Chances at T14 or at least T50. Forum

[garudag]

All,

I've done my undergrad from NYU with a GPA of 3.4 and have been out of school for the past 3.5 years. While my growth in my profession was considerably faster than my peers, I decided to take up the JD/MBA route. As part of this process, I've recently given both the September and December LSATs and each time scored a 159 . Looks like I could not get enough done while balancing out a full-time job.

I've worked at 2 different multi-national companies managing teams with more than 50 people at any given time. I am currently into a management role, managing cross-country teams for a financial organization. Throughout my undergrad, except for my senior year I was in the Deans list and in my professional life I was recently recognized for my exceptional people management skills. Also, one thing to consider is that I am an Asian male (looks that puts some odds against me!!!).

Given these specifications, could someone help me in developing a good applications strategy by evaluating where I stand with T14 or T50 schools? Is there any chance for an admission with some type of scholarship??? Or should I just give up those dreams and get an MBA and call it quits?

Thanks for all the help. I've been reading up a lot on TLS recently. Wish I found this earlier

[ilikebaseball]

All,

I've done my undergrad from NYU with a GPA of 3.4 and have been out of school for the past 3.5 years. While my growth in my profession was considerably faster than my peers, I decided to take up the JD/MBA route. As part of this process, I've recently given both the September and December LSATs and each time scored a 159 . Looks like I could not get enough done while balancing out a full-time job.

I've worked at 2 different multi-national companies managing teams with more than 50 people at any given time. I am currently into a management role, managing cross-country teams for a financial organization. Throughout my undergrad, except for my senior year I was in the Deans list and in my professional life I was recently recognized for my exceptional people management skills. Also, one thing to consider is that I am an Asian male (looks that puts some odds against me!!!).

Given these specifications, could someone help me in developing a good applications strategy by evaluating where I stand with T14 or T50 schools? Is there any chance for an admission with some type of scholarship??? Or should I just give up those dreams and get an MBA and call it quits?

Thanks for all the help. I've been reading up a lot on TLS recently. Wish I found this earlier

Not T14. Maybe some T50, depending where. I would retake in June if I were you and sit this cycle out

[deadpanic]

You are almost assuredly not getting into a T14 with the current numbers.

Why T50? That is a meaningless distinction. Maybe a state flagship/strong regional where you are from and want to work on a full ride would be worth it, regardless of the ranking.

To be honest with you though, why law school? Sounds like you have a good job and they may eventually pay for your MBA at a good school. I would stick with that.

[garudag]

All,

I've done my undergrad from NYU with a GPA of 3.4 and have been out of school for the past 3.5 years. While my growth in my profession was considerably faster than my peers, I decided to take up the JD/MBA route. As part of this process, I've recently given both the September and December LSATs and each time scored a 159 . Looks like I could not get enough done while balancing out a full-time job.

I've worked at 2 different multi-national companies managing teams with more than 50 people at any given time. I am currently into a management role, managing cross-country teams for a financial organization. Throughout my undergrad, except for my senior year I was in the Deans list and in my professional life I was recently recognized for my exceptional people management skills. Also, one thing to consider is that I am an Asian male (looks that puts some odds against me!!!).

Given these specifications, could someone help me in developing a good applications strategy by evaluating where I stand with T14 or T50 schools? Is there any chance for an admission with some type of scholarship??? Or should I just give up those dreams and get an MBA and call it quits?

Thanks for all the help. I've been reading up a lot on TLS recently. Wish I found this earlier

Not T14. Maybe some T50, depending where. I would retake in June if I were you and sit this cycle out

Thank you very much for the suggestion... I think that looks like the best possible option given what all the calculators say!

[garudag]

You are almost assuredly not getting into a T14 with the current numbers.

Why T50? That is a meaningless distinction. Maybe a state flagship/strong regional where you are from and want to work on a full ride would be worth it, regardless of the ranking.

