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Taking the LSAT in December. On timed tests I've been steadily improving with my floor being 165 and ceiling being 168. Not done prepping yet, aiming for low 170s. My GPA is unfortunately meh, but I feel like I have a few mitigating circumstances. I went to a pretty good small liberal arts school (dunno if that matters), with several commitments outside of class including being head of a club for 3 years as well as volunteering. My grades were bad my first two years (with several challenging classes) and then got much better as an upperclassman.

My writing skills are excellent and I'm not worried about my personal statement, just have to choose a topic. I have a boring, not at all law-related office job but plenty of important responsibilities I could put on my resume. Not a URM, but LGBT, female, and Jewish so I was considering writing a DS about one or more of those things.

I'd like to pursue something in public interest or maybe work for a small firm. Really have my hopes set on NYU but from what I can see chances are slim. What about Cornell, or Fordham? I'd like to stay in NY state, preferably in NYC.

Impossible to say without an LSAT score

Just play around with www.mylsn.info

All that will matter are your GPA and LSAT. None of other stuff you bring up will make any meaningful difference if your numbers aren't there.

Use mylsn to get an idea. You're not going to be able to get a scholarship to Fordham that will make attending justifiable (NYC COL + presumably a lot of tuition + pretty poor employment statistics = really bad idea). If you can save up money to defray some COL and hit that ~170, you'll get Cornell. Not going to be cheap, but you'll get a job in NYC.

Traynor Brah wrote:All that will matter are your GPA and LSAT. None of other stuff you bring up will make any meaningful difference if your numbers aren't there.

Use mylsn to get an idea. You're not going to be able to get a scholarship to Fordham that will make attending justifiable (NYC COL + presumably a lot of tuition + pretty poor employment statistics = really bad idea). If you can save up money to defray some COL and hit that ~170, you'll get Cornell. Not going to be cheap, but you'll get a job in NYC.

Thanks for the input. From my research and other threads on here, it seems that Cornell is really my best shot in terms of employment stats/admission stats, unless there are any other recs in NY or that would allow me to live in NY. Not loving the idea of living in an icebox, away from everyone I know for 3 years but on the other hand it seems like Ithaca is a really cool (liberal?) town, similar to where I went to school. Hopefully COL + tuition will be manageable with a little help from my family...

Do you think delaying apps for a year, and getting a part-time, full-time, or volunteer position in a nonprofit or law office would help boost my apps? To either Cornell or NYU?

cardinal23 wrote:Do you think delaying apps for a year, and getting a part-time, full-time, or volunteer position in a nonprofit or law office would help boost my apps? To either Cornell or NYU?

It will do effectively nothing to boost your apps. GPA and LSAT are all that matter.

It may be a good idea from a non-law school/professional perspective, though; there is no reason to rush into law school. And working in a law office may help you to gauge whether or not you actually want to do this for a living.

cardinal23 wrote:

Traynor Brah wrote:All that will matter are your GPA and LSAT. None of other stuff you bring up will make any meaningful difference if your numbers aren't there.

Use mylsn to get an idea. You're not going to be able to get a scholarship to Fordham that will make attending justifiable (NYC COL + presumably a lot of tuition + pretty poor employment statistics = really bad idea). If you can save up money to defray some COL and hit that ~170, you'll get Cornell. Not going to be cheap, but you'll get a job in NYC.

Thanks for the input. From my research and other threads on here, it seems that Cornell is really my best shot in terms of employment stats/admission stats, unless there are any other recs in NY or that would allow me to live in NY. Not loving the idea of living in an icebox, away from everyone I know for 3 years but on the other hand it seems like Ithaca is a really cool (liberal?) town, similar to where I went to school. Hopefully COL + tuition will be manageable with a little help from my family...

Do you think delaying apps for a year, and getting a part-time, full-time, or volunteer position in a nonprofit or law office would help boost my apps? To either Cornell or NYU?

what do u mean re: cornell being ur best shot in terms of employment stats?

as others have said, there is no such thing as a mitigating circumstance for a low GPA/LSAT. there is also no such thing as an accurate prediction without an actual LSAT score in hand.

at this point, don't worry about what school you'll get into. that's just going to stress you out. if you get a 180, you could get into everywhere except HYS. if you get a 150, you shouldn't go to law school.

my first practice test was something like a 152. my PTs were around a 172 average. and my final score was in the 160s. this shit is variable. so just study now and worry about what school you want to go to after.

Brut wrote:

cardinal23 wrote:

Traynor Brah wrote:All that will matter are your GPA and LSAT. None of other stuff you bring up will make any meaningful difference if your numbers aren't there.

Use mylsn to get an idea. You're not going to be able to get a scholarship to Fordham that will make attending justifiable (NYC COL + presumably a lot of tuition + pretty poor employment statistics = really bad idea). If you can save up money to defray some COL and hit that ~170, you'll get Cornell. Not going to be cheap, but you'll get a job in NYC.

Thanks for the input. From my research and other threads on here, it seems that Cornell is really my best shot in terms of employment stats/admission stats, unless there are any other recs in NY or that would allow me to live in NY. Not loving the idea of living in an icebox, away from everyone I know for 3 years but on the other hand it seems like Ithaca is a really cool (liberal?) town, similar to where I went to school. Hopefully COL + tuition will be manageable with a little help from my family...

Do you think delaying apps for a year, and getting a part-time, full-time, or volunteer position in a nonprofit or law office would help boost my apps? To either Cornell or NYU?

what do u mean re: cornell being ur best shot in terms of employment stats?

Cornell's my best shot that I would accept. While I'd probably get into somewhere with worse employment stats, as others have mentioned in this thread those stats mean I'd be reluctant to go there without a full ride.