3.5/166 Military chances with or w/o a retake? Forum

[DrSpaceman]

Hey folks,

Longtime lurker, first time asker.

3.5
166
Enlisted Marine veteran of Iraq war- infantry NCO plus secondary billet as a field intelligence analyst.
Worked through undergrad- some full time, some part time as a bartender and manager, then later a chef, which is my current occupation.
Internship with state Democratic party.
Academic internship during undergrad.
2 strong LORs.

My June LSAT performance was significantly below my PT average, which was 172, so I'm already registered to retake in September.

I'm as confident as anyone that I will perform better in September, but I'm curious what I'm looking at now, and what I could be looking at in the 170's.

Goals are mainly government work- could be down for PD/DA, but also interested in BigFed and regulatory work.

Undergrad in Texas but from NC.

Thanks!

[DrSpaceman]

Bump

[TheJanitor6203]

If you're interested in government work make sure you come out of LS with minimal debt. I'm guessing you have Post 9-11 GI Bill? If so, you should be able to go to almost any school and pay no costs out of pocket. With your current numbers I'd guess you have good odds at the higher T14. Retaking is the right choice though. If you don't care where you go to school, with your current numbers, I'd apply to the entire T14 and a few other Tier 1 backup schools in areas you want to work in after law school. Before you apply, send an email to all of the schools explaining that you're a veteran and ask for a fee waiver. I did this and only paid 2 application fees out of around 20 applications. Good luck in September.

[DrSpaceman]

If you're interested in government work make sure you come out of LS with minimal debt. I'm guessing you have Post 9-11 GI Bill? If so, you should be able to go to almost any school and pay no costs out of pocket. With your current numbers I'd guess you have good odds at the higher T14. Retaking is the right choice though. If you don't care where you go to school, with your current numbers, I'd apply to the entire T14 and a few other Tier 1 backup schools in areas you want to work in after law school. Before you apply, send an email to all of the schools explaining that you're a veteran and ask for a fee waiver. I did this and only paid 2 application fees out of around 20 applications. Good luck in September.

Thanks for the response. I'm a prior reservist, so I'm not YRP eligible; I've got about 2 years (at 9 months per year) of 50% GI Bill left. Is that 50% based on the annual cap (something like 20k or 10 for me) or is it determined by the cost of the most expensive public school in the state?

Anyone know how that shakes out?

Also, I'm hoping to practice in DC or a secondary southern market. Aiming particularly for GTown, Duke, Vandy and Penn in particular. Also would be okay with UNC with $$$, but prefer a real shot at DC and/or clerkships. Any thoughts on chances at these schools specifically out there in TLSLand?