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Hi everyone, I'm still on the fence about applying 2014/15 cycle and also considering a September retake so your input would be very much appreciated!

Stats:
uGPA: 3.74, magna cum laude from top liberal arts
LSAT: 172 (1st take, June 2014)
Softs: Average
LOR: Strong
WE: 1+ year in a pretty cool finance job
Extra stuff: immigrant, 1st gen college grad, non-URM

On one hand, I feel like it's a great cycle to apply and I feel confident that I can get my apps in early. On the other, I do enjoy this job and the pay is generous. That said - I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL!
So please let me know what you think about my chances at T14, focusing on T6. NY schools would be a dream come true!

And $$ would be a very important component of the decision-making...

If you want $$$$ from T6, retake

twitterati wrote: uGPA: 3.74, magna cum laude from top liberal arts
LSAT: 172 (1st take, June 2014)

Extra stuff: immigrant, 1st gen college grad

NYU has the AnBryce which you might qualify for.

Thanks flawschoolkid. mylsn is great and my partial reason for posting was to hear people's thoughts on the admissions trend changing (especially given June LSATs were down 8% y/y?)

Also, I've heard lots of anecdotes about people with similar numbers who outperformed and ended up at SLS/HLS. What puts them over the edge?

bailey8078 wrote:

twitterati wrote: uGPA: 3.74, magna cum laude from top liberal arts
LSAT: 172 (1st take, June 2014)

Extra stuff: immigrant, 1st gen college grad

NYU has the AnBryce which you might qualify for.

I wasn't aware of that scholarship. Thanks for the heads up bailey8078, I'll definitely apply!

twitterati wrote:Thanks flawschoolkid. mylsn is great and my partial reason for posting was to hear people's thoughts on the admissions trend changing (especially given June LSATs were down 8% y/y?)

Also, I've heard lots of anecdotes about people with similar numbers who outperformed and ended up at SLS/HLS. What puts them over the edge?

I believe the number of applicants with a 170+ LSAT increased compared to last year though, so take the overall decline in applicants with a grain of salt.

twitterati wrote:Thanks flawschoolkid. mylsn is great and my partial reason for posting was to hear people's thoughts on the admissions trend changing (especially given June LSATs were down 8% y/y?)

Also, I've heard lots of anecdotes about people with similar numbers who outperformed and ended up at SLS/HLS. What puts them over the edge?

You outperform your numbers by having strong to excellent "soft" factors in your application. Competitive numbers are required to have adcomms consider these factors at all, but once you're in the ballpark of being admitted (at or over one median) they can make a real difference in admission and scholarship decisions. These "soft" factors are everything else in your application. They include your personal statement, diversity statement, optional school-specific essays, work experience/resume, LORs, and interview. If you can really knock it out of the park and impress adcomms with some or most of the preceding things, you will outperform your numbers.

I had a very similar profile to you, except for the 1st gen part - 3.7x/172, top college, 1+ yrs strong WE. I hit CLS & NYU w/ $$ in a far more competitive cycle (several years ago). You'll probably get even more money than me. Good luck

Thanks for all the good feedback guys. jbagelboy -- I sure hope I have a cycle like yours!

If I retake in October (for $$$ as was suggested), but I submit my applications before then, will LSAC automatically send my 2nd score? If it's better than my current score of 172, I would obviously notify schools, but if it's worse, will schools be alerted anyways? Or will they proceed with the one score on file? I guess I'm trying to figure out the downsides of a retake.

jbagelboy wrote:I had a very similar profile to you, except for the 1st gen part - 3.7x/172, top college, 1+ yrs strong WE. I hit CLS & NYU w/ $$ in a far more competitive cycle (several years ago). You'll probably get even more money than me. Good luck

I don't mean to nitpick, but didn't you apply just last year? I don't think we have any indication that next cycle will be fundamentally weaker than last year (which was already a very weak cycle compared to the boom years). As has already been pointed out, the number of applicants with 170+ scores actually rose this year.

That being said, I imagine OP will perform about the way you indicate, and perhaps even better if the first-gen thing nets them the AnBryce or they snag SLS/HLS.

DrStudMuffin wrote:

jbagelboy wrote:I had a very similar profile to you, except for the 1st gen part - 3.7x/172, top college, 1+ yrs strong WE. I hit CLS & NYU w/ $$ in a far more competitive cycle (several years ago). You'll probably get even more money than me. Good luck

I don't mean to nitpick, but didn't you apply just last year? I don't think we have any indication that next cycle will be fundamentally weaker than last year (which was already a very weak cycle compared to the boom years). As has already been pointed out, the number of applicants with 170+ scores actually rose this year.

That being said, I imagine OP will perform about the way you indicate, and perhaps even better if the first-gen thing nets them the AnBryce or they snag SLS/HLS.

I applied in 2012, so two years prior to when OP applies. There has been substantial depreciation in 170+ scorers, and every school other than YS has taken median hits.

jbagelboy wrote:

DrStudMuffin wrote:

jbagelboy wrote:I had a very similar profile to you, except for the 1st gen part - 3.7x/172, top college, 1+ yrs strong WE. I hit CLS & NYU w/ $$ in a far more competitive cycle (several years ago). You'll probably get even more money than me. Good luck

I don't mean to nitpick, but didn't you apply just last year? I don't think we have any indication that next cycle will be fundamentally weaker than last year (which was already a very weak cycle compared to the boom years). As has already been pointed out, the number of applicants with 170+ scores actually rose this year.

That being said, I imagine OP will perform about the way you indicate, and perhaps even better if the first-gen thing nets them the AnBryce or they snag SLS/HLS.

I applied in 2012, so two years prior to when OP applies. There has been substantial depreciation in 170+ scorers, and every school other than YS has taken median hits.

Pretty sure the most recent data shows that applicants with 170+ scores rose by about 7.5 percent in the 2013-2014 cycle. And the median hits of which you speak were the result of a weak 2012-2013 cycle.

http://spiveyconsulting.com/blog/aba-ap ... ious-year/

Just wanted to follow up now that my cycle is over.

It went almost exactly as mylsn predicted based on my stats: WL at HLS, Penn, UVA.

$114k from Duke
$60k from Chicago
$60k from Berkeley (roughly)
?? from CLS (withdrew before scholly was offered)

Thanks everyone for the great advice--especially bailey8078 who brought my attention to the AnBryce scholarship.

I will be attending NYU next year as an AnBryce scholar which is an even better outcome than I could have even hoped for at the beginning of my application cycle.

[quote="twitterati"] I do enjoy this job and the pay is generous. quote]

The approximate number of people in your position who ought to go to law school at this time can be calculated as zero.

Congratulations on the great outcome!