Top Law Schools

please delete

167 should get you in with that GPA*, but you'll want to aim a little higher to get a great scholarship.

With your GPA and a 167 I believe they would at least throw you a non-resident tuition exemption and a little dough, but a higher score gets you better offers from other schools, which is the only way to make UT budge.

*Though this year they seemed to make OOS people in that range go through some hoops to prove their interest in UT before making a decision (though I was in that same range, had nothing tailored, and was admitted outright) but that's still something to consider

Also apply as early as possible - you want to get in before those oos spots are locked up. Start studying now, take in September and then retake in December if necessary. Apply as soon as possible. (The one applicant with a 167 on LSN who was rejected this year with above a 3.0 didn't apply until late January).

emkay625 wrote:Also apply as early as possible - you want to get in before those oos spots are locked up. Start studying now, take in September and then retake in December if necessary. Apply as soon as possible. (The one applicant with a 167 on LSN who was rejected this year with above a 3.0 didn't apply until late January).

Truth, and there is another poster on here who had a higher GPA and LSAT than I did who applied later and didn't get in. (I'm in state though).

Also, not sure how much just attending UT = ties to Texas. Some of the other students can speak better to it

Attax wrote:

emkay625 wrote:Also apply as early as possible - you want to get in before those oos spots are locked up. Start studying now, take in September and then retake in December if necessary. Apply as soon as possible. (The one applicant with a 167 on LSN who was rejected this year with above a 3.0 didn't apply until late January).

Truth, and there is another poster on here who had a higher GPA and LSAT than I did who applied later and didn't get in. (I'm in state though).

Also, not sure how much just attending UT = ties to Texas. Some of the other students can speak better to it

I think the (potential) problem with using UT as a tie to TX is that it's located in Austin. So there's a tie to Austin (you've lived there because you go/went to UT) but a legal job in Austin is quite difficult to get, especially a legal job that pays well.

So you're from CA, go to UT, and tell a Houston firm "Oh hells yeah, I love Houston!!!" they're gonna be like "Whaaa...Bro, do you even 95 degree 100 percent humidity summer?" It's an over generalization to be sure but big cities in TX have a chip on their shoulders when it comes to people not from those cities (I've heard Dallas is even worse than Houston). For whatever it's worth I'm not from TX but lived in Houston for years before attending UT and when I applied for 1L summer jobs firms were suspicious of me and wondered if I was really interested in living and working in Houston. Um, duh, I lived and worked there for years before law school.

Especially with UT having a decent national reputation, I don't know that CA kid going to UT will signal to an employer in a place like Dallas or Houston, "Oh yeah, we've got him for the long haul."

BigZuck wrote:

Attax wrote:

emkay625 wrote:Also apply as early as possible - you want to get in before those oos spots are locked up. Start studying now, take in September and then retake in December if necessary. Apply as soon as possible. (The one applicant with a 167 on LSN who was rejected this year with above a 3.0 didn't apply until late January).

Truth, and there is another poster on here who had a higher GPA and LSAT than I did who applied later and didn't get in. (I'm in state though).

Also, not sure how much just attending UT = ties to Texas. Some of the other students can speak better to it

I think the (potential) problem with using UT as a tie to TX is that it's located in Austin. So there's a tie to Austin (you've lived there because you go/went to UT) but a legal job in Austin is quite difficult to get, especially a legal job that pays well.

So you're from CA, go to UT, and tell a Houston firm "Oh hells yeah, I love Houston!!!" they're gonna be like "Whaaa...Bro, do you even 95 degree 100 percent humidity summer?" It's an over generalization to be sure but big cities in TX have a chip on their shoulders when it comes to people not from those cities (I've heard Dallas is even worse than Houston). For whatever it's worth I'm not from TX but lived in Houston for years before attending UT and when I applied for 1L summer jobs firms were suspicious of me and wondered if I was really interested in living and working in Houston. Um, duh, I lived and worked there for years before law school.

Especially with UT having a decent national reputation, I don't know that CA kid going to UT will signal to an employer in a place like Dallas or Houston, "Oh yeah, we've got him for the long haul."

Sorry to pile on my questions (let's face it, no I'm not), but do you find this sentiment holds for people from Texas? I'm from a small town about 3 hours from Houston, 2 from Dallas and would prefer to be in Dallas. Is this whole Dallas v Houston competition as big of a deal from Texas locals, or just for out of stater's/would I be better off going for one over the other even as a resident?

