<p>I did poorly on the LSAT. I got a 142. I just re-took it, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I'll jump for joy if I break 150 this time.</p>
<p>My GPA is 3.3 and I'm in the Honors program.</p>
<p>My pre-law adviser suggested applying to the night divisions of law schools because they are composed mostly of older students who are returning to school later in life, have lower average LSAT scores, and are overall less competitive. She says that I can transfer to the day program if I get good grades. </p>
<p>She also said that some people do SOMETIMES get in to decent schools with not so stellar LSAT scores. She says that while it's an uphill battle, it's not a suicide mission.</p>
<p>I'm very much open to the idea of starting off somewhere lower and transferring later. I actually had a 3.6 GPA in high school and a good enough ACT score to exempt me from English and Math placement tests, but chose to start off at community college and transferred after 2 years.</p>
<p>Anyone know of any schools? Preferences of mine: Full-time program, day program, located in California (specifically SF Bay Area). The only requirement is that they participate in state and federal financial aid programs.</p>
<p>Please be realistic with my options, but don't be rude or condescending.</p>
<p>I think that you should wait until you get your scores. Based on where you are right now, you are not in a position to get any merit money or even possibly get admitted into a top school. </p>
<p>You will have to either pay or borrow the entire cost of attending law school and attending a school where your prospects for employment may not be that great after graduation.</p>
<p>I don’t get merit money now. I never have. I do; however, qualify for a lot of need-based aid due to my low income. I may get some grants and most of my loans will probably be subsidized. I could also try for scholarships based on demographics like race. Someone told me that there are programs aimed at “average” students to help them rise above average.</p>
<p>One more question: Is taking it a third time in February a good idea? Why or why not?</p>
<p>I was never aiming for a top school to begin with. My dream school is Santa Clara University. While it’s a good school, it’s not top-tier. I’m also very open to the idea of entering the night division or starting at a lower school and transferring if I can.</p>
<p>Financial aid for law school is not the same as financial aid for undergrad. some schools have merit money for the very top of the applicant pool, otherwise, financial aid is in the form of loans. When filing for financial aid, you will be considered an independent student because you will have completed your first bachelors. Many other law school students will be in the same position. Schools that do give some need based aid (HYS), will still request information from parents.</p>
<p>The numbers for Santa Clara are (use the data from the lsac) :</p>
<p>LSAT 25% 158 median 160 75% 162
part time : 25% 157 median 159 75% 161</p>
<p>P/T GPA 25% 2.94 Median 3.24 75% 3.47</p>
<p>the good news is part time has a 52% admit rate as compared to ~41% admit rate for full time. </p>
<p>For part time you would be considered a splitter. If one is going to be a splitter, it is better to be a high LSAT low gpa, where you are doe part time 75% gpa and below 25% LSAT.</p>
<p>However, even if you get a 150, you are going to be way under regarding the LSAT (which is more important in the admissions process) and it would be a challenge to be admitted part time.</p>
<p>If you are looking to get in this cycle, the Feb test is not going to help you because you will be really late in the cycle and your chances for admissions will be even lower. Instead of retaking in February, why don’t you shoot for June and apply next cycle.</p>
<p>Well, the good news is that if I retake in February, I still meet even the early decision deadlines at most of the schools I am considering. All of them also said that they don’t average scores, but just take the highest. This made me decide against cancelling my December scores.</p>
<p>I’m not viewing Santa Clara as a realistic chance unless my December score is above 150, and even then it’ll be a tough squeeze even for the night program. I’m mostly applying just to see if I luck out. I won’t even try if I can’t get past 150.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure I can prepare better because I’ll have a month and a half off of school before the February test. I didn’t prepare well for this December test due to the stress of school causing me to put off studying, and the October test I didn’t because I had to deal with an unexpected family emergency over the summer.</p>
<p>Taking a year off of school isn’t an option for me. I have student loans I need to worry about. If I take time off, they’ll go into repayment after 6 months of being out of school. This would require me to get a job just to pay them off, and that’ll start a cycle that cause most people to never go back to school. I’ll consider your advice if I can get them deferred longer, though.</p>
<p>I’m looking into non-ABA schools. Some of them aren’t that bad, and they are accredited by the State Bar of California. I’m really using them as a stepping stone to transfer to a better school later on. Santa Clara doesn’t require the LSAT for transfer students. Even if I don’t eventually transfer, I’ll still have completed my goal of getting a JD. It just might take an extra year.</p>
<p>As far as financial aid goes, being an independent student only makes my income lower, since I don’t have any income outside of my financial aid.</p>
<p>1) Santa Clara University (Santa Clara)
2) Chapman University (Orange)
3) Western State University (Fullerton)
4) Thomas Jefferson School of Law (San Diego)
5) Golden Gate University (San Francisco)
6) Southwestern Law School (Los Angeles)
5) JFK University (Pleasant Hill)
6) Lincoln Law School (San Jose)
7) University of La Verne (Ontario)
8) Trinity Law School (Santa Ana)
9) Glendale University (Glendale)
10) University of West Los Angeles - Chatsworth (Los Angeles)</p>
<p>I don’t say this to be mean-spirited, but none of the schools on your list, or other possible schools you may get into, are worth attending paying sticker or near full price. If you can improve your LSAT significantly and can attend those law schools with a full tuition merit scholarship money, that may be a different story. But, I only say ‘may’.</p>
<p>This is the same for you and every other undergrad with a degree applying to law school without work experience. Once again, financial aid for law school does not work the same way that it does for undergrad. First of all, all grad students are eligible for the minimum of 20k in stafford loans (starting next year all stafford loans will be unsubsidized). In addition, based on your credit worthiness, you can borrow the entire cost of attendance as a Grad Plus loan. Institutional aid, especially at the schools on your list is not an option unless you are at the very tip top of the pool. Merit/need based aid at law school is few and far between. Merit money comes with many stings and a gpa requirement to keep the money. Classes are graded on the basis of 1 exam- the final and there is a mandatory curve.</p>
<p>I would not recommend that you go to law school with the mind set that you are going to be transferring in to a “better” school later on because that is way easier said than done.</p>
<p>This is probably the best reason that you should not rush to go off to law school, especially to a school where your getting a job that will allow you to service your student loan debt would be low. There are students attending T-14 schools that are not getting jobs in this economy, the lower in the rankings that your school is, the harder it will be to get a job that will pay the money you need to service both your undergrad and law school debt.</p>
<p>You would be better served doing Americorps, TFA or working 2 years and applying. </p>
<p>On the really off chance that you can get some $$ by the time you apply in March (after Feb. scores are out), it will be way too late in the cycle and most of the money that the schools will have to give will have been already disbursed.</p>
<p>I do agree with lazykid that there is not a school on your list that you should consider borrowing the full cost of attendance to attend.</p>
<p>I don’t think you understand what these people are saying. Do the math. Add what you will owe for undergrad with what you would owe at the end of law school. Add a few grand for bar prep. Does that figure make you uncomfortable? What if you don’t pass the bar the first time? It may be very difficult to get a job if you go to the law schools on your list. You may find a job but it may not give you a very comfortable standard of living due to the student loans you have.</p>
<p>What you are proposing is risky. You could end up deeply in debt and have little means of paying it off. Private practice? Read the newest Grisham book, it’s pure fiction but you may get a better understanding of what you are thinking of doing.</p>