160/3.1 Forum

[thestork7]

Hey guys, just wanted to get your thoughts on what schools I have a realistic shot at. I'm interested in Sports & Entertainment Law, so I'm hoping to go to the NE region or California (preferably Boston or So. Cal)

LSAT: 160
GPA: 3.1

URM: LGBT
Average softs, above average work experience. I graduated a year early with difficult coursework (pre-med/pre-law) while balancing two jobs--hoping that will help the low GPA situation a little bit.

I'm considering applying to FSU (in-state tuition), UF (in-state tuition/legacy), Brooklyn Law School, UC-Hastings (or Davis), UNC Chapel Hill (reach), and Northeastern.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[Otunga]

I would suggest to retake for a better chance at the top 14, as I don't think there are many sports/entertainment law jobs to go around, so you should be at a competitive school if you want one. (I know nothing about these jobs other than that they're hard to get.) UCLA or USC could make sense if you just want to stay to work in Los Angeles.

That said, FSU and Florida are solid options if you just want to work in Florida and aren't committed to getting a job in sports/entertainment law. You're actually 1 point above FSU's median LSAT but I suspect you're in the 25th GPA given the median GPA is 3.51. Either way, that's a good option for you with in-state tuition if you want to stay in Florida and aren't fussed about sports/entertainment law.

[thestork7]

Thanks for the tips. Even if I was able to boost my LSAT score, would I even have a shot at the T-14 with my low GPA? Just browsing through LSN, the 25th percentile GPA is about 3.5. Maybe with a 165, I could roll the dice with an ED T-14?

[BigZuck]

What do you mean by Sports and Entertainment law?

Your only real options are Florida schools (at a reasonable price) and the T14.

[cotiger]

Thanks for the tips. Even if I was able to boost my LSAT score, would I even have a shot at the T-14 with my low GPA? Just browsing through LSN, the 25th percentile GPA is about 3.5. Maybe with a 165, I could roll the dice with an ED T-14?

If you get a 170, you can get Northwestern. Georgetown starts to become a possibility starting at 168. A 165 isn't going to get you T14, regardless of ED.

[thestork7]

What do you mean by Sports and Entertainment law?

Your only real options are Florida schools (at a reasonable price) and the T14.

Sports Agent. I'm not totally committed to that area, it's just an appealing possibility.

[hephaestus]

Thanks for the tips. Even if I was able to boost my LSAT score, would I even have a shot at the T-14 with my low GPA? Just browsing through LSN, the 25th percentile GPA is about 3.5. Maybe with a 165, I could roll the dice with an ED T-14?

If you get a 170, you can get Northwestern. Georgetown starts to become a possibility starting at 168. A 165 isn't going to get you T14, regardless of ED.

This. You are not locked out of the T14 by any means.

[cotiger]

As it is, you can get into the Florida schools. You would be paying sticker, though, which means ~$125k debt. Retake and see if you can get some scholarship money to defray that.

[BigZuck]

What do you mean by Sports and Entertainment law?

Your only real options are Florida schools (at a reasonable price) and the T14.

Sports Agent. I'm not totally committed to that area, it's just an appealing possibility.

What about law school do you think will help you attain that career? And why those law schools specifically?

[Void]

Retake!

[hephaestus]

What do you mean by Sports and Entertainment law?

Your only real options are Florida schools (at a reasonable price) and the T14.

Sports Agent. I'm not totally committed to that area, it's just an appealing possibility.

Find people that are agents and ask how they got into the career. I don't think law school is going to be a great way to get that done.

[jbagelboy]

We actually do have an entertainment, sports law society at my school that gets people 1L gigs with big national teams or media groups in-house, or SA's at mid-sized firms with a sports law focus. Its pretty legitimate, at least more so than TLS would make you believe prior to attending and seeing for yourself. That being said, Im not sure how much utility the club and connections have outside of 1L summer and random networking, since most students do EIP anyway. Maybe it helps transitioning in-hose after large firm work down the line.

Most top schools probably have similar programs, which would be a point in favor of retake for 170 and hit UVA.

[thestork7]

Most of the top agents have a law degree. But I'm also interested in a few other fields in law. I would just like to go to a school that has sports/entertainment courses. California is definitely the place to be for S.E. law, followed by New York/Boston. If I did well at Hastings or Davis or Loyola-LA, I'd have the possibility of transferring to USC/UCLA which are the top programs (but I know I can't count on that).

I've considered re-taking, but the LSAC repeaters data shows that the average improvement is only 2.5 points. Since my highest PT was a 159, I should probably be happy with my 160. I would also only have a month to study for the December test...and the few points that I might improve could be outweighed by the month+ delay in getting a completed application in. A few point increase would increase my chances of scholarship money, but just trying to keep things realistic.

[jbagelboy]

Most of the top agents have a law degree. But I'm also interested in a few other fields in law. I would just like to go to a school that has sports/entertainment courses. California is definitely the place to be for S.E. law, followed by New York/Boston. If I did well at Hastings or Davis or Loyola-LA, I'd have the possibility of transferring to USC/UCLA which are the top programs (but I know I can't count on that).

I've considered re-taking, but the LSAC repeaters data shows that the average improvement is only 2.5 points. Since my highest PT was a 159, I should probably be happy with my 160. I would also only have a month to study for the December test...and the few points that I might improve could be outweighed by the month+ delay in getting a completed application in. A few point increase would increase my chances of scholarship money, but just trying to keep things realistic.

The average improvement is 2.5 because the average taker is unmotivated and/or doesnt know how to study. Also depends on where you are on the scale. At the 120-160 region, a multi-point improvement is much easier via learning the exam to make than to go from 174 to 177. More importantly, you dont have to be average. There are some jumps which I agree at statistically extremely unlikely (140's -> 170+ literally did not happen once last year according to data compiled by other TLS posters), but once you've reached 160, you should be able to manage an increase to high 160s with sufficient study.