Top Law Schools

Hello, thank you for reading this thread:

What would be my relative chances at:

Harvard
Duke
Columbia
NYU
Yale
UChicago
University of Pennsylvania
University of Virginia

Please let me know!

GPA: 3.87
LSAT: 170
Major: Classics, English minor
Year: Junior (2015)
Hispanic

Honors and Awards:
Full merit scholarship at Undergraduate rewarding academic high school achievement (UNC - Chapel Hill) (Fall 2011-current)
Phi Beta Kappa (Spring 2014)
Dean's List all semesters (Fall 2011-Spring 2014)
Honors Program all semesters (Fall 2011-Spring 2014)
Merit scholarship from Classics department rewarding high academic achievement and promise (Spring 2014)

Activities:
Editor-in-Chief and writer for a partisan and very prominent political campus publication (2012-present)
Member and former director of public relations for another campus group (2011-present)
Participated as an Honors Fellow in a national political organization; highly selective (2013-present)
Honors Thesis 2014-2015; authoring a 60-page honors thesis in the field of Classics (2014-2015)
Summer 2011: Assistant Director at a summer camp; managed all activities of over 100 campers and 20 staff
Summer 2012: Volunteered in the Bronx as a mentor, teacher, and role model
Summer 2013: Volunteered in Chicago as a mentor, teacher, and role model (similar program to above)
Summer 2014: Honors program (see above); taking law classes geared towards undergrads through Duke Law School

Essays: probably good; writing is one of my strongest skills
Recommendations: excellent

Thanks!

Are you Mexican/Puerto Rican, or other hispanic?

In at CCNPVD. Shot at H if you're mexican.

Nobody gets into Yale. Especially not K-JD people.

Other hispanic

What does K-JD refer to?

jrrme wrote:What does K-JD refer to?

It means you went from kindergarten to law school without a break in between college and law school. I agree with what everyone else said. Solid score/gpa that's at/or above most medians.

Up your LSAT by a point or two if you want a real shot at Harvard and Columbia (Columbia weights the LSAT heavier than chicago/nyu).

K-JD means Kindergarten through JD - no work experience in between college and law school.

Also OP, be careful about listing so much info, since it will be really easy for adcomms/employers/classmates to figure out your identity. Since you didn't post anonymously, they will be able to pull up your post history and see all the dirty laundry you air out on this site in the future. Delete some of the info that gives away your identity (Activities and Honors/Awards) or create a new username for future posts.

-scooped on KJD

Thanks for the tip! No worries: I only use forums such as this one for specific questions.

when did you take the LSAT?

You're pretty solid. It would be a lot better if you could raise your lsat a few points though, but the numbers right now will get you in plenty of t14 schools.

If I were you, I'd strongly consider working for two or three years before law school.

TheSpanishMain wrote:If I were you, I'd strongly consider working for two or three years before law school.

This. Just don't work so long that your 170 expires (unless you retake and get higher).

arklaw13 wrote:In at CCNPVD. Shot at H if you're mexican.

Nobody gets into Yale. Especially not K-JD people.

I humbly beg to differ. (YMMV)

I know a few K-JDs who got into YLS, FWIW. I feel like the strength of your application is the most important part. If you had really good softs/ internships in college, then you might have a chance. If you were just a volunteer at underwater basket weaving club and keg-stander-in-chief of SAE, your odds aren't so great.

Your GPA is strong. Your LSAT is going to be less impressive to HYS, but that doesn't mean you're out. Have you considered taking the LSAT again? I think your odds go up exponentially with 3-5 more points.

Also, whether you are an URM or not will matter. I know you said Hispanic, but MAs and PRs tend to do much better in law school admissions than other types of Latinos.

Cicero76 wrote:

arklaw13 wrote:In at CCNPVD. Shot at H if you're mexican.

Nobody gets into Yale. Especially not K-JD people.

I humbly beg to differ. (YMMV)

Really bro?

jbagelboy wrote:

Cicero76 wrote:

arklaw13 wrote:In at CCNPVD. Shot at H if you're mexican.

Nobody gets into Yale. Especially not K-JD people.

I humbly beg to differ. (YMMV)

Really bro?

It's worth pointing out. K-JD's shouldn't be discouraged from applying to Yale just because they're K-JD's

Pneumonia wrote:

jbagelboy wrote:

Cicero76 wrote:

arklaw13 wrote:In at CCNPVD. Shot at H if you're mexican.

Nobody gets into Yale. Especially not K-JD people.

I humbly beg to differ. (YMMV)

Really bro?

It's worth pointing out. K-JD's shouldn't be discouraged from applying to Yale just because they're K-JD's

Exactly. It's kinda dumb to say no KJDs get in when anybody has a chance with a 170/3.8 and it's just a hundred dollar gamble. Unless you're just taking issue with the obnoxious way I said it, but it's TLS

20% of Yale's class is KJD. 28% at Harvard.

edit

gottago wrote:K-JD here. Both stats and softs are nothing special. Got both HY. Don't let your K-JD status dissuade you. That said, what the others have said (retake for a few more points, take some time off) never hurts.

your stats are nothing special? so they're not at or above both schools medians?

james.bungles wrote:

gottago wrote:K-JD here. Both stats and softs are nothing special. Got both HY. Don't let your K-JD status dissuade you. That said, what the others have said (retake for a few more points, take some time off) never hurts.

your stats are nothing special? so they're not at or above both schools medians?

Being at GPA/LSAT medians at HYS is nothing special

Cicero76 wrote:

james.bungles wrote:

gottago wrote:K-JD here. Both stats and softs are nothing special. Got both HY. Don't let your K-JD status dissuade you. That said, what the others have said (retake for a few more points, take some time off) never hurts.

your stats are nothing special? so they're not at or above both schools medians?

Being at GPA/LSAT medians at HYS is nothing special

LOL maybe not in your ivory tower

james.bungles wrote:

Cicero76 wrote:

james.bungles wrote:

gottago wrote:K-JD here. Both stats and softs are nothing special. Got both HY. Don't let your K-JD status dissuade you. That said, what the others have said (retake for a few more points, take some time off) never hurts.

your stats are nothing special? so they're not at or above both schools medians?

Being at GPA/LSAT medians at HYS is nothing special

LOL maybe not in your ivory tower

This is literally true. Cicero and I think OP mean that median numbers at H/Y aren't special at H/Y which is true by definition. If you remove them from that context then of course it seems like the opposite.