Let’s be Realistic... Forum

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hey_isla

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Let’s be Realistic...

Post by hey_isla » Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:19 am

I haven’t taken the LSAT yet (next Saturday 2/10) but I’ve been taking practice exams and keep scoring in the low 150s. I’m going to keep at it, but worst case, that’s where I am now.

That said, I have a 3.52 UGPA. I finished my BSBA (Marketing) in 2016 and I’ve been working as a credit analyst for almost two years. I also completed a social work internship a few months ago. My resume and academic history are both strong. I worked and interned simultaneously.

I’m planning on applying to schools in NYC. I’m interested in PI and would like to go to CUNY above all. However, what are my realistic chances to all NYC schools? Prestige doesn’t matter to me. I’m hoping for scholarships and would like to know my chances for those as well. I’ll go where the money is.

Thanks in advance!

albanach

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Re: Let’s be Realistic...

Post by albanach » Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:00 pm

hey_isla wrote:I haven’t taken the LSAT yet (next Saturday 2/10) but I’ve been taking practice exams and keep scoring in the low 150s. I’m going to keep at it, but worst case, that’s where I am now.

That said, I have a 3.52 UGPA. I finished my BSBA (Marketing) in 2016 and I’ve been working as a credit analyst for almost two years. I also completed a social work internship a few months ago. My resume and academic history are both strong. I worked and interned simultaneously.

I’m planning on applying to schools in NYC. I’m interested in PI and would like to go to CUNY above all. However, what are my realistic chances to all NYC schools? Prestige doesn’t matter to me. I’m hoping for scholarships and would like to know my chances for those as well. I’ll go where the money is.

Thanks in advance!
Scholarships come with a better LSAT.

How long have you been studying? Did you take a course? If so, what one? Have you followed the study guides here?

Personally, I'd forget about February. You're scoring too law and aren't going to change that in a week. It's a non-disclosed exam, so you can't even see where you did well and where you need to improve. It's too late for admission this fall with a scholarship and offers no advantage for admission next year.

Prestige might not matter to you now, but it counts in the post graduation job hunt. And you want to attend a school where almost one in five graduates from the class of 2016 were unemployed and 6.8% were employed part time. In fact there were more people unemployed than there found jobs doing public interest.

MarkBaker212

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Re: Let’s be Realistic...

Post by MarkBaker212 » Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:44 pm

152 is the average LSAT score, so don't feel bad about that. Take that LSAT with your head held high and if you bomb it you can re-take it in June and maybe apply for early decision for Fall 2019. Or, go ahead and apply with a score in the low 150's and see what happens. Law school admissions are down and standards are little lower. Touro isn't ranked that badly and their median lSAT is in the high 140s, I believe. Maybe open your mind to schools outside of NY.

If you are wanting to do PI and have also done the SW certificate, that says something. We need lawyers for the PI jobs! There are scholarships out there and a 3.52 is nothing to scoff at! You may qualify for some degree of loan forgiveness in PI as well. Don't let people on here bring you down. There is a lot of negative energy on law school forums, a lot of "know-it-alls" and people who take themselves way too seriously. They aren't happy people. Do your own research, practice the LSAT and make informed decisions to meet YOUR objectives. Best of luck to you.

cuzzydunlop

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Re: Let’s be Realistic...

Post by cuzzydunlop » Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:52 pm

You'll get into lower tier schools, but you're not getting any $$$ with a 150 LSAT.

Hand

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Re: Let’s be Realistic...

Post by Hand » Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:56 pm

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT GOOD LUCK FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!!!!!

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CanadianWolf

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Re: Let’s be Realistic...

Post by CanadianWolf » Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:44 pm

You need to prepare as well as you can for the LSAT, take the test & examine your options when you have an actual LSAT score.

PourMeTea

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Re: Let’s be Realistic...

Post by PourMeTea » Fri Feb 02, 2018 10:16 pm

i recommend practicing mindfulness for about an hour a day before bed, it improved my LSAT score by ten points. at this point, you know everything you know and you must have faith in yourself and and be in the right mindset to execute.


here are some inspirational quotes i used--every day, pick a quote, sit in front of a mirror and repeat it. make sure you are focusing on your breath.
You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself."
I believe in one thing only, the power of human will.
I myself consider myself the most powerful figure in the world.
Pain's not bad, it's good. It teaches you things. I understand that.
Life is short butters, and thats why you have to do whatever you want all the time.
you got this

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totesTheGoat

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Re: Let’s be Realistic...

Post by totesTheGoat » Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:07 pm

hey_isla wrote:I haven’t taken the LSAT yet (next Saturday 2/10) but I’ve been taking practice exams and keep scoring in the low 150s. I’m going to keep at it, but worst case, that’s where I am now.
Do NOT attend any school that would accept you with an LSAT in the low 150s. Your chance of having a good outcome upon graduation will be on par with a coin flip. The LSAT is a learnable test, so you need to spend more time studying and more time learning the tips and tricks.
That said, I have a 3.52 UGPA. I finished my BSBA (Marketing) in 2016 and I’ve been working as a credit analyst for almost two years. I also completed a social work internship a few months ago. My resume and academic history are both strong. I worked and interned simultaneously.
The only thing that moves the needle on admissions is the GPA. 3.52/152 doesn't play well. 3.52/169 gets you money at some good schools.

However, one thing that your resume seems to say is that you have no freakin' clue what you want to do with your career. I don't mean that as an insult, but it puts up a red flag. Law school is a really bad thing to "back into." So many people flail their way into law school and regret every second of it. How does a law degree fit with your marketing degree and your social work internship? I can see where PI law fits with social work, but I'm failing to connect the dots with the marketing degree. (Note: I could be wrong on this and there could be a connection) If you have a career plan that is more detailed than just "I want to help people" or "I want to make a ton of money", feel free to ignore this paragraph.
However, what are my realistic chances to all NYC schools? Prestige doesn’t matter to me. I’m hoping for scholarships and would like to know my chances for those as well. I’ll go where the money is.


Prestige doesn't matter for prestige's sake, but the law market is quite stratified. The less prestige a school has, the harder it is to find any job, let alone a job that will pay the bills. Your planning horizon shouldn't stop at getting into law school, it should go through law school to getting a job. If a school gives you a coin flip's chance of getting the job you want, you shouldn't go into debt to pay for that dismal chance.

That said, I'm not you, so I don't know how risk tolerant you are. I just want to give you insight into the mess you'll be wading into by attending a school based on a low 150s LSAT. There's nothing wrong with waiting a year.

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