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Gpa is 3.33, LSAT 164 (took for the first time this October). I'm a Child Protective Services investigator and a Guardian ad Litem. Led 7 week long disaster relief trips during college (I'm a trained disaster recovery worker).

I want to work in NC doing public interest/government. Not in it for the money (as you can tell by my current career).

I need to stay in NC, so my only real options are UNC, Campbell, Wake, and NCCU. What are my chances?

Pretty decent chance at UNC. In 2014, 76 of 106 applicants to UNC with GPAs between 3.25-3.49 who had LSAT scores between 160-164 were accepted. And you are on the high end of that LSAT range.

Likely admit at wake forest.

Only consider UNC and Wake. See what kind of scholarships you get from both and decide based on COA; UNC is worth a fair bit more. Minimizing debt is key for your goals, though, so consider retaking the lsat this december or feb to try and squeeze out a better scholarship.

Traynor Brah wrote:Only consider UNC and Wake. See what kind of scholarships you get from both and decide based on COA; UNC is worth a fair bit more. Minimizing debt is key for your goals, though, so consider retaking the lsat this december or feb to try and squeeze out a better scholarship.

Do you think I would have a shot at scholarships for those schools though?

Yes. But retake to get more

In at UNC & WFU. You should receive scholarship money from WFU. I cannot express in words my admiration for the work that you do.

CanadianWolf wrote:In at UNC & WFU. You should receive scholarship money from WFU. I cannot express in words my admiration for the work that you do.

Hey, thanks. It's hard sometimes but I'm passionate about protecting/defending these kids.

Apply to UNC. Do not touch Campbell with a 10' pole unless you don't mind being crushed by debt and lacking job opportunities. But hey, if you like doc review or begging from scraps Campbell is the place to go.

NCCU has one benefit, its cheap. However, that is where the benefit ends.

Retake for a 170+, then you can decide between a small scholarship to Duke or UNC/Wake for free.

crumb cake wrote:Retake for a 170+, then you can decide between a small scholarship to Duke or UNC/Wake for free.

This is the right answer.

jdcumlaude wrote:Apply to UNC. Do not touch Campbell with a 10' pole unless you don't mind being crushed by debt and lacking job opportunities. But hey, if you like doc review or begging from scraps Campbell is the place to go.

NCCU has one benefit, its cheap. However, that is where the benefit ends.

I've worked/volunteered for 6 different county DSS and every attorney for CPS went to Campbell. I think for my career goals, it would get me where I needed to go. I would consider it if I went for free.

mjm1315 wrote:
I've worked/volunteered for 6 different county DSS and every attorney for CPS went to Campbell. I think for my career goals, it would get me where I needed to go. I would consider it if I went for free.

And the current Rules Chair Staff Attorney went to Campbell. Doesn't mean that they had a strong chance going in. Also, you won't get for free with those numbers. I don't know if they do many full-schollys in the first place. Though if you have a guaranteed job post-grad, you can go to Campbell for semi-low cost. They do have a pretty (very?) good bar passage rate.

lymenheimer wrote:

mjm1315 wrote:
I've worked/volunteered for 6 different county DSS and every attorney for CPS went to Campbell. I think for my career goals, it would get me where I needed to go. I would consider it if I went for free.

And the current Rules Chair Staff Attorney went to Campbell. Doesn't mean that they had a strong chance going in. Also, you won't get for free with those numbers. I don't know if they do many full-schollys in the first place. Though if you have a guaranteed job post-grad, you can go to Campbell for semi-low cost. They do have a pretty (very?) good bar passage rate.

I'm applying for a public service scholarship that's full tuition, fingers crossed!

mjm1315 wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

mjm1315 wrote:
I've worked/volunteered for 6 different county DSS and every attorney for CPS went to Campbell. I think for my career goals, it would get me where I needed to go. I would consider it if I went for free.

