<p>I am about to graduate from a large, unprestigious Wisconsin state university (UW-Milwaukee) with a double major in English and History and, more than likely, a 4.0 GPA--a circumstance that exists mostly due to grade inflation and the fact that nearly half of the student population at my school washes out by junior year. I took the December LSAT and scored a 174, which I know is pretty good, but I also realize it's average for Harvard, Yale, and Stanford.</p>
<p>I am not one-hundred percent set on the idea of law school, and I do not even want to consider applying until I know for sure it's the right fit for me. Therefore, I'm definitely taking a year off between my undergrad and professional school, but, in the mean time, I have a few questions:</p>
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<li><p>I understand I have a reasonable shot at most of the top fourteen schools, but would my numbers yield significant scholarships at the bottom half of the fourteen? The idea of paying sticker at any school terrifies me. I know with regard to law school you should always aim for the highest ranked program you can get into, but a $100,000+ debt seems unreasonable to me.</p></li>
<li><p>I realize some schools, like Berkeley, place more emphasis on "softs" than some of the other schools. What could I do during my brief education break to build these up a bit? All I currently do at my university is work in the writing lab and participate on the Mortar Board, so I am a bit lacking in extracurriculars. (I know getting into law school is mostly a numbers game, but building my resume wouldn't hurt.)</p></li>
<li><p>Lastly, do you ever regret your decision to attend law school?</p></li>
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<li><p>It can be tough to get money from the T14 but there is some to get and you should have some chance once ourtside the top 3 or 4. Go to lawschoolnumbers.com and explore the site particularly the applicants section for each law school and you will see some awards given. Agree debt can be a killer and going to a top 30 with lots of merit aid rather than a T14 with little or no merit aid is often a choice that can be made for those with very high stats.</p></li>
<li><p>Not so sure about the softs at Berkeley. Usually the softs are less than 10% of any decision and LSAT can be 60% or more. Working in a meaningful job (and it does not have to be law related) can be a plus – law schools like maturity and many, like Northwestern, prefer those who have worked 2-3 years out of college or have gone on to get a masters.</p></li>
<li><p>No.</p></li>
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<li>Yes. I think you have a good shot of getting money from some of the T14’s.</li>
<li>It’s hard to get above average softs, especially since you are competing with students from Ivies and other elite private colleges. Luckily, softs usually don’t matter.</li>
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<li><p>I would be surprised if you didn’t get significant money from several T14 schools. </p></li>
<li><p>I would also be surprised if you didn’t get into Berkeley, so I wouldn’t worry about them in particular. But I don’t think there’s much you could do in the next couple months that would impress Yale or Stanford, the only schools that you’re not pretty likely to get into.</p></li>
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<p>Please read thriough the Thread, “What I learned about law school admission.” It will answer a lot of questions. One point worth considering is that your GPA is less important than your LSAT. Even with a 4.0, if you don’t do well on the LSAT, you won’t get into a top law school…period…</p>
<p>It also discusses the value and emphasis of “soft factors.” I really do encourage you to read over the thread.</p>
<p>Well, as I mentioned, I already scored a 174 on the December LSAT, so I’m not too concerned about doing well on it. Even though the LSAT is more important than one’s GPA, which makes sense since it functions as the great equalizer and eliminates factors like grade inflation and class choices, I think my GPA will play a role in making me look well-balanced. With that being said, I read your thread over at a different forum.</p>