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Hi all!

I'd love some input on my chances at T14 as a splitter. Some facts about me:

- Undergraduate degree: Canadian University (science degree)
- Strong upward trend (this past year= 4.0) , poor first year performance (not naturally inclined in calculus, statistics)
- Average/ above average (?) extracurriculars (science publication and multiple research projects, also very involved in my school)

Thanks so much everyone

V

You have a shot at Columbia down. Pretty good chances for UMich and UVa. Apply broadly

EDIT: Being from Canada I am applying to a fair few Canadian schools too; any ideas of specific schools to target if I can't apply across the board? Public interest law would be my area of interest (not corporate). Thinking of applying to NYU, Columbia, UC Berkeley (I realize they like high GPAs and I'd be a big stretch)- any other ideas?

Thanks!

VJR16 wrote:EDIT: Being from Canada I am applying to a fair few Canadian schools too; any ideas of specific schools to target if I can't apply across the board? Public interest law would be my area of interest (not corporate). Thinking of applying to NYU, Columbia, UC Berkeley (I realize they like high GPAs and I'd be a big stretch)- any other ideas?

Thanks!

Apply to Columbia through Cornell. Yale Harvard and Stanford are out with your GPA. Apply to the rest of the t13 across the board. Even if you say aren't excited about UVA, they might give you a good scholarship offer you can use for negotiating elsewhere. Limiting yourself arbitrarily across the t13 is a bad idea.

I myself had similar numbers. Slightly higher LSAT and GPA. Got into a big chunk of the t13 with good scholarships (around 50%+). Use them against each other in negotiating.

Ultimately, I think you have a shot at Columbia and Chicago, but likely without much scholarship if you get in. From NYU down you have a good to great shot, with schools going to give you a divergent amount of scholarships. What is tricky about someone with a low GPA and high lsat is that your cycle will be unpredictable. Essentially, you are looking for a t13 that will "buy" your lsat score. Apply right at the opening of apps. Like first few days. Then be ready to wait a while given your split stats. And thats it!

Best of luck. Like I said, similarish position and it worked out great for me.

sparkytrainer wrote:

VJR16 wrote:EDIT: Being from Canada I am applying to a fair few Canadian schools too; any ideas of specific schools to target if I can't apply across the board? Public interest law would be my area of interest (not corporate). Thinking of applying to NYU, Columbia, UC Berkeley (I realize they like high GPAs and I'd be a big stretch)- any other ideas?

Thanks!

Apply to Columbia through Cornell. Yale Harvard and Stanford are out with your GPA. Apply to the rest of the t13 across the board. Even if you say aren't excited about UVA, they might give you a good scholarship offer you can use for negotiating elsewhere. Limiting yourself arbitrarily across the t13 is a bad idea.

I myself had similar numbers. Slightly higher LSAT and GPA. Got into a big chunk of the t13 with good scholarships (around 50%+). Use them against each other in negotiating.

Ultimately, I think you have a shot at Columbia and Chicago, but likely without much scholarship if you get in. From NYU down you have a good to great shot, with schools going to give you a divergent amount of scholarships. What is tricky about someone with a low GPA and high lsat is that your cycle will be unpredictable. Essentially, you are looking for a t13 that will "buy" your lsat score. Apply right at the opening of apps. Like first few days. Then be ready to wait a while given your split stats. And thats it!

Best of luck. Like I said, similarish position and it worked out great for me.

Wow congrats on your great results in your cycle! Money would be a big factor for me (especially when weighing US schools against comparatively much cheaper Canadian schools). Nice to hear that I might not be out of the running for scholarship money.
I hadn't read up enough about negotiating scholarship offers- now that I'm learning more about it applying across t13 (-HYS) does seem like a good idea, if even just for that purpose.

If schools look at my first term grades of my 4th year, theres a potential for a small boost although I'm not sure if they'll consider them as I'll only receive the grades in December. I also wonder about submitting a note about my issues in first year? Mental health issues - I'm not sure how schools respond to that and if my cGPA is low enough to warrant risking it.

Thanks for the advice!

VJR16 wrote:

sparkytrainer wrote:

VJR16 wrote:EDIT: Being from Canada I am applying to a fair few Canadian schools too; any ideas of specific schools to target if I can't apply across the board? Public interest law would be my area of interest (not corporate). Thinking of applying to NYU, Columbia, UC Berkeley (I realize they like high GPAs and I'd be a big stretch)- any other ideas?

Thanks!

Apply to Columbia through Cornell. Yale Harvard and Stanford are out with your GPA. Apply to the rest of the t13 across the board. Even if you say aren't excited about UVA, they might give you a good scholarship offer you can use for negotiating elsewhere. Limiting yourself arbitrarily across the t13 is a bad idea.

I myself had similar numbers. Slightly higher LSAT and GPA. Got into a big chunk of the t13 with good scholarships (around 50%+). Use them against each other in negotiating.