And the current Rules Chair Staff Attorney went to Campbell. Doesn't mean that they had a strong chance going in. Also, you won't get for free with those numbers. I don't know if they do many full-schollys in the first place. Though if you have a guaranteed job post-grad, you can go to Campbell for semi-low cost. They do have a pretty (very?) good bar passage rate.

I'm applying for a public service scholarship that's full tuition, fingers crossed!

ahh yes. I do remember seeing those. Good call, but I would still retake and try and stick with Duke, UNC, and Wake. I realize that you are dead set on PI, but there are numerous people on these forums who said the same thing and ended up in biglaw which will be very hard to get from Campbell. With 5-6 points on the LSAT and (I'm assuming) a commitment/ties to NC, Duke won't be too hard to get. Maybe not much scholarship, but at that point, UNC will be offering a decent scholarship.

lymenheimer wrote:

mjm1315 wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

mjm1315 wrote:
I've worked/volunteered for 6 different county DSS and every attorney for CPS went to Campbell. I think for my career goals, it would get me where I needed to go. I would consider it if I went for free.

And the current Rules Chair Staff Attorney went to Campbell. Doesn't mean that they had a strong chance going in. Also, you won't get for free with those numbers. I don't know if they do many full-schollys in the first place. Though if you have a guaranteed job post-grad, you can go to Campbell for semi-low cost. They do have a pretty (very?) good bar passage rate.

I'm applying for a public service scholarship that's full tuition, fingers crossed!

ahh yes. I do remember seeing those. Good call, but I would still retake and try and stick with Duke, UNC, and Wake. I realize that you are dead set on PI, but there are numerous people on these forums who said the same thing and ended up in biglaw which will be very hard to get from Campbell. With 5-6 points on the LSAT and (I'm assuming) a commitment/ties to NC, Duke won't be too hard to get. Maybe not much scholarship, but at that point, UNC will be offering a decent scholarship.

You think Duke gives a significant of a bump for being in state with ties, even though they send the vast majority OOS and the vast majority come from OOS? Genuinely curious as OP would be well below 25th on GPA and at media LSAT per the 2014 Standard 509. Maybe they are trying to establish or maintain a small but strong alumni base in the state? Even if that is the motivating goal, as I understand it from talking to Duke students it's no cakewalk to get NC even from Duke with the market saturation.

HangingAround wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

mjm1315 wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

mjm1315 wrote:
I've worked/volunteered for 6 different county DSS and every attorney for CPS went to Campbell. I think for my career goals, it would get me where I needed to go. I would consider it if I went for free.

And the current Rules Chair Staff Attorney went to Campbell. Doesn't mean that they had a strong chance going in. Also, you won't get for free with those numbers. I don't know if they do many full-schollys in the first place. Though if you have a guaranteed job post-grad, you can go to Campbell for semi-low cost. They do have a pretty (very?) good bar passage rate.

I'm applying for a public service scholarship that's full tuition, fingers crossed!

ahh yes. I do remember seeing those. Good call, but I would still retake and try and stick with Duke, UNC, and Wake. I realize that you are dead set on PI, but there are numerous people on these forums who said the same thing and ended up in biglaw which will be very hard to get from Campbell. With 5-6 points on the LSAT and (I'm assuming) a commitment/ties to NC, Duke won't be too hard to get. Maybe not much scholarship, but at that point, UNC will be offering a decent scholarship.

You think Duke gives a significant of a bump for being in state with ties, even though they send the vast majority OOS and the vast majority come from OOS? Genuinely curious as OP would be well below 25th on GPA and at media LSAT per the 2014 Standard 509. Maybe they are trying to establish or maintain a small but strong alumni base in the state? Even if that is the motivating goal, as I understand it from talking to Duke students it's no cakewalk to get NC even from Duke with the market saturation.

-well below 25th gpa. At median LSAT. In at Duke.
I didn't say it's a significant bump, but having lower(ish) numbers and a solid reason for wanting Duke (ie from nc), makes a difference than similar numbers with no reason.