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I sense there will be some groaning here... but I am looking at applying to T-14 and especially HLS or SLS but I honestly don't think I have any kind of chance at HS because of my undergraduate GPA even though otherwise I've got a lot of other things working in my favor. I know my stats are not HYS but I wonder if my softs will make up for it (although I realize I may be experiencing some wishful thinking)

Here are my stats:
GPA: 3.45, undergrad at UVA
LSAT: 179
- two masters degrees, one from UVA & another from Arizona State
- I have a PhD from the University of Birmingham in the UK (I studied out of the country for a while)
- taught high school history/government for seven years
- formerly an adjunct for a community college, now an adjunct for a t-30 undergraduate institution
- first generation college student
- Non-urm

Do I have any chance at all at HYS? I know there's an outside chance at H just based on my stats, but most of what I've seen indicates I'm pretty much locked out of Yale and Stanford.

It sounds like you have a really interesting background. If you're able to spin that into a super compelling "why law" PS, I don't think Y/S are necessarily out of reach. They're long shots for any applicant.

QContinuum wrote:It sounds like you have a really interesting background. If you're able to spin that into a super compelling "why law" PS, I don't think Y/S are necessarily out of reach. They're long shots for any applicant.

Thanks for the encouragement! I can only hope so..

Do you think I have any chances at money at Columbia-Duke?

Wineburg wrote:I sense there will be some groaning here... but I am looking at applying to T-14 and especially HLS or SLS but I honestly don't think I have any kind of chance at HS because of my undergraduate GPA even though otherwise I've got a lot of other things working in my favor. I know my stats are not HYS but I wonder if my softs will make up for it (although I realize I may be experiencing some wishful thinking)

Here are my stats:
GPA: 3.45, undergrad at UVA
LSAT: 179
- two masters degrees, one from UVA & another from Arizona State
- I have a PhD from the University of Birmingham in the UK (I studied out of the country for a while)
- taught high school history/government for seven years
- formerly an adjunct for a community college, now an adjunct for a t-30 undergraduate institution
- first generation college student
- Non-urm

Do I have any chance at all at HYS? I know there's an outside chance at H just based on my stats, but most of what I've seen indicates I'm pretty much locked out of Yale and Stanford.

I think you have a chance given UVA undergrad and also all that you've done with PhD, teaching, politics/government/history focus. You are also first-gen, which IS -- in it's own way -- URM, to be honest. That WILL be taken into account. I would somehow include a diversity essay as well, emphasizing why you're fit for law school...