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You've got the kind of profile that usually does well at Stanford, but ultimately the GPA/LSAT combo, which is by the far the most important part of this whole thing, might be a little light. You're in good shape everywhere below HYS and have enough of a chance at HYS that it's worth applying.



Given your background you are in a really good position to land a firm job so I'd recommend taking the money as long as you stay within the T-14.

I don't think your softs are going to make a big deal. Prob should go back to Michigan. You'd get money and clearly know how to do well there.

But you were magna in nuclear engineering. Are you sure LS makes sense? With your anticipated debt load at median, you're likely in much worse shape than you are right now.

PepperJack wrote:I don't think your softs are going to make a big deal. Prob should go back to Michigan. You'd get money and clearly know how to do well there.

But you were magna in nuclear engineering. Are you sure LS makes sense? With your anticipated debt load at median, you're likely in much worse shape than you are right now.

Not necessarily. MS in mechanical engineering with relevant WE? Psh, forget about it, from a T14 he has strong chance at a 1L SA (and at median, would get multiple offers for 2L). I would be pretty confident with this background.

ED NU is probably TCR here. Only CoL debt, lots of SA cash in the bank.

I agree with Pepperjack to the extent that you probably have some very solid high paying job opportunities now, though, but I assume you're here because you've thought long and hard about pro/cons of being an attorney vs engineer

Staying in Nuclear Engineering seems like TCR here, actually...

you'll get into NYU. I'd say you'll over-perform your numbers slightly. I wouldn't expect miracles (HYS).

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nuke_engineer wrote:

phillywc wrote:Staying in Nuclear Engineering seems like TCR here, actually...

The nuclear energy industry is in decline, and there is very little opportunity for growth with my current employer. So, I can either find a new industry within the realm of engineering, or I can take this opportunity to greatly enhance my earning potential while still making good use of my engineering background by pursuing a career in patent law. The drawback of the former is that hard-core engineering is not something I want to do for the rest of my life. Thus, law school feels like the TCR.

Fellow Engineer, I know how you feel. Industry isn't for me either. Although LS might seem to be your top choice, you may not have any idea what you're getting into. Why don't you try getting a job in IP consulting (which is what I'm doing now)? It made me realize that I really do want to do patent law, but not everyone in my company feels that way. We've had people who wanted to get into IP leave after 6 months (to pursue other interests - it just wasn't for them!).

Another path is to become a patent agent, then getting a job in the product development department of a large company. I still recommend some experience in the field before proceeding though. Feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. A good chunk of our clients are IP lawyers (around 60%, the rest are companies).

But if LS is really your calling, then go for it! If it helps, my stats last cycle were 170/3.82 which got me in C down, and WL-out at H. Trying again this cycle

Worth noting that I got in Boalt with my stats, which if you're looking at pure IP, should be your top choice (except maybe S, which is 2nd best at IP). I want to do H or S because I'm a biomed eng and want to focus in medical devices (H has a great med school, and S is S). Also, voted NYU down, as I'm confident you'll get in those.

jbagelboy wrote:ED NU is probably TCR here. Only CoL debt, lots of SA cash in the bank.

This is what I came here to say. You are obviously a successful person by nature, and NU will love that (not that other schools don't). If you're committed to making the the jump to law, which it seems like you are, go to a great school in a great location, and graduate debt free.

Travis12 wrote:

jbagelboy wrote:ED NU is probably TCR here. Only CoL debt, lots of SA cash in the bank.

This is what I came here to say. You are obviously a successful person by nature, and NU will love that (not that other schools don't). If you're committed to making the the jump to law, which it seems like you are, go to a great school in a great location, and graduate debt free.

I agree. I think OP will kill it at OCI at any T14, and graduating with 45k of debt (assuming full CoA loans) would be a fantastic position.

jbagelboy wrote:

PepperJack wrote:I don't think your softs are going to make a big deal. Prob should go back to Michigan. You'd get money and clearly know how to do well there.

But you were magna in nuclear engineering. Are you sure LS makes sense? With your anticipated debt load at median, you're likely in much worse shape than you are right now.

Not necessarily. MS in mechanical engineering with relevant WE? Psh, forget about it, from a T14 he has strong chance at a 1L SA (and at median, would get multiple offers for 2L). I would be pretty confident with this background.

ED NU is probably TCR here. Only CoL debt, lots of SA cash in the bank.

I agree with Pepperjack to the extent that you probably have some very solid high paying job opportunities now, though, but I assume you're here because you've thought long and hard about pro/cons of being an attorney vs engineer

Is this actually accurate?

I know normal patent bar eligible people who got multiple offers and others who struck out. It seemed related to grades, and not significant on either end.

Update:

11/18 - Accepted at Duke
11/25 - JS1 requested! (That's a good sign, right?)
12/5 - JS1 scheduled

nuke_engineer wrote:Update:

11/18 - Accepted at Duke
11/25 - JS1 requested! (That's a good sign, right?)
12/5 - JS1 scheduled

That's awesome. And yeah, getting an interview is a good sign. Do well at the interview and you're probably in. However, I agree with the thought that ED to NU is a stellar option for someone with your work experience.

