171/3.07/Masters/2 yrs work. T14 sub-HYS? Forum

[HayabusaPrime]

Hey all,

TL;DR bullets:

171 LSAT
3.07 cumulative GPA (3.68 major courses)
Master's Degree
2 Years work experience
Black male

Chances sub-HYS T14?

TL;DR exposition:

I just got my Feb LSAT scores and was excited until I read that undergrad GPA accounts for a significant portion of a law school application. I got a 171 on the LSAT, which from my research makes me pretty competitive for T14 schools sub-HYS. But my undergrad GPA was not inspiring at 3.07. I did quite poorly in my first and into my second year. After that I did well, earning a 3.67 in my major and a 3.45 in my minor. I went on to get a master's degree from Columbia in journalism and have worked for two years as a full-time journalist in New York and Philadelphia. I'm currently reporting at Reuters.

I saw a post with the same numbers as mine in the archives from 2008 (http://www.top-law-schools.com/archives ... =9&t=37195) that indicated the prospective applicant had pretty decent chances w/ no master's but 8 years experience in journalism sub-HYS. I'm just wondering if ya'll had thoughts on my profile? I have solid connections to Columbia, Cornell and Stanford and at least one good recommendation. I'm black and will be almost 25 come time to apply.

Commenters on the archived post said it probably didn't make sense for the applicant to retake the LSAT unless he was consistently scoring in the 176-177 range. I imagine the same holds for my situation?

Any advice, tips or links to info would be much appreciated. Thanks all.

[yossarian]

In with money at lower t14. (t7-14). I don't know enough about CCN to know if you have a shot at money there. My guess would be not much?

[JDeezy]

Hey all,

TL;DR bullets:

171 LSAT
3.07 cumulative GPA (3.68 major courses)
Master's Degree
2 Years work experience
Black male

Chances sub-HYS T14?

TL;DR exposition:

I just got my Feb LSAT scores and was excited until I read that undergrad GPA accounts for a significant portion of a law school application. I got a 171 on the LSAT, which from my research makes me pretty competitive for T14 schools sub-HYS. But my undergrad GPA was not inspiring at 3.07. I did quite poorly in my first and into my second year. After that I did well, earning a 3.67 in my major and a 3.45 in my minor. I went on to get a master's degree from Columbia in journalism and have worked for two years as a full-time journalist in New York and Philadelphia. I'm currently reporting at Reuters.

I saw a post with the same numbers as mine in the archives from 2008 (http://www.top-law-schools.com/archives ... =9&t=37195) that indicated the prospective applicant had pretty decent chances w/ no master's but 8 years experience in journalism sub-HYS. I'm just wondering if ya'll had thoughts on my profile? I have solid connections to Columbia, Cornell and Stanford and at least one good recommendation. I'm black and will be almost 25 come time to apply.

Commenters on the archived post said it probably didn't make sense for the applicant to retake the LSAT unless he was consistently scoring in the 176-177 range. I imagine the same holds for my situation?

Any advice, tips or links to info would be much appreciated. Thanks all.

Apply everywhere in T14, including HYS. You'll get in many/most and money from many. Then come back and lay out the situation. Don't be afraid to negotiate scholarships.

I believe ~10 AA score 170+ per cycle. That was posted on here once. I'm sure you can find it if you search enough.

Edit: Maybe I'm wrong about HYS. Might not be worth the shot. If it was me I'd apply.

[Nova]

I believe ~10 AA score 170+ per cycle. That was posted on here once. I'm sure you can find it if you search enough.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 4&t=195443

[HayabusaPrime]

Thanks, I appreciate the quick responses! I was worried that the GPA would be a killer for me, but it seems like I have a pretty decent shot at a good number of schools. Makes me feel much better going into application season. I'll do my best to remember to come back when I get letters back to say how it panned out for future posters.