3.52/170 Forum

[aenti]

Graduated in May 13 with a 3.52. 170 LSAT. Originally in engineering, switched to a double major accounting/information systems, so there is an upward trend that I plan on addressing in an addendum.

Softs:

In my time since graduation I am working for a big 4 accounting/consulting firm. I will have 1 year of experience when I apply in.

I was quite involved during undergrad. Here are a few highlights:
-RA
-SGA senator
-Pepsi campus board (distribution of funding to school organizations)
-Residence Hall Association VP of Finance and Senator
-Student Union Building Manager
-Community service work in Belize
-Underrepresented minority recruiting/advising program.

Primary goals are Georgetown and UT Austin, but I'm curious what Top Law Schools considers as my options w/i T14. I'm also applying to UMD as a safety.

[CoffeeIsLife]

Edit: Removed mylsn graph because I wrongly assumed OP was URM

[aenti]

I am not an unrepresented minority, but I did help out in the outreach program. I know my LSAT is decent but I'm worried about my GPA.

What's your opinion on my chances with my softs/LSAT/gpa? Do I have a shot for $ at any of the T14/what would you say my reach school is?

[CoffeeIsLife]

I am not an unrepresented minority, but I did help out in the outreach program. I know my LSAT is decent but I'm worried about my GPA.

What's your opinion on my chances with my softs/LSAT/gpa? Do I have a shot for $ at any of the T14/what would you say my reach school is?

I posted the correct graph for you since you aren't URM

There are some posters on here that will have more experience with this than I do, but you have a shot at some of the lower T14, but I don't know about if you will get $.

[aenti]

Thanks for the help man. It's actually kind of surprising to me, I didn't think I'd have that many "options" within T14.

[BigZuck]

Should do about as well as mylsn says you will. The softs are nice but almost certainly not help you punch above your weight. The work experience should help come OCI. No such thing as a backup law school, don't apply to any school you wouldn't attend unless you're going to use that school as a pawn for scholarship negotiation purposes. I wouldn't bother applying to UMD, if by some chance that was your only option you should just stick with your current job.

Are you from TX and want to work in TX long term?

[aenti]

Should do about as well as mylsn says you will. The softs are nice but almost certainly not help you punch above your weight. The work experience should help come OCI. No such thing as a backup law school, don't apply to any school you wouldn't attend unless you're going to use that school as a pawn for scholarship negotiation purposes. I wouldn't bother applying to UMD, if by some chance that was your only option you should just stick with your current job.

Are you from TX and want to work in TX long term?

I'm not from TX but I'd like to live there at some point in my life. UT Austin seems reachable and I wouldn't mind living in the city post graduation. I'm from MD, so the reason I considered UMD as an option was a potential full ride although that would most likely lead to practicing in the Baltimore area, which I would not prefer. I was hoping the softs would help ease up my lower GPA but I guess they aren't good enough?

[BigZuck]

Should do about as well as mylsn says you will. The softs are nice but almost certainly not help you punch above your weight. The work experience should help come OCI. No such thing as a backup law school, don't apply to any school you wouldn't attend unless you're going to use that school as a pawn for scholarship negotiation purposes. I wouldn't bother applying to UMD, if by some chance that was your only option you should just stick with your current job.

Are you from TX and want to work in TX long term?

I'm not from TX but I'd like to live there at some point in my life. UT Austin seems reachable and I wouldn't mind living in the city post graduation. I'm from MD, so the reason I considered UMD as an option was a potential full ride although that would most likely lead to practicing in the Baltimore area, which I would not prefer. I was hoping the softs would help ease up my lower GPA but I guess they aren't good enough?

It's just such a numbers game, most softs aren't going to give you a real boost unless its like military service, things like that. Normal "involved on campus" type stuff probably won't make a difference but like I said the work experience should give you a leg up when looking for a job.

By all means apply to UT but I wouldn't make it a main target, especially if you hope to live in Austin. Jobs in Austin are pretty fiercely competitive to get, and you probably won't find one that can comfortably service the debt you will take on (assuming you're financing with loans and scholarships). UT makes more sense if you're looking for work in Dallas or Houston, and as a non-Texan you will likely be behind the 8 ball somewhat. I would probably focus more on schools like Duke/Cornell/Northwestern if I were you but by all means apply broadly, negotiate scholarships heavily, and come back once you have offers in hand and start a thread in the Choosing a Law School forum if you need help deciding. You're somewhat of a splitter given the GPA/LSAT so it's kind of unpredictable to say what your best offer will be but you'll definitely get into some good schools.

UMD can make sense if its cheap and you're good with small firm/local government work in Maryland as a likely best case scenario.

[aenti]

Thanks. You bring up some really good points. How unfavorable is the TX market to out of state citizens? And just so that I cover all my bases, if I were to pursue big law, what school/market would you recommend with my numbers?

[BigZuck]

Thanks. You bring up some really good points. How unfavorable is the TX market to out of state citizens? And just so that I cover all my bases, if I were to pursue big law, what school/market would you recommend with my numbers?

Going to UT would be a "tie" to Texas on some level, I just think that in this economy and with the level of debt we are talking about to go to law school people should focus more on places where they have pre-existing ties (ideally where you grew up/went to school, where close family lives, where a spouse grew up, etc.). Anywhere that employers could envision you living there long term for reasons other than "Oh, I love it here" which is obviously something you could just say about any place.

Big law chances out of UT are kind of dicey, really if you're big law or bust you should probably go to a T14. UT can make sense though with a strong desire to work in TX and if it is cheaper than your T14 options.

Most people who want big law should be focusing on (or at least open to) New York City because that is by far the largest market and probably the least ties sensitive.

I go to UT but haven't been through OCI yet so take all this with the appropriate grains of salt and maybe send me a personal message in like 6 months.

[norkanite]

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