3.6/170/URMish (clarification in post) - ED NYU? Forum

[Vexed]

K-JD, fairly decent chance that GPA > 3.7 after fall grades post in December. Meh softs (consistent PT job, decent record in nationally competitive club activity, first gen college grad).

BigLaw is the target, both based on my interests and paying off debt. Because of that, barring an incredibly high scholarship offer, I'd almost certainly pull the trigger at a T6 school. Having played with MyLSN a little bit, it seems that NYU is my best shot at that particularly given recent trends... that being said, the most recent cycles do give me a bit of pause because it also seems that RD applicants with my numbers have been able to get in, with a small amount of that pool also being admitted to Columbia. I'd be happy to end up at NYU, but I'd obviously rather not lock myself into one school via ED if it's not really giving me an absolutely necessary boost to the T6.

As far as the URM thing is concerned: I'm part NA and have always identified myself that way since I was young, and I did so on my LSAC registration and LSAT. I didn't grow up on a res, but I did participate in a lot of activities with the local Native American community and did outreach programs through my school in my youth. However, when my parents split just before high school, I really stopped going to activities regularly and stopped really doing anything once I hit my junior year of high school.

Having read the URM guides on here, it seems that NA applicants are a bit unpredictable and many don't see much of a benefit if that part of their application isn't really highlighted somewhere in a PS or DS. My PS won't feature it, and I'm not sure if I'll write a DS, but if I did it would likely be more centered on growing up poor rather than the NA aspects of my life, which I admittedly haven't been in touch with for a while now. Given that, I've sort of been looking at the schools I'm applying to in terms of a non-URM applicant, but when I consider ED'ing to NYU, this gives me quite a bit of pause because I'm not sure how schools are going to look at that, and whether my chances at the T6 outside of NYU aren't as bleak as I've been looking at.

[twenty]

NA is, unfortunately, very binary. If you're enrolled, you'll get a huge boost -- 3.6/170 should put you in Harvard territory. If you're not enrolled, you'll get a tiny, if any, boost.

[jbagelboy]

Graduate and raise your gpa with both semesters to 3.75+. Then apply fall 2014.

You'll have a good chance at NYU w/o ED. I wouldn't ED if I were you.

[jbagelboy]

Also if biglaw is your only goal, Penn w/$ should be your goal. They're numbers are just as strong.

[twenty]

numbers are just as strong.

IT BEGINS.

[jbagelboy]

numbers are just as strong.

IT BEGINS.

K i refuse to be involved in one of these lolumad bitchfests so ill lock it up before it starts.

OP said their only interest is in biglaw. I think with OPs stats they stand an equal chance at the best combo of admission, $$, and any job at an nlj firm (not nyc specific), from penn as nyu

[mr.hands]

Did you already score a 170 or is this aspirational?

I wouldn't count on a URM boost. If you aren't registered I think you're just out of luck

[Lavitz]

Also if biglaw is your only goal, Penn w/$ should be your goal. Their numbers are just as strong.

Could also be looking at $$ from Cornell, especially if OP gets that GPA over their median.

I'm also not sure that applying ED at NYU confers any significant advantage over simply applying early. See the NYU profile on elterrible's blog.

Conspicuously absent is any discernible advantage for applying via NYU's binding ED application.

Probably not getting any other T6 with those numbers, but I would only ED if you're sure you'd take NYU at sticker over $ at Penn / $$ at lower T-14.

[Vexed]

Did you already score a 170 or is this aspirational?

I wouldn't count on a URM boost. If you aren't registered I think you're just out of luck

Actual score.

[TheThriller]

TLSP was part NA and scored a Harvard acceptance with similar/lower numbers

[jbagelboy]

Also if biglaw is your only goal, Penn w/$ should be your goal. Their numbers are just as strong.

Could also be looking at $$ from Cornell, especially if OP gets that GPA over their median.

I agree -- for NYC biglaw as the primary goal, Cornell with big $$ is possibly the best option for OP.