To be honest with you though, why law school? Sounds like you have a good job and they may eventually pay for your MBA at a good school. I would stick with that.

I am getting a bit tired of my current career and law school looked like a good alternative... I am looking at both WashU and NYU for this and looks like I may have to wait it out

[Johann]

All,

I've done my undergrad from NYU with a GPA of 3.4 and have been out of school for the past 3.5 years. While my growth in my profession was considerably faster than my peers, I decided to take up the JD/MBA route. As part of this process, I've recently given both the September and December LSATs and each time scored a 159 . Looks like I could not get enough done while balancing out a full-time job.

I've worked at 2 different multi-national companies managing teams with more than 50 people at any given time. I am currently into a management role, managing cross-country teams for a financial organization. Throughout my undergrad, except for my senior year I was in the Deans list and in my professional life I was recently recognized for my exceptional people management skills. Also, one thing to consider is that I am an Asian male (looks that puts some odds against me!!!).

Given these specifications, could someone help me in developing a good applications strategy by evaluating where I stand with T14 or T50 schools? Is there any chance for an admission with some type of scholarship??? Or should I just give up those dreams and get an MBA and call it quits?

Thanks for all the help. I've been reading up a lot on TLS recently. Wish I found this earlier

if you make more than 65k and have a path to 100-120 in the next 3 years you are fucking up. how much do you make? how many hrs / week do you work? advancement possibilities?

[Ramius]

You are almost assuredly not getting into a T14 with the current numbers.

Why T50? That is a meaningless distinction. Maybe a state flagship/strong regional where you are from and want to work on a full ride would be worth it, regardless of the ranking.

To be honest with you though, why law school? Sounds like you have a good job and they may eventually pay for your MBA at a good school. I would stick with that.

I am getting a bit tired of my current career and law school looked like a good alternative... I am looking at both WashU and NYU for this and looks like I may have to wait it out

This is classic, "I'm 25 and my job sucks...bring back school!" You want to know the terrible secret of going to law school? Your likely best case scenario is ending up dissatisfied in a slightly higher paid job that you will inevitably burn out from.

Career doldrums happen, and sometimes the change is a good one, but doing it because you don't love your current career and have no direct plan for the professional school you want to attend will not end happily ever after.

I'm not saying you necessarily shouldn't do law school, but you seem like the typical person thinking going back to school is the fix all for your lack of excitement at your current prospects. Don't make a $300k mistake.

[garudag]

All,

I've done my undergrad from NYU with a GPA of 3.4 and have been out of school for the past 3.5 years. While my growth in my profession was considerably faster than my peers, I decided to take up the JD/MBA route. As part of this process, I've recently given both the September and December LSATs and each time scored a 159 . Looks like I could not get enough done while balancing out a full-time job.

I've worked at 2 different multi-national companies managing teams with more than 50 people at any given time. I am currently into a management role, managing cross-country teams for a financial organization. Throughout my undergrad, except for my senior year I was in the Deans list and in my professional life I was recently recognized for my exceptional people management skills. Also, one thing to consider is that I am an Asian male (looks that puts some odds against me!!!).

Given these specifications, could someone help me in developing a good applications strategy by evaluating where I stand with T14 or T50 schools? Is there any chance for an admission with some type of scholarship??? Or should I just give up those dreams and get an MBA and call it quits?

Thanks for all the help. I've been reading up a lot on TLS recently. Wish I found this earlier

if you make more than 65k and have a path to 100-120 in the next 3 years you are fucking up. how much do you make? how many hrs / week do you work? advancement possibilities?

I currently make 85K in salary and looking at a min of 5K bonus to be announced this month (Jan 2015). As far as path to 100K is concerned, with a bit of luck I might get promoted in the next 3 years (luck because we have a weird evaluation criteria that I am still coming to terms with lol). And I work anywhere from 15-18 hrs in an average day and that can go up to 24hrs straight during peak season or fall down to 5-8hrs during non-peak season...

