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3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:28 am
by marcosand182
My LSATs came significantly below what I had been PT'ing and my entire game plan changed. I do not believe I can handle studying for and taking the LSAT again, so for now a retake is not in my plans.
3.44/167 Ivy undergrad
Straight out of undergrad
Extra context: I'm coming out of undergrad having just turned 21 and have also been applying to several jobs. It is my perception that my most happy path will take me to law school straight from undergrad, and am concerned that if I take a job, I might go that route instead of going to law school at all.
I want (well, need) to do BigLaw in NYC and these are my thoughts. Please share input.
Early Decision application to either Cornell, Georgetown or UT Austin
Regular to:
GTown/UT Austin
Vandy
UCLA
Fordham (but I feel like there's a stigma)
...and after that, idk.
Please advise.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:44 am
by sparkytrainer
Retake. Your chances for biglaw from any of those schools listed except Cornell is rather low. You can retake when you realize if you want biglaw, you need to retake. Don't complain, just crush it. You have time, take a few years and work after graduation.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:44 am
by cavalier1138
In order:
1. Breathe.
2. Look for a job.
3. Take (at least) a year off to work, live, and study for the LSAT.
4. Retake.
At some point between step 1 and step 4, I also highly recommend counseling. Take advantage of your undergrad's services while they're free. But your post contains a number of red flags that your self-worth is wrapped up in this career path you've set for yourself. Talk to someone about that, because that can be a crushing problem in law school and beyond.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:12 am
by Rigo
marcosand182 wrote:It is my perception that my most happy path will take me to law school straight from undergrad, and am concerned that if I take a job, I might go that route instead of going to law school at all.
Umm that would be amazing if you found a fulfilling path outside of law and saved you three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
marcosand182 wrote:I want (well, need) to do BigLaw in NYC and these are my thoughts.
Speaking of fulfillment, it is not NYC biglaw. Yikes.
Tap the brakes a bit and get a job. You are very young without any perspective. There's absolutely no rush to law school.
In your year or two off, you'll have more time to retake if law is what you really want.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:15 am
by Delano
Rigo wrote:marcosand182 wrote:It is my perception that my most happy path will take me to law school straight from undergrad, and am concerned that if I take a job, I might go that route instead of going to law school at all.
Umm that would be amazing if you found a fulfilling path outside of law and saved you three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Yeah. If you wouldn't go to LS after taking a job after UG, you shouldn't go at all. Yikes.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:45 am
by marcosand182
Delano wrote:Rigo wrote:marcosand182 wrote:It is my perception that my most happy path will take me to law school straight from undergrad, and am concerned that if I take a job, I might go that route instead of going to law school at all.
Umm that would be amazing if you found a fulfilling path outside of law and saved you three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Yeah. If you wouldn't go to LS after taking a job after UG, you shouldn't go at all. Yikes.
To clarify, what I meant was that if I got a job after UG and felt too secure in the position, I might second guess going to law school and that's not a position I think I want to be in. I very much want to become a lawyer because I feel that's the most appropriate career choice for me.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:00 pm
by Delano
marcosand182 wrote:Delano wrote:Rigo wrote:marcosand182 wrote:It is my perception that my most happy path will take me to law school straight from undergrad, and am concerned that if I take a job, I might go that route instead of going to law school at all.
Umm that would be amazing if you found a fulfilling path outside of law and saved you three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Yeah. If you wouldn't go to LS after taking a job after UG, you shouldn't go at all. Yikes.
To clarify, what I meant was that if I got a job after UG and felt too secure in the position, I might second guess going to law school and that's not a position I think I want to be in. I very much want to become a lawyer because I feel that's the most appropriate career choice for me.
If the job you get after UG causes you to second guess / decide against what you currently think is the most appropriate career for you, then it may not have been the most appropriate career choice for you after all. Work a bit, and then decide.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:05 pm
by Walliums
marcosand182 wrote:Delano wrote:Rigo wrote:marcosand182 wrote:It is my perception that my most happy path will take me to law school straight from undergrad, and am concerned that if I take a job, I might go that route instead of going to law school at all.
Umm that would be amazing if you found a fulfilling path outside of law and saved you three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Yeah. If you wouldn't go to LS after taking a job after UG, you shouldn't go at all. Yikes.
To clarify, what I meant was that if I got a job after UG and felt too secure in the position, I might second guess going to law school and that's not a position I think I want to be in. I very much want to become a lawyer because I feel that's the most appropriate career choice for me.
I also think you should get a job. I'm not sure what you mean by "feeling too secure in the position." Getting a job with either affirm that going to law school is the right path for you... or it won't. Either scenario is okay. You seem to have a plan and are afraid of that plan changing (because future you wants it to change). There is nothing wrong with changing your mind - so don't be afraid of the possibility.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:25 pm
by NotLawDog
Whats the Fordham stigma?
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 1:49 pm
by RedPurpleBlue
You need to take some time off to raise your LSAT. You went to an ivy UG, so your ACT/SAT should have been in the 97-99th percentile. Study the LSAT until your score gets there. Moving from the 95th percentile (167) to the 97th (170) is going to drastically increase your options and scholarship money (by tens of thousands), and it's only answering 3-4 more correct questions on the LSAT.
This is where you currently stand.
This is where you could stand.
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:10 am
by existentialcrisis
Why do you NEED biglaw in NYC?
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2017 2:59 pm
by icechicken
existentialcrisis wrote:Why do you NEED biglaw in NYC?
Reading charitably, OP probably wants to live in Manhattan or maybe one of the nicer parts of Brooklyn without struggling to pay rent every month. That's not an absurd goal to set for oneself, and NYC biglaw is the only realistic way of fulfilling it after law school, so by "need" I assume they meant that having a good shot at those jobs is a necessary precondition for going. (Of course, that ignores the excellent option of not attending law school at all.)
Re: 3.44/167 need advice
Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:20 am
by existentialcrisis
icechicken wrote:Of course, that ignores the excellent option of not attending law school at all.)