Where Should I Aim? - 180/3.04 Forum

[HelpMeTLS]

Hi TLS, here's my story.

I got off to a very very poor start to college. Like bad as you can get. I eventually turned it around, and my most recent six semesters are all 3.9+. I worked my ass of for the 180, this was my set goal from the start because I knew I need to make up for my poor GPA.

I do have a lot of softs, but I know that law school is a numbers game. Some of the softs are fairly unique though, but nothing like a rhodes scholar or anything like that.

I am a non-URM.

I have a lot of interest working in the NYC or Boston market upon graduation. Can you guys help me out with a schools list? I have no problem with spending money on apps to see where it might get me. Should I blanket all of T-14? Do I even have a shot at T-14? Also, Im hoping that BU or BC will take a bite at my app. Any thoughts?

Appreciate the time.

[bombaysippin]

Apply to all of the ones you just listed. Good job with that perfect score, gluck!

[whitespider]

If app money isn't an issue, definitely blanket the T14 (though YS aren't realistic) and all strong regionals in areas you'd like to practice. With a 180 you'll get good money somewhere.

[HelpMeTLS]

Would anyone suggest any EDs? For certain circumstances, scholarship money isn't a factor for me either at the moment. I'll take the best school I get into, and Im comfortable with paying close to sticker.

[Mack.Hambleton]

Would anyone suggest any EDs? For certain circumstances, scholarship money isn't a factor for me either at the moment. I'll take the best school I get into, and Im comfortable with paying close to sticker.

why r u comfortable paying sticker

[whitespider]

Super splitters are so unpredictable, I wouldn't ED anywhere unless it's your top choice. Even if you're willing to pay sticker.

[Tiago Splitter]

1. Make sure to ask for fee waivers if they aren't automatically given to you. You shouldn't have to pay for an app outside of HYSB.

2. No one is comfortable paying "close to sticker." Either you are so rich that paying 300k doesn't phase you, or you aren't and money matters. Unless you can better articulate what is meant by "for certain circumstances scholarship money isn't a factor for me at the moment" I'd recommend applying broadly to the T-14 other than Yale and Stanford and seeing what happens.

[twenty]

Seconding all the "why is 300k such a non-issue" business, but if it truly isn't (i.e, you have the full GI Bill), I would:

Apply RD to NU and GULC for sure (probably the rest of the T14, too)
Apply ED to NYU.
If you don't get NYU, ED to Penn during round 2.
If you don't get Penn, ED to UVA.
If you don't get any of these, you'll still almost definitely get at least one of NU or GULC through RD.

[HelpMeTLS]

For the people wondering about tuition - i have an ethnicity scholarship that pays 75% of whatever my bill is granted that i am admitted into a T25 school. Im comftorable paying the remainder.


Thanks for all the advice. Id like to be in New York so im gonna try the nyu ed and blanket the entire t14. If anyone has anyother thoughts id love to hear them.

[twenty]

Yeah, if that's the case, ED NYU and play it by ear from there.

[HelpMeTLS]

Yeah, if that's the case, ED NYU and play it by ear from there.

No shot at Columbia with an ED, right?

[twenty]

It's not that you have "no shot" per se, it's that if you ED to Columbia you lose your ability to ED to NYU.

Here are two profiles; one guy with meh softs:

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/splitmuch

and one guy with pretty good softs:

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/edburke

Like, holy shit, NYU came through for the last guy a few days before classes started. Before that, he would have ended up at Northwestern. Consequently, you kind of have to approach this cycle a bit more aggressively than most. Don't wait for your ship to come in.

[Tiago Splitter]

I'd agree that it makes more sense to ED NYU than Columbia. NYU has a larger class and is more willing to dip down to a GPA as low as yours. OTOH an ethnicity scholarship suggests you may be of an ethnicity that is less helpful than URM but perhaps more helpful than being white. Something like non-URM Hispanic would put you in an interesting spot.

[HelpMeTLS]

Okay, thanks for all the responses. I feel better about this now. So do you guys think that its more likely I'll end up at a T-14 opposed to a school like BU or BC?

[Tiago Splitter]

Okay, thanks for all the responses. I feel better about this now. So do you guys think that its more likely I'll end up at a T-14 opposed to a school like BU or BC?

Schools like BU and BC tend not to be great options for splitters because they don't offer enough scholarship money to justify the decreased employment opportunities. They're definitely worth applying to, but without ED you could end up choosing between BC with 75k and NYU with 25k or something like that, and BC isn't worth it at that price point. If you were from another region of the country, like the midwest, there would be non-T14's in the same tier as BC/BU that would pay upwards of a full ride for your LSAT. Unfortunately, the Boston regionals generally don't play that way.

[Ramius]

For the people wondering about tuition - i have an ethnicity scholarship that pays 75% of whatever my bill is granted that i am admitted into a T25 school. Im comftorable paying the remainder.


Thanks for all the advice. Id like to be in New York so im gonna try the nyu ed and blanket the entire t14. If anyone has anyother thoughts id love to hear them.

Why is the scholarship contingent on something as arbitrary as a "T25" school? Not to derail, but that seems pretty silly.

[Mack.Hambleton]

For the people wondering about tuition - i have an ethnicity scholarship that pays 75% of whatever my bill is granted that i am admitted into a T25 school. Im comftorable paying the remainder.


Thanks for all the advice. Id like to be in New York so im gonna try the nyu ed and blanket the entire t14. If anyone has anyother thoughts id love to hear them.

Why is the scholarship contingent on something as arbitrary as a "T25" school? Not to derail, but that seems pretty silly.

they just really hate notre dame