Top Law Schools

Stats:
GPA - 3.90
LSAT - 165

Thought process is, Penn is my top choice (philly guy), but I would be content (read overjoyed) with any T14 (cornell and georgetown are 2nd and 3rd respectively). I am aware that I would be paying sticker and that is OKAY (I've been on TLS too much not to know what the consensus on that point is).

My plan was to apply ED to Penn, unless I know with a strong statistical certainty that I would not get accepted, and that the ED would be better placed on Cornell (if it was necessary). Or, is the score good enough to apply regular decision to Cornell and Georgetown? and just keep the ED sticker on Penn and pray?

Thanks.

SufficientCondish wrote:Stats:
GPA - 3.90
LSAT - 165

Thought process is, Penn is my top choice (philly guy), but I would be content (read overjoyed) with any T14 (cornell and georgetown are 2nd and 3rd respectively). I am aware that I would be paying sticker and that is OKAY (I've been on TLS too much not to know what the consensus on that point is).

My plan was to apply ED to Penn, unless I know with a strong statistical certainty that I would not get accepted, and that the ED would be better placed on Cornell (if it was necessary). Or, is the score good enough to apply regular decision to Cornell and Georgetown? and just keep the ED sticker on Penn and pray?

Thanks.

This is first year Cornell has ED, so we will have to wait to see what kind of boost it has. That being said, you are well above the median GPA, so I assume you stand a coinflip's chance of getting in RD. Your odds don't look great at Penn, even with an ED. If you really want Penn, the real answer is to retake.

I would ED Penn since you stand a decent chance of admission to Cornell regardless.

In your position, a retake for 170 would be highly desirable, opening up Stanford, Columbia, Chicago, and big scholarships at Penn and the lower T14

retake the lsat then go anywhere with that fine GPA

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Clearly wrote:<-----

Haha +1

Okay. I intend on retaking, just not this year.

I am trying to see what I can get before I graduate because I going to defer for two years (accepted to TFA). Then, if I feel the desire to go to a higher ranked school (or law school at all ) I will retake over the next 3 years, and possibly reapply. My real question now was simply whether I could sneak into Penn or Cornell (or anywhere in between) with these scores.

Here is some common sense: Don't apply to law school when you have a two year commitment to do something else and when you can dramatically still improve you admissions credentials.

Why do you care if you can sneak into Penn now when you can't attend in the next two years anyway? You really want to be the guy/girl who gets in ED and then asks for a 2 year deferral? Oh yeah, and since you "intend" to retake later on, I suppose you will just back out from your ED/2-year deferral if you get a higher score?

He speaks the truth about it being common sense, but I do want to clarify that neither of those options are technically binding you to attend, just binding you not to attend another school for that given term.

Trout et al wrote:Here is some common sense: Don't apply to law school when you have a two year commitment to do something else and when you can dramatically still improve you admissions credentials.

Why do you care if you can sneak into Penn now when you can't attend in the next two years anyway? You really want to be the guy/girl who gets in ED and then asks for a 2 year deferral? Oh yeah, and since you "intend" to retake later on, I suppose you will just back out from your ED/2-year deferral if you get a higher score?

I am just confused as to why it's so bad to give it a shot. If I get in, yay! I save myself the time of having to deal with this problem when I have a job (as opposed to UG right now) AND I have the peace of mind of knowing that I got into a great law school. If I do not get in, then I will reevaluate my application and wait until I'm finished with TFA, retake and reapply. I don't see how this is illogical.

The real thing is if you are going to retake, why would you lock yourself into a school a now, then retake and not be able to use the score? You realize with your GPA you could go to Harvard if you'd just beat the lsat.

SufficientCondish wrote:

Trout et al wrote:Here is some common sense: Don't apply to law school when you have a two year commitment to do something else and when you can dramatically still improve you admissions credentials.

Why do you care if you can sneak into Penn now when you can't attend in the next two years anyway? You really want to be the guy/girl who gets in ED and then asks for a 2 year deferral? Oh yeah, and since you "intend" to retake later on, I suppose you will just back out from your ED/2-year deferral if you get a higher score?

I am just confused as to why it's so bad to give it a shot. If I get in, yay! I save myself the time of having to deal with this problem when I have a job (as opposed to UG right now) AND I have the peace of mind of knowing that I got into a great law school. If I do not get in, then I will reevaluate my application and wait until I'm finished with TFA, retake and reapply. I don't see how this is illogical.

It seems a bit sketchy because you are asking a school to admit you with borderline credentials under the veil of being bound to attend (ED) when you fully intend to 1) not attend within the enforceable time period and 2) retake the LSAT to improve your credentials

In your best case scenario, you will end up with a higher LSAT and then tell the school who has been holding your spot for two years that you don't plan to honor your ED commitment and that you effectively used them as a safety net.

I personally would just max out my LSAT score and apply once I am actually able to attend.

Not to mention, schools don't just hand out deferrals

Dont apply if your doing TFA. Apply in 2 years and retake June or October 2015.

"Why not give it a shot?"

1) your chances will be unquestionably better after all your grades are out, TFA, and a retake
2) admissions standards will most likely continue to decline between now and 2015
3) applying takes unnecessary time and money when you are strongly considering reapplying. Why waste your own time?
4) ED offers rarely ever permit deferrals. Its a lose-lose for you and the school if you're doing TFA
5) using eventual law school matriculation as a psychological prop is not only incredibly unhealthy, its ultimately detrimental to your rational decision making
6) even considering paying sticker with your grades is incredibly irresponsible