<p>So, i've posted help to others before and now I am in a situation I didn't expect to be in. I scored 2 pts below my PT average on the OCT lsat and hit a 169. I have a 3.7 GPA from a top non-ivy private school and will be applying next cycle. My question is this, it seems like 170 is the magic number and I missed it by one. Now I run the chance of completely missing the t14 and certainly the t10 like I had as a goal or the t6 as I had hoped. I really do not want to retake, but i'm guessing I should? Or should I work a couple years and then try NW? Thanks for any advice.</p>
<p>“Or should I work a couple years and then try NW?”</p>
<p>I get the impression that this is the safest bet anyone can count on for getting BigLaw. I hear from my friends who are in law schools that work experience count big time when it comes to big firm interviews. Unless you go to a top 6 school and safely land in top 30-40% of your class, going straight to a law school (even T14) from undergrad is a very risky business imo. (Actually, I have almost identical numbers as you do and I am strongly considering working for 2-3 years before law school for the reason I cited above. I was originally planning on going straight to law school, btw)</p>
<p>on a side note, if you are sure you want to go straight to law school, i think you’d stand a strong chance at Penn, UVA, Cornell, and Michigan. (my friend got into UVA law with 3.1 GPA and 170 LSAT.)</p>
<p>If you are going to work, that would be a good option. Also if you even do something like Americorps, a lot of schools will waive your application fees (if you don’t have fee waviers). </p>
<p>Take care of all of the paperwork stuff this year, recommendations, dean’s certifications, etc. When you decide to apply, I think you would get the biggest bang in applying at the very beginning of the next cycle (Duke priority track, EA or even ED at UVA if you are so inclined).</p>
<p>admission acceptance stats really do seem to be creeping up. I would not wait 2 years to get work experience with the hope that you’d get an acceptance to NW.
A 169/3.7 should still be the ticket to a few T-10-14 with an early application (by november 1), thoughtful personal statement and decent recommendations.<br>
I agree with Sybbie- if possible an ED application into UVA or Mich, and a willingness to accept F/T or P/T to Georgetown should get you an acceptance. And those #'s are still pretty solid for Cornell-- that is all based on this years info.
As admission seems to be getting more selective, it may not be wise to wait 2 years unless you really want the 2 years work experience- but don’t assume the WE will get you into a T-14 law school.
also as sybbie suggested- make sure you get your paperwork in order. Ask for recommendations this spring- so the professors will have submitted them by september. You really want ALL the needed documents into LSAC by september/october so the law schools receive a completed application package no later than early November.<br>
good luck.</p>
<p>^^ to marny, why do you think it will get tighter in two to three years. Apps are already down this year and will likely continue down with the economy get better. The LSAT registration as also down this year from last. If anything I would think that the Cornell median will drop back to 167 in three years than continue up to a 169.</p>
<p>Patriot
No one really knows the answer. But it does seem that gpa went up a bit this year.
As the job market still stinks, you may see more kids applying to law and other grad schools. My gut tells me you will be “safe” with a 3.7/169 (and I do think those #'s will remain good for Cornell and probably other T-14’s) but if your aim is to work for 2 years with the hope of getting a shot into a better law school, I don’t know if you will obtain that goal.</p>
<p>–if your aim is to get real life work experience that may give you an edge when interviewing for a job with a firm-- then I will agree that work experience may be a valuable asset. But I don’t know if you can rely on the experience gained by an entry level job.
d #2 just graduated college May 2010- she’s still looking for a job. Most of her friends are in the same situation. The “lucky” ones are working in a shopping mall or restaurant. That type of experience may not be too helpful when interviewing with law firms.</p>
<pre><code>another tact you may want to THINK ABOUT is to-- Go through the process next year. If you are really not happy with the results, be ready to do a retake in February or May. If your LSAT score goes up, then sit it out for a year. Get some work experience and reapply for the next cycle using the higher LSAT score.
</code></pre>
<p>I do notice on TLS and LS Numbers- that some kids decide to sit it out and reapply for the following year if they are not content with their acceptances. You have a bunch of things to think about- but as you are asking the right questions now, you are giving yourself the option to go through the law school admission process in a real smart manner.
good luck.</p>
<p>–also don’t rule out taking the LSAT again this May. My d was adamant about not taking it a 2nd time (she got a 167 and did get accepted to a few T-14’s). She did score within her practice exam range and was very content with her 167. But if you seem to be willing to take it a 2nd time, and you honestly feel you can do better the 2nd time around- then maybe a re-do is in order. But remember, unless you can score significantly better, the law schools will consider the 169 LSAT score- which geeze is a great score- as it is top 3 %.</p>
<p>Patriot- are you a junior? If so, you still have 4 semesters of grades which will be used to calculate your LSAC GPA. So-- I would strongly suggest to concentrate ALL your efforts in getting a high gpa. If you can go into the process with a
3.75 + or better, it may have a similar effect to a 3.7/ 170 LSAT.
GPA’s matter too and you may have more control over your grades than re-taking the LSAT and hoping for a higher score.</p>