178 LSAT, 3.8 GPA, messy transcript (lots of Ws), non-trad student Forum

[shadypines_ma]

Hi everyone! To put it succinctly, I have a MESSY transcript. My saving grace are my high LSAT and (relatively?) high GPA. I say "relatively" because I personally am proud of my GPA but medians are creeping! I've got like 12+ non-punitive Ws (long story but my mom had cancer and I kept enrolling in classes and then withdrawing in order to take care of her. I wanted to finish school but foolishly thought I could take on more than I should have. I learned that lesson real quick, lol).

I'm from NYC and thus my preference would thus be for Columbia, NYU or even Penn. I'd also be happy with Fordham. Also looking at blanketing the T-14 just because (for scholarship purposes, mostly). My main goal is to graduate the highest ranked school with the least debt possible, but isn't that everyone's goal?

The good thing in all of this is that I am 34 and like 12+ years removed from undergrad. I ended up graduating with a 4.0 GPA that I maintained over like 6 semesters (not CAS GPA) and multiple distinctive school honors. I've got 15+ years of substantial and very interesting work experience which started with my founding a company at 19 and becoming the director of a 50+ person department at a company which bought mine.

Thoughts?

[Rule23andMe]

I wouldn't worry. Write an addendum and you'll be set. I'd bet a lot of money you'll get into CLS and NYU with a good chunk of aid.

[ksm6969]

Hi everyone! To put it succinctly, I have a MESSY transcript. My saving grace are my high LSAT and (relatively?) high GPA. I say "relatively" because I personally am proud of my GPA but medians are creeping! I've got like 12+ non-punitive Ws (long story but my mom had cancer and I kept enrolling in classes and then withdrawing in order to take care of her. I wanted to finish school but foolishly thought I could take on more than I should have. I learned that lesson real quick, lol).

I'm from NYC and thus my preference would thus be for Columbia, NYU or even Penn. I'd also be happy with Fordham. Also looking at blanketing the T-14 just because (for scholarship purposes, mostly). My main goal is to graduate the highest ranked school with the least debt possible, but isn't that everyone's goal?

The good thing in all of this is that I am 34 and like 12+ years removed from undergrad. I ended up graduating with a 4.0 GPA that I maintained over like 6 semesters (not CAS GPA) and multiple distinctive school honors. I've got 15+ years of substantial and very interesting work experience which started with my founding a company at 19 and becoming the director of a 50+ person department at a company which bought mine.

Thoughts?

you will probably get into H, and if you are over like 28 or something (at which point they dont look at parents income), its not that hard to engineer a good grant package (depending on financial circumstances-- if you have a bunch of non-liquid/non-transferable networth tied up in retirement savings or a house then forget it).