<p>Applicant has 3.6 GPA and 173 LSAT, now senior at top 20 school, is not a minority applicant. Expects very strong recommendations from current professors. Is a hard-working serious student who has always selected courses with interest and care as opposed to just signing up to fulfill requirements. Desires highly rated law school, academic atmosphere but reputation for cordial relations between students and between students and professors as opposed to cut throat competition. Wants good quality of life/nice community, preferably in Eastern half of country. Wants to ENJOY the law school experience and teachers and classmates as opposed to just surviving. Appreciates fact that ideal list will be comprised of reaches, matches, and fallbacks. Current list of schools planning to apply to - in alphabetical order - follows. What schools would you eliminate or add and why? Any and all advice is very much appreciated. Is my list balanced? Do I need to add fallbacks?
George Washington
Georgetown
Harvard*
Michigan
Richmond
Vanderbilt
Virginia
Yale*
*I know. These two are absolute long shots.</p>
<p>first of all....is this 173 an actual score, or predicted, but this is a major feat in itself, if u actually have it</p>
<p>if u indeed have a 173, i would say forget GW, Richmond</p>
<p>add, Upenn, UChicago, NYU, all top 10 schools, 173 IS MONEY...i dont even care u have a 3.6, a 173 is game for all of those places....</p>
<p>also, btw, with a 173, why don't u have a higher GPA, if u had a 3.8, i would say harvard would be a 'match' without a doubt.</p>
<p>Your selection is fine. You have good shots at any top 14 school outside of HYS. Harvard is becoming more of an LSAT score but if you are unique in some way you might get there.</p>
<p>The 173 is actual, not a hope. Many practice SATs that preceded it ranged from 168-179, so I think it is an accurate representation of aptitude for law school and for taking these kinds of tests. The 3.6 is accurate too and reflects hard work. I appreciate the comments so far and would welcome more. Relative to suggestion that I delete a couple of these schools, I would be reluctant to do so without adding some so-called safeties. I would rather apply to a few too many schools than face a situation where some schools that I was confident about surprised me and I ended up not getting in anywhere.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend applying to Penn Law. The school is surprisingly collegial, with students regularly sharing outlines and old exams and professors often having lunch with students. Penn Law is a relatively small law school -- not so small where you know what all of your classmates are doing every minute of every day, but small enough that you actually know everyone in your class. Philadelphia is also a very livable city for a student, with lots of housing, eating and entertainment options. I would definitely visit!</p>
<p>One application option that you should consider with such solid LSAT scores is applying to only T14 law schools, with the option to work for a year or two before reapplying if things don't work out for you. You will be surprised just how influential work experience can be on a law school application. There is no such thing as a sure thing in law school admissions, and this is just one of many strategies to consider.</p>
<p>a match/safety that might be good but too far west for you is University of Minnesota. It's well-regarded (especially in the midwest) and that whole "Minnesota Nice" thing is DEFINITELY true. </p>
<p>I really like the Twin Cities area and find that there's a lot of fun stuff to do there. Plus the cost of living is tons lower than NY or DC or something. With an LSAT score like that, the applicant might well get a small scholarship, and if he's willing to take a year off and work in MN, he could also potentially qualify for in-state tuition.</p>
<p>Hmm, that's sort of going to be like me, if I decide to apply. My LSAT should be about that, though this IS just a hope based on practices and a 1590 SAT, and my GPA is 3.64 at Berkeley. Unfortunately, I don't have the rest going for me: I can't imagine getting strong recommendations, since I've never talked to a professor, I'm hardly hard-working or serious and I always just went for requirements. Hopefully, my command of complete sentences and a consistent narrative point of view will put me over the top.</p>
<p>Go to <a href="http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com%5B/url%5D">www.lawschoolnumbers.com</a> and look at the charts from last cycle. I have a 4.0/170 and the site has been very helpful in determining where to apply. Also check out <a href="http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org%5B/url%5D">www.lawschooldiscussion.org</a>. You should add UTexas to your list if you want a T14 safety LOL. Also, Chicago, Penn, and NYU as well as perhaps Cornell.</p>