They will send out an email to applicants with no obvious ties asking to write a why Texas essay. I did not write an was rejected despite receiving much better acceptances elsewhere.

Attax wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

Attax wrote:

emkay625 wrote:Also apply as early as possible - you want to get in before those oos spots are locked up. Start studying now, take in September and then retake in December if necessary. Apply as soon as possible. (The one applicant with a 167 on LSN who was rejected this year with above a 3.0 didn't apply until late January).

Truth, and there is another poster on here who had a higher GPA and LSAT than I did who applied later and didn't get in. (I'm in state though).

Also, not sure how much just attending UT = ties to Texas. Some of the other students can speak better to it

I think the (potential) problem with using UT as a tie to TX is that it's located in Austin. So there's a tie to Austin (you've lived there because you go/went to UT) but a legal job in Austin is quite difficult to get, especially a legal job that pays well.

So you're from CA, go to UT, and tell a Houston firm "Oh hells yeah, I love Houston!!!" they're gonna be like "Whaaa...Bro, do you even 95 degree 100 percent humidity summer?" It's an over generalization to be sure but big cities in TX have a chip on their shoulders when it comes to people not from those cities (I've heard Dallas is even worse than Houston). For whatever it's worth I'm not from TX but lived in Houston for years before attending UT and when I applied for 1L summer jobs firms were suspicious of me and wondered if I was really interested in living and working in Houston. Um, duh, I lived and worked there for years before law school.

Especially with UT having a decent national reputation, I don't know that CA kid going to UT will signal to an employer in a place like Dallas or Houston, "Oh yeah, we've got him for the long haul."

Sorry to pile on my questions (let's face it, no I'm not), but do you find this sentiment holds for people from Texas? I'm from a small town about 3 hours from Houston, 2 from Dallas and would prefer to be in Dallas. Is this whole Dallas v Houston competition as big of a deal from Texas locals, or just for out of stater's/would I be better off going for one over the other even as a resident?

My experience is super limited and all anecdotal so grain of salt, etc.

I have heard of people splitting 2L SAs between Houston and Dallas firms and I know of someone from Fort Worth who had 2 1L SAs in Houston. I'm sure that grades trump all concerns.

I have heard there are sometimes issues with Dallas bros wanting Houston big law and vice versa cuz of the rivalry or whatever that thing is (I guess it's sort of like the Northern CA/Southern CA thing that the OP might be familiar with). Seems like its not much of an issue for TX bros from smaller towns. I think logistically speaking it might be best to target one market over the other (at least for OCI purposes) but that's way down the line and I'm kind of talking out of my butt because I've barely started thinking about that process myself. Only so many bids to make and I think applying to, say, Baker Botts and saying "Oh yeah, Houston or Dallas, whatevs, I'm easy" might not be the best look. Doesn't mean you can't apply to the Baker Botts office of your choice, sell your love of that market as hard as you can, and then next interview walk into an interview with V&E and say you want the opposite market. I think that might all make my head spin but then again the job market is rough and you should apply as broadly as you can in as many markets as you are willing to live in until you have a job.

Chrstgtr wrote:They will send out an email to applicants with no obvious ties asking to write a why Texas essay. I did not write an was rejected despite receiving much better acceptances elsewhere.

Not necessarily true. I was not a top-flight applicant and I had no semblance of any Texas/Southern ties nor anything specific to UT in my materials, and I was admitted outright. Granted there is a big migrant pipeline between my city and Austin, it's not a "rule" that they make you do this essay. But if they ask you to do one, you absolutely have to.

I was admitted as an out of state, no why texas (wasn't asked for one).

One thing to remember if you are out of state is to ask for scholarship money. I was told outright by finaid that they basically didn't consider out of state students in their first round of scholarships.

youll very likely need to hit median at least

Nova wrote:youll very likely need to hit median at least

This. Don't forget 65% (may be a different number, but in that range) of the class (maybe offers of admission) have to come from in state. Being median is better, and lookin at LSN I'd expect the LSAT median to rise to 166-168 this year.

Why exactly Texas? Have you ever been here before? You may have better luck at a T14 if you have no ties already, b/c I'm not so sure how strong just attending UT = ties.