Otunga wrote:

nuke_engineer wrote:Update:

11/18 - Accepted at Duke
11/25 - JS1 requested! (That's a good sign, right?)
12/5 - JS1 scheduled

That's awesome. And yeah, getting an interview is a good sign. Do well at the interview and you're probably in. However, I agree with the thought that ED to NU is a stellar option for someone with your work experience.

Thanks, Otunga. Unfortunately, I submitted my applications before receiving the advice to apply ED to NU. I am wondering, though, what is the benefit of applying ED? I am fairly confident that I will be accepted without the ED boost. Further, wouldn't NU offer less scholarship money to an ED applicant since they do not have to compete with other offers?

nuke_engineer wrote:

Otunga wrote:

nuke_engineer wrote:Update:

11/18 - Accepted at Duke
11/25 - JS1 requested! (That's a good sign, right?)
12/5 - JS1 scheduled

That's awesome. And yeah, getting an interview is a good sign. Do well at the interview and you're probably in. However, I agree with the thought that ED to NU is a stellar option for someone with your work experience.

Thanks, Otunga. Unfortunately, I submitted my applications before receiving the advice to apply ED to NU. I am wondering, though, what is the benefit of applying ED? I am fairly confident that I will be accepted without the ED boost. Further, wouldn't NU offer less scholarship money to an ED applicant since they do not have to compete with other offers?

NU offers a full ride with their ED program. That's why I'd like it a lot in your situation with the good work experience; the logic being that your good work experience should make you more likely to land a great job whether you do NU or Harvard.

Otunga wrote:

nuke_engineer wrote:

Otunga wrote:

nuke_engineer wrote:Update:

11/18 - Accepted at Duke
11/25 - JS1 requested! (That's a good sign, right?)
12/5 - JS1 scheduled

That's awesome. And yeah, getting an interview is a good sign. Do well at the interview and you're probably in. However, I agree with the thought that ED to NU is a stellar option for someone with your work experience.

Thanks, Otunga. Unfortunately, I submitted my applications before receiving the advice to apply ED to NU. I am wondering, though, what is the benefit of applying ED? I am fairly confident that I will be accepted without the ED boost. Further, wouldn't NU offer less scholarship money to an ED applicant since they do not have to compete with other offers?

NU offers a full ride with their ED program. That's why I'd like it a lot in your situation with the good work experience; the logic being that your good work experience should make you more likely to land a great job whether you do NU or Harvard.

Oh wow, I did not know that. I see that the ED deadline is December 1. Do you think they would allow me to revise my application if I notify them before the deadline? Also, supposing I decide not to apply ED or they refuse to revise my application, what kind of scholarship do you think NU would offer?

nuke_engineer wrote:Oh wow, I did not know that. I see that the ED deadline is December 1. Do you think they would allow me to revise my application if I notify them before the deadline? Also, supposing I decide not to apply ED or they refuse to revise my application, what kind of scholarship do you think NU would offer?

Just for disclosure: I'm a 0L.

It's worth it to ask if they would let you revise it, for sure. And play with myLSN for the scholarship info and delve into the individual profiles who were accepted with your GPA/LSAT range. I'd say that you should expect to get the average money out of that pool plus a little extra due to your work experience.

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When is the deadline to switch? If you are getting strong consideration at Harvard you are likely in line for large scholarships up to a full ride throughout the T-14, including at Northwestern. I'd avoid switching to ED in your shoes because I'd want to see how everything plays out and you don't seem to have a unique attachment to Chicago. If you do apply ED you might as well wait as long as possible to see what Harvard decides.

I don't think Harvard is much better than Northwestern if you just want a firm job in IP, but it does open a lot of doors if you decide to go down a different path later. For example, my tax professor was a chemical engineer before law school, thought he was going to do IP, but ended up working as a tax associate and going back into academia. I also interviewed during OCI with a corporate finance partner who had a Ph.D. in biology and had been published in scientific journals. She went to law school also intending to do IP but other things caught her eye and she changed her mind. You'll probably end up in IP but it's never a bad idea to keep your options open. That said, you aren't prevented from changing your mind if you go to Northwestern either.

Man, you've got some tough choices to make. The advice I would give to an ordinary applicant with your numbers would be to do the NU ED because their odds at getting into H would be so low. Your softs and the fact that you already got a JS1 make this much more difficult to advise from the outside looking in. I think at the end of the day it probably comes down to your tolerance for debt, post-LS geographic preferences, and the type of firm job you want to secure (presumably you would have more varied options from H/CC).

I've got to believe you'll be in fantastic shape for a firm job in general from NU given your credentials, but someone else with more experience in that area would have to speak to that.

Disclaimer: 0L with no clue about IP hiring