1-14.jpg

And here is the past three years:

http://myLSN.info/tz0z7c_1-14.jpg

Any advice? Sorry if this thread seems unnecessary I'm just looking for input.

if you want more data for the lower T-14s, just the GPA at 173-180.

as lsn says, you'll probably end up choosing between ccn and lower t-14 with a little money.

why won't you have work experience? k-jd? if so, why not get some WE first? 4.0s in your senior year would help, too.

soj wrote:if you want more data for the lower T-14s, just the GPA at 173-180.

as lsn says, you'll probably end up choosing between ccn and lower t-14 with a little money.

why won't you have work experience? k-jd? if so, why not get some WE first? 4.0s in your senior year would help, too.

Yeah that would be if I go k-jd. I am very open to the possibility of taking time off to get some work experience, raise my grades, etc. Would it still be worth applying to see what options I get and possibly defer admission? Or is that not advised/possible?

.

Redfactor wrote:I don't really buy into the whole wait for WE if you've got a good option right now. I don't see the amount of scholarships funds schools are throwing out recently is a sustainable practice. At some point, the schools are going to have to realize that this is major trend adjustment and they won't be able to prop up their medians with cash forever.

I say K-JD or not, if you've got a good option that provides good employment opportunities for the right price point, there is no need to wait. There is no promise that these crazy generous scholarship amounts will be there in a couple / few years.

A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.

That has pretty much been my reasoning for applying this upcoming cycle thus far. I have seen generous numbers recently and I thought I'd apply and see what I get. If there was an offer I could not refuse, I planned on taking it. If there was not, I could always wait.

soj wrote:if you want more data for the lower T-14s, just the GPA at 173-180.

as lsn says, you'll probably end up choosing between ccn and lower t-14 with a little money.

why won't you have work experience? k-jd? if so, why not get some WE first? 4.0s in your senior year would help, too.

lol at this. i think you understood what i meant, though.

i actually don't foresee schools becoming less generous (i.e. desperate). law school admissions is getting more competitive each year (from the schools' perspective). even if they can't keep up their medians, they'll still be competing with peer schools more fiercely than ever.

but i guess one reason to go early is that tuition increases outpace inflation ( ).

soj wrote:

soj wrote:if you want more data for the lower T-14s, just the GPA at 173-180.

as lsn says, you'll probably end up choosing between ccn and lower t-14 with a little money.

why won't you have work experience? k-jd? if so, why not get some WE first? 4.0s in your senior year would help, too.

lol at this. i think you understood what i meant, though.

i actually don't foresee schools becoming less generous (i.e. desperate). law school admissions is getting more competitive each year. even if they can't keep up their medians, they'll still be competing with peer schools more fiercely than ever.

but i guess one reason to go early is that tuition increases outpace inflation ( ).

Yeah that is a valid point. I don't think I've seen any numbers suggesting the drop in applicants is slowing down or reversing.