Top Law Schools

Hello all! I will be applying in the fall. I got a 178 on my third attempt and have a 3.77 from a top 20 Forbes list undergrad.

My softs are decent but not spectacular: captain of a varsity sports team, thesis, internships in law and nonprofits, and currently in a Masters while teaching English (outside the US).

I'm hoping for Columbia or UChicago but the dream is Harvard.

I'd greatly appreciate any advice!

Zana wrote:Hello all! I will be applying in the fall. I got a 178 on my third attempt and have a 3.77 from a top 20 Forbes list undergrad.

My softs are decent but not spectacular: captain of a varsity sports team, thesis, internships in law and nonprofits, and currently in a Masters while teaching English (outside the US).

I'm hoping for Columbia or UChicago but the dream is Harvard.

I'd greatly appreciate any advice!

You know..it's actually harder to get into UChicago with your stats than it is to get into Harvard.

Edit: Sounded kind of curt. Point is, you should apply broadly to the T13 or at least T10 schools. $$$$ from any T10 school is better than being stuck paying near-sticker at HLS. Especially when you probably spent a good chunk of your family's fortune on a T20 UG and a foreign master's degree.

jsnow212 wrote:

Zana wrote:Hello all! I will be applying in the fall. I got a 178 on my third attempt and have a 3.77 from a top 20 Forbes list undergrad.

My softs are decent but not spectacular: captain of a varsity sports team, thesis, internships in law and nonprofits, and currently in a Masters while teaching English (outside the US).

I'm hoping for Columbia or UChicago but the dream is Harvard.

I'd greatly appreciate any advice!

You know..it's actually harder to get into UChicago with your stats than it is to get into Harvard.

Edit: Sounded kind of curt. Point is, you should apply broadly to the T13 or at least T10 schools. $$$$ from any T10 school is better than being stuck paying near-sticker at HLS. Especially when you probably spent a good chunk of your family's fortune on a T20 UG and a foreign master's degree.

Agree with the advice to apply across the T13. It doesn't make sense to limit oneself to only applying to the T6.

That said, I think you were a bit hard on OP, jsnow. Zana says she's "currently in a Masters while teaching English" abroad. So 1) she's probably self-funding some portion of her overseas stint, at least COL, 2) we don't know how much tuition she's paying for the Master's (tuition is much cheaper in many other countries), and 3) the Master's could very well be from a top institution.

It's also entirely possible - even probable - that Zana self-funded her college education through loans and/or work-study. Most students do that.

Zana, welcome to TLS and I hope you stick around!

Agreed. Apologies to OP, my previous post was too assuming.

Good luck OP, and definitely apply broadly. You're going to have a great cycle given your stats.

jsnow212 wrote:

Zana wrote:Hello all! I will be applying in the fall. I got a 178 on my third attempt and have a 3.77 from a top 20 Forbes list undergrad.

My softs are decent but not spectacular: captain of a varsity sports team, thesis, internships in law and nonprofits, and currently in a Masters while teaching English (outside the US).

I'm hoping for Columbia or UChicago but the dream is Harvard.

I'd greatly appreciate any advice!

You know..it's actually harder to get into UChicago with your stats than it is to get into Harvard.

Edit: Sounded kind of curt. Point is, you should apply broadly to the T13 or at least T10 schools. $$$$ from any T10 school is better than being stuck paying near-sticker at HLS. Especially when you probably spent a good chunk of your family's fortune on a T20 UG and a foreign master's degree.

You're like a TLS meme-bot, ie "HLS is OVERRATED" and "if you went to private undergrad you're a TRUST FUND BABY". Come on.
Re: HLS vs UChi, look at lawschooldata. HLS is objectively harder to get into. This cycle, for example, there is someone who got into Chicago with a 178/3.83, while waitlisted at HLS. This happens all the time. OP is likely to get $$ at Chicago, and will very likely get admitted to HLS (if they were KJD it would probably be a waitlist, but WE abroad + a master's will likely get them through).
Re: master's/teaching abroad, I know many people who did this in France. Given that the French have a version of democratic socialism, graduate school and healthcare are FREE. Then, if you teach English (usually not more than 12 hours a week), you can easily cover living expenses, at least in the provinces. Neat, huh?

OP: Looking at my crystal ball, I think you will get admitted to HLS, waitlist to SLS and YLS (they prefer 3.8+), $$ to CCN, and $$$+ on downward. Just write a convincing personal statement.

Thank you to all who commented! Don't worry for going hard on me, I know my education does sound expensive. The MA was pretty much free thank god.

I didn't know I would even be in waitlist range for YLS and SLS so that is good to know too. Really wish my GPA were higher - definitely messed up my freshman year. I will be sure to apply broadly and work hard on my personal statement.

Thanks again! TLS is the best.

I assumed the “harder to get into with your stats” was specifically referencing Chicago having a fondness for high GPAs.

Zana wrote:Thank you to all who commented! Don't worry for going hard on me, I know my education does sound expensive. The MA was pretty much free thank god.

I didn't know I would even be in waitlist range for YLS and SLS so that is good to know too. Really wish my GPA were higher - definitely messed up my freshman year. I will be sure to apply broadly and work hard on my personal statement.

Thanks again! TLS is the best.

We're glad to help! And kudos on your incredible stats - the vast, vast majority of 0Ls will never even approach a 178 on the LSAT. I'd venture to say that the vast majority of TLSers - moi included - scored below a 178. So you should justifiably be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. A 3.77 GPA is still extremely good by any reasonable objective standard; don't put yourself down for having a bit of difficulty adapting to college in freshman year.

jsnow212 wrote: Edit: Sounded kind of curt. Point is, you should apply broadly to the T13 or at least T10 schools. $$$$ from any T10 school is better than being stuck paying near-sticker at HLS. Especially when you probably spent a good chunk of your family's fortune on a T20 UG and a foreign master's degree.

Slightly off topic, but It's worth bearing in mind that a foreign master's degree from a top school may well cost less than the equivalent from a top private school in the US.

Veil of Ignorance wrote: OP: Looking at my crystal ball, I think you will get admitted to HLS, waitlist to SLS and YLS (they prefer 3.8+), $$ to CCN, and $$$+ on downward. Just write a convincing personal statement.

With those stats, add a convincing and carefully tailored Why X essay too. You're going to be looking at yield protection based rejections at some T14 schools that might otherwise have considered offering one of their full scholarships.

Good to know about yield protection. Do you think it's important for me to visit schools that might engage in that? (As a way to have more to talk about in the Why X essays)

Thank you!