Top Law Schools

Hello,

A little bit of context/background about me. I am a senior in college and will soon start to apply to law school after I take my official LSAT in the late summer. After tons of studying and prep, I am averaging low-mid 170s scores on my practice tests. Although I am trying to break the barrier to upper 170s, I am projecting an LSAT score of roughly 173 when it's all said and done. After my freshman year, I transferred. schools across the country and have since had a gradual grade improvement. My GPA at my current school is roughly 3.3 to 3.4, but my GPA from both schools is likely closer to 3.1 to 3.2.

I grew up with a parent working in the defense industry, and developed an early fascination for history, defense, national security, international affairs, and politics. Ultimately, I also hope to enter the JAG Corps after my time in law school to serve my country as well and gain hands-on experience. Although my degree will be awarded in the business school, I feel as if law school is my calling and is genuinely what I want to do. For work experience, I have 3 internships with this summer being a corporate strategy internship at a Fortune 50 company.

With that said, I have a major fear that I won't get into a great law school for what I want to do. I've been targeting schools in the northeast such as UVA, GWU, Penn, GU, and Columbia. But, I have a major fear that I just have not performed up to par in my undergrad career in order to gain admission into these schools.

Apologies for the long post. Now to my questions...

1. Am I a realistic applicant that can get into these schools? Any scholarship?

2. If these schools are off the table for me, what are some alternatives that have great value for what I want to do?

Take the LSAT first. If you get a 172+, you've got at least a shot to the "T14" or, the top fourteen law schools that historically do very well in big firm placements. I'd apply to all 14 and add a few more in a region you are interested in practicing if you do not pursue JAG. I think you're a great candidate for WashU - who tends to like folks with splitter numbers and you'll get a scholarship.

However, since your goals are JAG, I don't think you need to go to a T14 to begin with and I'd just go to the school that is in an area you'd like to practice after your service and go on a full scholarship. Say you want to be in the Southeast. Getting a great scholarship to UGA, Emory, Bama, Tulane, Wake, UNC etc. might be a great option for you.

If you get a 170, you'll get a full scholarship I'd guess to GW as well.

I don't think these schools are off the table for you- just make sure to apply broadly.

There's no way for anyone to tell you what your chances are without a concrete score. Your practice scores are promising, but be prepared to write an addendum for the GPA. Also, make sure you have a few professors in mind to ask for recommendation letters.

I would also advise that you try to reflect on your current studying strategies once you do decide which law school to enroll in. You will be graded based on how well you do compared to your classmates: it's not enough to be good, you have to be better than students that most likely outperformed you academically during undergrad.

On the flip side, law school is dramatically different from anything you've seen in undergrad: so you're all going to be in equal territory, in the sense that it's going to be new for everyone.