3.47 LSAC GPA, 167 LSAT - What are my chances? Forum

[sadie T.]

Hi all! Thanks for any help you can provide! I am anxiously awaiting decisions from a number of schools and wanted to get someone else's opinion on my chances at the schools below. My UGPA was a 3.57, dropped .1 by LSAC, but major GPA was much higher - will that have an effect? I switched majors from Math to History and the Math courses hurt my GPA. I have six years of varied work experience (3 as a teacher), was a Division I athlete, lived and worked abroad and I have a Master's Degree. What do you think my chances are at:

BU, BC, NU, Vandy, WUSTL, USC, UCLA, GULC, Texas? (my SO works in finance and we will need to move to a city where she can find a job)

Thanks again for your opinion!

[fliptrip]

mylsn.info is going to give you your best information with respect to your chances...

[sadie T.]

mylsn.info is going to give you your best information with respect to your chances...

Great website, thanks for the heads up! I guess I was just wondering how my work experience, living abroad and being captain of a D1 athletic team would factor into my application. Any effect?

Thanks!

[fliptrip]

None of that stuff will matter even a fraction as much as your numbers in determining your outcomes. Numbers=best predictor of chances.

[Biglaw1990]

.

[sadie T.]

Cornell

Cornell?

[Biglaw1990]

.

[sadie T.]

Cornell

Cornell?

You have a shot at Cornell with your numbers. There is no comparison between Cornell's Biglaw numbers and the other schools on your list. The other schools are what people like to call "trap schools" because you can get a great job if you're in the top 20-30%, but you're out of luck if the curve doesn't do you any favors.

Unfortunately, Ithaca probably doesn't work as a place to live for my so. She actually went to Cornell for undergrad, but returning to live there in the finance world wouldn't work - we would need a larger city.

Thanks for the help!

[fliptrip]

Hmmmm...this is a challenge. You're in a weird spot numbers-wise really. If you can retake the LSAT and get to at least 170 then some better options open. You'll have some chance at NYU, which I'd imagine works well for SO and you would then I think have something of a shot to ED at Northwestern and get the $150k.

If you stay where you are LSAT-wise, then, man, it's complicated, less in terms of where you'll get in, but more in terms of where you should really be targeting. What are your career goals and where do you want to work?

[sadie T.]

Hmmmm...this is a challenge. You're in a weird spot numbers-wise really. If you can retake the LSAT and get to at least 170 then some better options open. You'll have some chance at NYU, which I'd imagine works well for SO and you would then I think have something of a shot to ED at Northwestern and get the $150k.

If you stay where you are LSAT-wise, then, man, it's complicated, less in terms of where you'll get in, but more in terms of where you should really be targeting. What are your career goals and where do you want to work?

I'm getting older by the day and I think this is my year to do it. Both my SO and I are ready for a change from the NYC area and wouldn't mind relocating for three years. I was dinged at NYU earlier this year and had to pull out my ED at NU because of a poor LSAT score on my first round.

Because I'm a little bit older, I don't think I'd enjoy the hustle of big law. I would like to eventually end up back in the NYC/Northeast region. Right now, I have this feeling that BC will be my best fit. Thoughts?

[fliptrip]

First, go and read the Vale of Tears 3L thread in the Legal Employment section of the site to give yourself some perspective on what it's like to go to school and not win on the back end of things. The struggle is absolutely real and another year's delay of school to get more points on the LSAT in order to tip the Law School/Employment equation in your favor is absolutely worth it. It's likely the most universal advise you will receive in this community.

Now that I've discharged that responsibility of informing you: BC/BU are both fine schools, given a significant discount, as long as you're willing to work in Boston or New York, I think given the fact that you don't want to do biglaw you'll be okay.

I think that since you're looking to change things up, Texas could be a great option. As long as you're willing to stick around in Texas, I would feel really good about you landing a solid job actually practicing law for the government or small/mid law. This is of course given you getting a good discount there as well.

[SD619]

Numbers-wise we are virtually identical.

My cycle acceptances so far:
Wash U
Emory
Vanderbilt
UCLA
Georgetown
Berkeley
Chicago

Held at Columbia but praying I will be accepted.

Best of luck to you!

[Biglaw1990]

.

[mornincounselor]

Numbers-wise we are virtually identical.

My cycle acceptances so far:
Wash U
Emory
Vanderbilt
UCLA
Georgetown
Berkeley
Chicago

Held at Columbia but praying I will be accepted.

Best of luck to you!

Yes, this is not at all representative of non-URM students with the same academic credentials. Likely be waitlisted at UCLA and Georgetown and 0% chance at Berkeley and Chicago.

For OP -- NU depends a lot on your prior work experience. If that part of your application is strong it helps you the most at NU. The other schools on your list that I haven't talked about you should get into with at least some money. Should be substantial money at WUSTL and quite a bit less elsewhere.

[SD619]

Numbers-wise we are virtually identical.

My cycle acceptances so far:
Wash U
Emory
Vanderbilt
UCLA
Georgetown
Berkeley
Chicago

Held at Columbia but praying I will be accepted.

Best of luck to you!

Are you a URM? If so, your cycle is unlikely to be representative of the OP's. Congrats on Chicago!

Yes, thought I specified this but must've not typed it out. On my iPhone.