As far as advancement possibilities is concerned, yes there is hope. The probability of me advancing in my current job is much higher than the probability of me landing a decent job paying 6-figures out of Law school. Knowing all this, the reason behind wanting to go to law school is probably romanticizing the challenge of being a lawyer. I've read many blogs and many posts discussing the pros and cons of a law school and I am still leaning towards going for it... Worst case scenario, I will start with a 60K salary right?

[garudag]

You are almost assuredly not getting into a T14 with the current numbers.

Why T50? That is a meaningless distinction. Maybe a state flagship/strong regional where you are from and want to work on a full ride would be worth it, regardless of the ranking.

To be honest with you though, why law school? Sounds like you have a good job and they may eventually pay for your MBA at a good school. I would stick with that.

I am getting a bit tired of my current career and law school looked like a good alternative... I am looking at both WashU and NYU for this and looks like I may have to wait it out

This is classic, "I'm 25 and my job sucks...bring back school!" You want to know the terrible secret of going to law school? Your likely best case scenario is ending up dissatisfied in a slightly higher paid job that you will inevitably burn out from.

Career doldrums happen, and sometimes the change is a good one, but doing it because you don't love your current career and have no direct plan for the professional school you want to attend will not end happily ever after.

I'm not saying you necessarily shouldn't do law school, but you seem like the typical person thinking going back to school is the fix all for your lack of excitement at your current prospects. Don't make a $300k mistake.

I am actually 27 lol. On a serious note, could you please elaborate on your second para? The one where you said "... and have no direct plan for the professional school..."

Thanks for taking time to write... I do agree that I should not think the grass is greener on the other end. But isn't being a lawyer exciting or rather lemme put it this way - isn't being a lawyer adventurous? I am not claiming that I am right. I expected some people to put a counter-argument to going to law school at this age / stage of my career. And I am open to changing my mind.

[iguazu]

If i were making $85k right now, I would probably not be thinking to go back to school. But good luck to you!

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

The most I made in a year before law school was ~$38k. And I made that same amount for five years straight: no raise, no bonus, no chance of advancement.

Someone in your shoes shouldn't go to law school unless you have such an intense and burning urge to practice law that you cannot imagine doing anything else.

The degree will take three years. Your lost salary during this period will be ~$275,000. If you get a lot of financial aid your cost of attendance might be $100,000. So right off the bat the cost of law school to you will be $375,000+ as well as three years of your life (studying, taking exams on a curve, preparing oral argument for moot court, fulfilling journal writing requirements, etc.).

If you attend a T50 you will have a 50-70ish% chance of a legal job after graduation with an average starting salary of about $55,000. The most likely other outcome is unemployment. If you absolutely kill law school (top 10% or higher) then you will have a shot at a job where you're making your current salary or a little bit more.

The numbers do not add up.

[Johann]

It sounds like you've got some experience in a good field and developed valuable skills. If you are sick of your job I would look to find a different employer within that same field. Your work schedule sounds a little rough but I think paying your dues in this field and trying to find something a little more cush with your experience makes the most sense rather than trying to learn a new skill (law) and start at the bottom paying your dues with brutal hours again.

[rondemarino]

But isn't being a lawyer exciting or rather lemme put it this way - isn't being a lawyer adventurous?

Only if you practice international law, where you'll be running from Zurich to Copenhagen and London for important international meetings with international businessmen. Turn off the TV and talk to some lawyers who recently graduated from schools you can realistically expect to get into. Its beyond clear you haven't done this one, very basic thing.

Not sure why you'd want to flush all your work experience down the toilet by going law school when there's a chance of at least building on that experience with an MBA (if you absolutely have to go back to school).

[mickey_mouse]

If you haven't seen it, you might want to skim this thread:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 4&t=238993

There's some crap in it, but also a lot of good info about going back to b school vs. going to law school.