Top Law Schools

Hi all.

I have a 172 lsat and 3.7 from a top public business school, as a F and underrepresented group (ie disabled, lgbtq, etc). My resume for on-campus involvement is strong, and I am currently hoping to do a year or two between law school and undergrad.

With my stats above and two good letters of rec/strong personal statement, how much does my job impact my admissions chances? Choosing between a social impact fellowship and a high prestige banking position, both of which have pros and cons for me personally, but I have not been able to discern if either would be a boost in admissions for a T14.

I think the only difference is in what you think you want to do with a law degree and which job better fits that. The greatest impact either will have on your application will be to make up part of a compelling narrative about you and your life/goals/etc that will make you more attractive as a candidate. Either position could serve that role.

(I also don’t think disabled/LGBQTIA are really underrepresented statuses in the sense that they come with a measurable boost in the way that being AA/Hispanic/NA does. They can help in providing the basis for a good diversity statement as part of a strong application overall, but this and the job you choose will matter only on the margins - numbers are the most important element of the application.)

wolverine2212 wrote:Hi all.

I have a 172 lsat and 3.7 from a top public business school, as a F and underrepresented group (ie disabled, lgbtq, etc). My resume for on-campus involvement is strong, and I am currently hoping to do a year or two between law school and undergrad.

With my stats above and two good letters of rec/strong personal statement, how much does my job impact my admissions chances? Choosing between a social impact fellowship and a high prestige banking position, both of which have pros and cons for me personally, but I have not been able to discern if either would be a boost in admissions for a T14.

Well, I would pick whichever will give you experience relevant to the type of law you want to do and/or what you will put in your law school application. Telling a law school you want to go into public interest work but who chose to work in banking might be a little odd (though not that odd). On the other hand, doing banking before law school and then wanting to go into securities/M&A law or something is highly relevant and will look good when you talk to law firms. Doing a fellowship really might vary. It depends on what it is you would do and how prestigious it is. Take this kind of reasoning and extend it to your goals and application, plus what you actually want to do long-term.

Realistically, does it matter that much? No. What matter are LSAT, followed by GPA, with everything else as a package in third place when it comes to admissions decisions. You already have great numbers, so the rest is just whatever you think will paint a compelling picture in your application. Schools do not care that much so long as you seem like a good applicant who will do well in law school. Some law schools might care a little, depending on the school's vibe, but really, it's a secondary consideration.

I'd personally go with prestige banking, but that's just me. Banking can't possibly hurt you. I think banking is guaranteed to teach you how to work in an office and whatnot, which is great. It looks good on a resume, too. Fellowships vary, so without more experience, hard to tell how prestigious or helpful it would be.

Absent admissions, which one do you prefer? Do that. The nice thing is you already have an awesome LSAT on the books and a nice GPA. So long as you write an adequate personal statement and other such documents, you'll surely get into at least one top school with a great scholarship (but probably several).

wolverine2212 wrote:Hi all.

I have a 172 lsat and 3.7 from a top public business school, as a F and underrepresented group (ie disabled, lgbtq, etc). My resume for on-campus involvement is strong, and I am currently hoping to do a year or two between law school and undergrad.

With my stats above and two good letters of rec/strong personal statement, how much does my job impact my admissions chances? Choosing between a social impact fellowship and a high prestige banking position, both of which have pros and cons for me personally, but I have not been able to discern if either would be a boost in admissions for a T14.

Do banking, work hard for two years, go buy side for two years, get an MBA, be in as good a position as possible at age 28. Look up posts by myself or bernietrump to compare banking and a legal career. The former is much preferable.

Regarding social impact, you can always switch into a high role in the non profit/NGO/general DC policy world after banking and an mba. Doing the reverse is much more difficult. I’d set yourself up for the long term with banking.

Please keep in mind, TLS will have a strong preference for law over banking