Will work experience make up for poor gpa?

Graduate School Law School
1

<p>Bit of Background.
Current Senior
174 lsat (considering retaking it, only spent a few weeks preparing for it)
Currently have a 3.5 gpa (will finish between a 3.5 and 3.6)
double major in finance + economics, math minor
School (ranked in the 30s) known for grade deflation, average gpa is around a 3.0</p>

<p>Signed a job offer with an investment bank for the next 2 years, but want to keep my options open. Considering applying to law school after program is over.</p>

<p>Hoping for NYU or Columbia. Would also be applying to Georgetown, Cornell, Penn and Yale.</p>

<p>Is it worth retaking the lsat? I'll have some time to prepare next semester.
Do I have a shot at getting in?
Also, should I get recommendation letters from professors now?
What do people who are actually working generally do with respect to recommendations?</p>

2

<p>94.44% NYU but only a 50% chance at Columbia according to the calculator with a 3.5 </p>

<p>If you can bring it up to a 3.6: Georgetown should be a good safety, and Cornell should be easy, with Penn being tough at 44% and Yale being almost impossible at 4.76%</p>

<p>[Law</a> School Probability Calculator](<a href=“http://www.hourumd.com/]Law”>http://www.hourumd.com/)</p>

3

<p>Any idea how accurate the probability calculator is?
thanks btw</p>

<p>Will work experience/anything else play a roll?
Every adcom says they prefer an applicant with work experience. Any idea how much of a roll it plays?</p>

4

<p>Oh… as to recommendations: I assume that you have an LSAC account current since you have taken the LSAT so go ahead and get your two profs that you want recs from and have them also fill out the new survey rec. Very few schools I know actually use the survey recs right now, but my son will need them to apply to Texas Tech. Other schools might follow suit since they are a new thing, and who knows what schools will want in 2 years.</p>

5

<p>To my knowledge it is pretty darn accurate and is recommended by people like Powerscore who make a business out of law school.</p>

6

<p>I got into Columbia with 172/3.6. I think you will get in. For Columbia, make sure to focus on your essays and convey why you are interested in CLS. I don’t see the point of retaking your LSAT. Your scores are excellent and you will definitely get a top 6 law school, if you apply early enough in the cycle and have decent essays. Also, don’t ever go to Georgetown Law. Like half the students there graduate unemployed. With 174 LSAT, you shouldn’t waste your application fees on either Georgetown or Cornell.</p>

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<p>Work experience won’t boost your app much at all, except at Northwestern. However, you won’t need boost anyway because you will definitely get into a top 10 school. Pre-law school work experience may not help you get into law school, but it will help you get those coveted SA slots at top NYC law firms.</p>