Ultimately, I think you have a shot at Columbia and Chicago, but likely without much scholarship if you get in. From NYU down you have a good to great shot, with schools going to give you a divergent amount of scholarships. What is tricky about someone with a low GPA and high lsat is that your cycle will be unpredictable. Essentially, you are looking for a t13 that will "buy" your lsat score. Apply right at the opening of apps. Like first few days. Then be ready to wait a while given your split stats. And thats it!

Best of luck. Like I said, similarish position and it worked out great for me.

Wow congrats on your great results in your cycle! Money would be a big factor for me (especially when weighing US schools against comparatively much cheaper Canadian schools). Nice to hear that I might not be out of the running for scholarship money.
I hadn't read up enough about negotiating scholarship offers- now that I'm learning more about it applying across t13 (-HYS) does seem like a good idea, if even just for that purpose.

If schools look at my first term grades of my 4th year, theres a potential for a small boost although I'm not sure if they'll consider them as I'll only receive the grades in December. I also wonder about submitting a note about my issues in first year? Mental health issues - I'm not sure how schools respond to that and if my cGPA is low enough to warrant risking it.

Thanks for the advice!

Dont wait for a tiny gpa bump. Seriously, apply day 1 apps are open. I wouldn't mention your health issues. Too much risk with only a tiny possibility of helping.

sparkytrainer wrote:

VJR16 wrote:

sparkytrainer wrote:

VJR16 wrote:EDIT: Being from Canada I am applying to a fair few Canadian schools too; any ideas of specific schools to target if I can't apply across the board? Public interest law would be my area of interest (not corporate). Thinking of applying to NYU, Columbia, UC Berkeley (I realize they like high GPAs and I'd be a big stretch)- any other ideas?

Thanks!

Apply to Columbia through Cornell. Yale Harvard and Stanford are out with your GPA. Apply to the rest of the t13 across the board. Even if you say aren't excited about UVA, they might give you a good scholarship offer you can use for negotiating elsewhere. Limiting yourself arbitrarily across the t13 is a bad idea.

I myself had similar numbers. Slightly higher LSAT and GPA. Got into a big chunk of the t13 with good scholarships (around 50%+). Use them against each other in negotiating.

Ultimately, I think you have a shot at Columbia and Chicago, but likely without much scholarship if you get in. From NYU down you have a good to great shot, with schools going to give you a divergent amount of scholarships. What is tricky about someone with a low GPA and high lsat is that your cycle will be unpredictable. Essentially, you are looking for a t13 that will "buy" your lsat score. Apply right at the opening of apps. Like first few days. Then be ready to wait a while given your split stats. And thats it!

Best of luck. Like I said, similarish position and it worked out great for me.

Wow congrats on your great results in your cycle! Money would be a big factor for me (especially when weighing US schools against comparatively much cheaper Canadian schools). Nice to hear that I might not be out of the running for scholarship money.
I hadn't read up enough about negotiating scholarship offers- now that I'm learning more about it applying across t13 (-HYS) does seem like a good idea, if even just for that purpose.

If schools look at my first term grades of my 4th year, theres a potential for a small boost although I'm not sure if they'll consider them as I'll only receive the grades in December. I also wonder about submitting a note about my issues in first year? Mental health issues - I'm not sure how schools respond to that and if my cGPA is low enough to warrant risking it.

Thanks for the advice!

Dont wait for a tiny gpa bump. Seriously, apply day 1 apps are open. I wouldn't mention your health issues. Too much risk with only a tiny possibility of helping.

Okay good to know! It would realistically only boost me to somewhere in the 3.4 range, so it does make sense to apply earlier with my (slightly worse) gpa. I guess I better get writing!

Also thanks for the insight I have heard various things about addendums but don't suspect my health reasons would be strong enough to help me, and I know that adding them might hurt. Any benefit to mentioning that I changed directions in terms of my degree? (Hard sciences -> softer and social sci; still a science degree overall though). Trying to convey that my first year gpa wasn't indicative of my academic potential.

E-mail admissions offices and ask for fee waivers...app fees add up. I'd recommend applying to a couple of schools outside the T14 as well so you can maybe get some leverage to negotiate scholarships (or if you want to go somewhere for very cheap). I think WUSTL is probably your best bet at a full ride or close to it. I'd expect $$$ from Emory, Minnesota and Fordham as well.

hoos89 wrote:E-mail admissions offices and ask for fee waivers...app fees add up. I'd recommend applying to a couple of schools outside the T14 as well so you can maybe get some leverage to negotiate scholarships (or if you want to go somewhere for very cheap). I think WUSTL is probably your best bet at a full ride or close to it. I'd expect $$$ from Emory, Minnesota and Fordham as well.

Great info!! Definitely will take a look at applying to a broader variety of schools for the money factor.
So much research to do!