3.95 GPA, 165 LSAT, limited application money Forum

[pizzagoblin]

Hey, everyone!

Just to get this out of the way early: I'm retaking the LSAT next week in hopes of gaining even a few more points to use with my high GPA.

Unfortunately, I just can't seem to push out of the high 160s. I'm hoping for the best outcome next week, but I wanted your opinions in case I can't beat my current score.

I've used MyLSN obsessively for the past few weeks, but there are few people with my GPA and LSAT score in the system to offer me the full picture of my application potential.

The predicament comes down to the fact that I'm living in NYC and don't have the extra cash to apply as widely as I would like. I'm hoping someone can offer me insight into what my actual chances are for some T14 and T20 schools so that I'm using my application money as wisely as possible. I don't want to pay sticker and am looking for a happy medium of prestige and money. I've luckily gotten a few application fee waivers from some T14 and below, but I want to target my applications to be economical if possible.

I got the 3.95 while getting two degrees at UF, got a 4.0 in an NYU post-grad program, and am working at Law360.

Long-time lurker appreciates any help!

[sflyr2016]

Apply early to lower t14s, like GT, and comparable schools like Vandy and UT Austin; if you are a minority, then send some apps to higher t14s. Send an app to a regional school that you may be able to go to for free, like a UF (which will help you negotiate a scholarship with other schools), and other higher-ranked regional schools that you could possibly get some money from like a GW, BU/BC. or Emory. I think 10 apps, in addition to fee waivers, should give you good options. Either way, good luck next week!

[mornincounselor]

It depends on your goals.

Do you want to stay in NYC and have a decent shot at big law? Then, I might gravitate towards Fordham/BU/BC. However, those particular schools seem to give less in scholarship money than their peers in US News ranking (for whatever they are worth).

Do you want to stay in NYC and find non-big law? There is, unfortunately, a pretty big drop off between Fordham and the next NYC schools. Although, I suspect you can get a full ride from every NY school under Fordham.

Do you not care much about where you live? Then I'd look to one of the regionals with a low cost of living AND mylsn full ride predictions (UMN, Maurer, Emory, etc.)

[Mullens]

You should attempt to solicit fee waivers from the rest of the T14.

Where you should apply based on limited applications if highly dependent on your retake score. Even then, I would urge you to try to scrape together money to apply to more schools because it might make a huge difference (tens of thousands of dollars) in scholarship negotiations.

[Iwanttolawschool]

Email every T-14 school and others you're interested in for a fee waiver. If they say no, you can scratch them off the list if you want. Hopefully you do better on the LSAT next week, but if you don't, your stats will pick up something decent in the lower T-14, and some good stuff in the Texas/ucla/vandy area

[pizzagoblin]

Thanks so much, everyone!

I am very open to moving out of the city, so that should broaden my chances considerably.

Do I have any shot of getting money at the low T14s? I really like Cornell and Northwestern and see they both give some good money, but do my stats give me that possibility?

As for schools right out of the T14, like UCLA, GWU and Notre Dame, how much money do you suspect I'm looking at?

And although I'm not sure I'll get any money from it, does UPenn really prefer high GPAs like my own?

[Hand]

Get a job, save a few hundred bucks for your applications, keep retaking the LSAT until you hit at least 170, and snatch a full ride somewhere good. You'll thank me in a few years, when loan payments are due.

[Slytherpuff]

If you can bump your score up to even a 167 or so, you'll have great chances at scholarship money in the T15-20 range. I'd say probably $90k-120k for UCLA and GW, but that was just based on my experience as a reverse splitter with those apps.

[BigZuck]

People here can't really help you assess your chances better than mylsn can so I'd just keep using that

[KMart]

Advice on how to solicit fee waivers, which you absolutely should do.

[KMart]

I'm hoping someone can offer me insight into what my actual chances are for some T14 and T20 schools so that I'm using my application money as wisely as possible. I don't want to pay sticker and am looking for a happy medium of prestige and money. I've luckily gotten a few application fee waivers from some T14 and below, but I want to target my applications to be economical if possible.

No one has mentioned WUSTL, who has been very generous lately to people with your numbers with both fee waivers and scholarships. I'd certainly look there, in addition to others. You should get fee waivers from over half the T20.

[RamTitan]

Get a job, save a few hundred bucks for your applications, keep retaking the LSAT until you hit at least 170, and snatch a full ride somewhere good. You'll thank me in a few years, when loan payments are due.

This; with your GPA you could easily go to a top 5 school with a score in the 170s.