Top Law Schools

-Native american with a family from a quite underprivileged background in a (laughably) underrepresented state in the southwest
- 3.6 GPA at an ivy league school. 3.9 in major, will graduate with honors. Art history major. Will complete a research thesis
- 169 LSAT, can possibly get a bit higher
- Leadership role in one on campus organization, internship at local organization during the year
- one okay non-profit arts internship, one at a very prestigious museum


Interested in ivys and other top schools. Where should I apply?

Thanks in advance

Sky is the limit if you have demonstrable tribal affiliation. In at HCCN and down, solid chance at YS. Apply to all the top schools - your decision will probably come down to full scholly at T13 v one or more of HYS. Have a great cycle!

You're about to run train on this cycle.

you might be in running to be a millionaire in schollys depending on how many schools you apply to

wow. yes, I have legitimate tribal affiliation, no question at all. Decent chance at Harvard, then? Probably top choice.

jbagelboy wrote:Sky is the limit if you have demonstrable tribal affiliation. In at HCCN and down, solid chance at YS. Apply to all the top schools - your decision will probably come down to full scholly at T13 v one or more of HYS. Have a great cycle!

This. Others would know better, but you would be a pretty great candidate for ruby/hamilton-esque schollys. I am not sure how those named scholarships play into the URM status, as I have never looked into it.

nw63 wrote:wow. yes, I have legitimate tribal affiliation, no question at all. Decent chance at Harvard, then? Probably top choice.

Decent chance? Haha. If I had to bet my life that you'd get into Harvard, I wouldn't be that scared.

Be sure to apply to Y and S as well.

Enjoy HYS

The ABA posts data on how many students are Native American. As of last year Yale had one. Stanford had 2. Harvard has 6. They will most likely drool over the opportunity to get more. They will be more than happy to dip below their usual floors for you.

any advantage/disadvantage to taking a year off and working/interning?

nw63 wrote:any advantage/disadvantage to taking a year off and working/interning?

It's an advantage IMO. Unless it's something relatively prestigious it probably won't help your admissions chances too much (not that it really matters since you're almost guaranteed in everywhere). The advantage you will gain is a chance to break out of the UG bubble and get a taste for real life. You can work at a law firm and try to glean some sort of understanding of whether or not the law is right for you. You can explore other interests and see if you'd rather pursue another career path. You can save up money toward law school. You can travel. Law school isn't going anywhere, but your youth is.

t-14orbust wrote:

nw63 wrote:any advantage/disadvantage to taking a year off and working/interning?

It's an advantage IMO. Unless it's something relatively prestigious it probably won't help your admissions chances too much (not that it really matters since you're almost guaranteed in everywhere). The advantage you will gain is a chance to break out of the UG bubble and get a taste for real life. You can work at a law firm and try to glean some sort of understanding of whether or not the law is right for you. You can explore other interests and see if you'd rather pursue another career path. You can save up money toward law school. You can travel. Law school isn't going anywhere, but your youth is.

I agree with everything said here. Having some work experience is also an advantage during the job search. Take at least a year off and have a killer cycle sometime down the line.

I'm excited for your cycle, OP. I think you will rule this shit.

Am i at all at a disadvantage for pursuing an art history major? I feel that sometimes the major isn't taken very seriously, but i have been very committed to it and all of my internships have been related.

.

Redfactor wrote:

nw63 wrote:Am i at all at a disadvantage for pursuing an art history major? I feel that sometimes the major isn't taken very seriously, but i have been very committed to it and all of my internships have been related.

Nope.

And I am not sold on the "take a year off." Your options are different than someone going to a different school. I think work experience makes less of an impact from HYS, especially YS, than it would from say Cornell or Georgetown (not a dig at those excellent schools).

If you can find some employment that you'd enjoy doing, then by all means you can afford to explore that for a year or two. There is no rush and admissions are just getting easier and easier (though still very, very hard at that level). I just don't see the practical upside of WE in regards to legal hiring from those schools.

Maybe I am wrong, though.

You are wrong IMO. I outdid people with my same grades and background and I think the main reason was because I wasn't K-JD. I could actually talk about having a job and working everyday. Also this past summer I helped my firm during EIP and we only gve CB to people who had WE. My firm is also a smaller more selective firm so it's different for places that have huge summer classes like Cravath or Skadden but the thing is people do strike out. Not many but some do. Also I love the fact that I spent my early twenties living in Europe and doing cool stuff like running with the Bulls and backpacking through Egypt. Once you're in law school you're kind of on this unstoppable train and your life heads a certain way. You're only in your early 20's once and I'm glad I didn't waste them in contracts. OP even if it's for a year I strongly suggest you get out there and experience the real world, have fun, LS will always be there.

I have to ask--

is taking a year off to travel and take photographs an acceptable thing to do? Or do I need to do something with a more concrete outcome? I am just afraid it will be the last opportunity I ever get to travel on my own time

or travel for 6 months, work for 6 months? Something like that?

Also, is it worth holding out at all if my senior year grades will be 3.8-4.0? Again, averaged a 3.6 freshman-junior year. Or does it really matter?