<p>I posted the same story in the law school forum but I wanted to see what you guys thought. </p>
<p>I have a few concerns. </p>
<p>First of all, I graduated last year from Sac State with a BA in history and 3.62 GPA. I took the LSAT and got a 152. I did not take any prep courses. I applied to McGeorge and was accepted on Monday and have until tomorrow to decide. They offered me a $7500 scholarship. This acceptance was a shock to me because I was ready to wait another year. </p>
<p>I was prepared to take the LSAT again to get a higher score and take a prep course and then apply to Davis and Hastings. Is it worth it to wait to get into these higher ranked schools? Should I attempt to transfer to these schools after one year at McGeorge? </p>
<p>I'm also considering getting a PhD in history or Russian History. History is my passion, though I like law as well. I wouldn't mind professing. I just hear a lot of horror stories about trying to get a teaching job that I don't know if it's worth pursuing. I would also love to work for the Dept. of State as a foreign analyst. A law degree or Phd would equally be as useful to get hired doing this. </p>
<p>Should I take the GRE, see how I do, and apply to grad school? </p>
<p>Also I interned at a District Attorney's Office during my undergrad so I'm not entirely ignorant about lawyering. Working at a DA's office is something I'm interested in as well. </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Law, like history, is suffering from oversaturation, so job prospects would be slim in either case. If you’re able, I would suggest retaking the LSAT and applying to higher ranked schools with better job placement. According to USNews, only 33.8% of McGeorge graduates have secured employment at the time of graduation (compared to 82.5% at Davis).</p>
<p>Here’s a short article regarding the glut of new lawyers:
[Unemployment</a> Among Recent Law Graduates Is as Bad as It’s Ever Been - Students - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“Unemployment Among Recent Law Graduates Is as Bad as It’s Ever Been”>Unemployment Among Recent Law Graduates Is as Bad as It’s Ever Been)</p>
<p>For graduate school admissions, the importance of the GRE is not comparable to that of the LSAT; while bad GRE scores can keep you out of programs, good scores do not guarantee admission. Instead, letters of recommendation, research experience/potential, and writing samples will distinguish your application from others.</p>
<p>Consider your options carefully, and best of luck in your future endeavors!</p>
<p>If you simply “wouldn’t mind” being a professor, do not get a PhD in history. That should only be attempted by someone who really, really wants to be a professor and a history scholar. Have you done any historical research with a professor or independently? Did you write a senior thesis? Do you have a solid writing sample of 20-25 pages in length that you would be willing to submit as a sample of your work? Do you have a clear idea of what kind of work you’d pursue as a PhD student in history?</p>
<p>Honestly, for people who generally say “I can’t decide whether I want to do a PhD in history or [this other thing],” I generally think they probably shouldn’t do the PhD in history.</p>
<p>It’s hard to advise because it depends on what you want to do. In general, law is a saturated field and law grads from the top schools have the best prospects. So personally, were I in your situation, my choice would be to turn down McGeorge and retake the LSAT next year, and then apply to better-ranked law schools.</p>
<p>I did write a senior thesis that was 23 pages long and would have no problem submitting it. Ideally I would like to be admitted to the Russian History program at Davis. </p>
<p>I only say “wouldn’t mind” because I go back and forth on the two careers pretty much every day. </p>
<p>You’re probably right about McGeorge. 150K debt scares me…a lot!</p>