MA hispanic

[Biglaw1990]

.

[SD619]

Numbers-wise we are virtually identical.

My cycle acceptances so far:
Wash U
Emory
Vanderbilt
UCLA
Georgetown
Berkeley
Chicago

Held at Columbia but praying I will be accepted.

Best of luck to you!

Are you a URM? If so, your cycle is unlikely to be representative of the OP's. Congrats on Chicago!

Yes, thought I specified this but must've not typed it out. On my iPhone.

MA hispanic

That's still an amazing cycle, even taking URM status into consideration. Have fun in Chi!

Thank you, I can't wait to visit! Although I want op to know I didn't mean to derail- if it's worth anything, I have seen non-URM with lower numbers accepted to UCLA and also to George Washington (with cash). Also to Emory and Wash u (wash u with cash). If I'm not mistaken there have been several non-URM with similar numbers that have been accepted to Georgetown this cycle as well as to northwestern ED.

[sadie T.]

First, go and read the Vale of Tears 3L thread in the Legal Employment section of the site to give yourself some perspective on what it's like to go to school and not win on the back end of things. The struggle is absolutely real and another year's delay of school to get more points on the LSAT in order to tip the Law School/Employment equation in your favor is absolutely worth it. It's likely the most universal advise you will receive in this community.

Now that I've discharged that responsibility of informing you: BC/BU are both fine schools, given a significant discount, as long as you're willing to work in Boston or New York, I think given the fact that you don't want to do biglaw you'll be okay.

I think that since you're looking to change things up, Texas could be a great option. As long as you're willing to stick around in Texas, I would feel really good about you landing a solid job actually practicing law for the government or small/mid law. This is of course given you getting a good discount there as well.

Again, thank you for the thoughtful response. How much of a discount makes BU/BC worth it? Is there a specific difference between the schools that I should pay attention to? What class rank do you need at those schools to land a strong job in three years time?

With regards to Texas, is it only worth attending if I plan to stay in the region? Will a UT law degree not carry well in the Northeast?

And how about WUSTL? It seems like they give out a fair share of cash, but get the short end of the stick on TLS. Is that because of employment numbers?

Last thing - Is it even worth considering a full scholarship at Brooklyn Law? I've heard both sides...
Thanks again!

[GFox345]

Hi all! Thanks for any help you can provide! I am anxiously awaiting decisions from a number of schools and wanted to get someone else's opinion on my chances at the schools below. My UGPA was a 3.57, dropped .1 by LSAC, but major GPA was much higher - will that have an effect? I switched majors from Math to History and the Math courses hurt my GPA. I have six years of varied work experience (3 as a teacher), was a Division I athlete, lived and worked abroad and I have a Master's Degree. What do you think my chances are at:

BU, BC, NU, Vandy, WUSTL, USC, UCLA, GULC, Texas? (my SO works in finance and we will need to move to a city where she can find a job)

Thanks again for your opinion!

I would think that your 167 could snag you some big money at BC/BU given that you are way above their 75th. Your GPA is not great, but it really isn't that bad either. People have certainly be admitted to top schools with worse, but I can tell you from experience that even a point or two on the LSAT can make a WORLD of difference. As a general rule, schools tend to throw down a lot more for above median LSATs than above median GPAs. Although, test takers in the 165-169 band EXPLODED this cycle, so that's something to take into consideration when determining whether or not you'll retake.

Given that you plan on avoiding BigLaw, I would say that you should go where the money is, but the only problem with that is that outside the T14, going to a strong school in the region in which you intend to work is going to be a better call than just going anywhere where you get a lot of money and then trying to make your way to wherever you want to end up. Sadly, going outside the T14 is not going to be hospitable to relocating for a brief time.

[sadie T.]

Hi all! Thanks for any help you can provide! I am anxiously awaiting decisions from a number of schools and wanted to get someone else's opinion on my chances at the schools below. My UGPA was a 3.57, dropped .1 by LSAC, but major GPA was much higher - will that have an effect? I switched majors from Math to History and the Math courses hurt my GPA. I have six years of varied work experience (3 as a teacher), was a Division I athlete, lived and worked abroad and I have a Master's Degree. What do you think my chances are at:

BU, BC, NU, Vandy, WUSTL, USC, UCLA, GULC, Texas? (my SO works in finance and we will need to move to a city where she can find a job)

Thanks again for your opinion!

I would think that your 167 could snag you some big money at BC/BU given that you are way above their 75th. Your GPA is not great, but it really isn't that bad either. People have certainly be admitted to top schools with worse, but I can tell you from experience that even a point or two on the LSAT can make a WORLD of difference. As a general rule, schools tend to throw down a lot more for above median LSATs than above median GPAs. Although, test takers in the 165-169 band EXPLODED this cycle, so that's something to take into consideration when determining whether or not you'll retake.

Given that you plan on avoiding BigLaw, I would say that you should go where the money is, but the only problem with that is that outside the T14, going to a strong school in the region in which you intend to work is going to be a better call than just going anywhere where you get a lot of money and then trying to make your way to wherever you want to end up. Sadly, going outside the T14 is not going to be hospitable to relocating for a brief time.

I appreciate the input! I just got accepted to BC yesterday, waiting to hear on money. How do you think BC will fare in the NYC market? Am I better off with a full boat at Brooklyn Law?