Dropped out multiple times, chances at HLS? Forum

[Bluebird17]

I dropped out of a lower t-14 four times due to mental health issues. What are my chances at HLS if I retake and reapply after working for a few years? I have yet to obtain 30 credits at the lower t-14, so I should still be eligible to apply. My GPA at the lower t-14 is a 2.4 but I didn't apply myself and would be this time around.

GPA: 3.5
LSAT: 168 (would be retaking)
Native American

I'm capable of doing better on the LSAT. Is my terrible experience at the lower t-14 too much to overcome in my reapplication? Are my grades too low? I can improve my LSAT but would it be worthwhile?

[Bluebird17]

I have been medically cleared to return. I was thinking about working to show stability before applying.

[snowball2]

I have been medically cleared to return. I was thinking about working to show stability before applying.

You've piqued my curiosity. Over how long a period? Were you not medically cleared for the first 3 returns?

[melmelcoolj]

I dropped out of a lower t-14 four times due to mental health issues. What are my chances at HLS if I retake and reapply after working for a few years? I have yet to obtain 30 credits at the lower t-14, so I should still be eligible to apply. My GPA at the lower t-14 is a 2.4 but I didn't apply myself and would be this time around.

GPA: 3.5
LSAT: 168 (would be retaking)
Native American

I'm capable of doing better on the LSAT. Is my terrible experience at the lower t-14 too much to overcome in my reapplication? Are my grades too low? I can improve my LSAT but would it be worthwhile?

I think you might want to consult Spivey or Anna Ivey - hire them to help you with your application, since your case so unique.
Were you medically cleared? I would say law schools don't look favorably on your mental health issues, even though they claim to be tolerant. But, like you said, they impede on your ability to perform. How are you going to prove that you would apply yourself this time around? For numbers alone, you will need a higher LSAT to have a good shot, but I doubt your chances would rely solely on numbers.

[Bluebird17]

I have been medically cleared to return. I was thinking about working to show stability before applying.

You've piqued my curiosity. Over how long a period? Were you not medically cleared for the first 3 returns?

Over three years. I was medically cleared and relapsed multiple times.

[Bluebird17]

I dropped out of a lower t-14 four times due to mental health issues. What are my chances at HLS if I retake and reapply after working for a few years? I have yet to obtain 30 credits at the lower t-14, so I should still be eligible to apply. My GPA at the lower t-14 is a 2.4 but I didn't apply myself and would be this time around.

GPA: 3.5
LSAT: 168 (would be retaking)
Native American

I'm capable of doing better on the LSAT. Is my terrible experience at the lower t-14 too much to overcome in my reapplication? Are my grades too low? I can improve my LSAT but would it be worthwhile?

I think you might want to consult Spivey or Anna Ivey - hire them to help you with your application, since your case so unique.
Were you medically cleared? I would say law schools don't look favorably on your mental health issues, even though they claim to be tolerant. But, like you said, they impede on your ability to perform. How are you going to prove that you would apply yourself this time around? For numbers alone, you will need a higher LSAT to have a good shot, but I doubt your chances would rely solely on numbers.

Thanks. I was thinking about working for a few years to show stability in my life and then applying with a new LSAT. I was wondering if my poor performance in law school would be too much of a setback when applying to other schools though, particularly HLS.

[pancakes3]

why HLS?

[grades??]

There is no way you get H. Sorry.

[melmelcoolj]

I dropped out of a lower t-14 four times due to mental health issues. What are my chances at HLS if I retake and reapply after working for a few years? I have yet to obtain 30 credits at the lower t-14, so I should still be eligible to apply. My GPA at the lower t-14 is a 2.4 but I didn't apply myself and would be this time around.

GPA: 3.5
LSAT: 168 (would be retaking)
Native American

I'm capable of doing better on the LSAT. Is my terrible experience at the lower t-14 too much to overcome in my reapplication? Are my grades too low? I can improve my LSAT but would it be worthwhile?

I think you might want to consult Spivey or Anna Ivey - hire them to help you with your application, since your case so unique.
Were you medically cleared? I would say law schools don't look favorably on your mental health issues, even though they claim to be tolerant. But, like you said, they impede on your ability to perform. How are you going to prove that you would apply yourself this time around? For numbers alone, you will need a higher LSAT to have a good shot, but I doubt your chances would rely solely on numbers.

Thanks. I was thinking about working for a few years to show stability in my life and then applying with a new LSAT. I was wondering if my poor performance in law school would be too much of a setback when applying to other schools though, particularly HLS.

Not to discourage you, but you need to think long and hard about why you want to return to law school. Apparently, law school has caused several mental health breakdowns -- are you sure this is what you want to do for life? You owe it to yourself to have a good life, not just a successful one by worldly standards. And there are many ways to become successful without law school.

[snowball2]

I dropped out of a lower t-14 four times due to mental health issues. What are my chances at HLS if I retake and reapply after working for a few years? I have yet to obtain 30 credits at the lower t-14, so I should still be eligible to apply. My GPA at the lower t-14 is a 2.4 but I didn't apply myself and would be this time around.

GPA: 3.5
LSAT: 168 (would be retaking)
Native American

I'm capable of doing better on the LSAT. Is my terrible experience at the lower t-14 too much to overcome in my reapplication? Are my grades too low? I can improve my LSAT but would it be worthwhile?

I think you might want to consult Spivey or Anna Ivey - hire them to help you with your application, since your case so unique.
Were you medically cleared? I would say law schools don't look favorably on your mental health issues, even though they claim to be tolerant. But, like you said, they impede on your ability to perform. How are you going to prove that you would apply yourself this time around? For numbers alone, you will need a higher LSAT to have a good shot, but I doubt your chances would rely solely on numbers.

Thanks. I was thinking about working for a few years to show stability in my life and then applying with a new LSAT. I was wondering if my poor performance in law school would be too much of a setback when applying to other schools though, particularly HLS.

IF - and that's a big IF - you can demonstrate some stability in an everyday context for an extended period then there's nothing stopping you from trying again in a few years. But as others have noted, if a law school environment is some sort of trigger then your body/mind has given you repeated warnings.

[Bluebird17]

why HLS?

Better opportunity for certain job outcomes.

[Bluebird17]

There is no way you get H. Sorry.

Do you think it's my UGPA, my law school GPA, my leaves of absence, or all of them? I'm hoping that working for a couple of years and a higher LSAT will be sufficient.

[Bluebird17]

I dropped out of a lower t-14 four times due to mental health issues. What are my chances at HLS if I retake and reapply after working for a few years? I have yet to obtain 30 credits at the lower t-14, so I should still be eligible to apply. My GPA at the lower t-14 is a 2.4 but I didn't apply myself and would be this time around.

GPA: 3.5
LSAT: 168 (would be retaking)
Native American

I'm capable of doing better on the LSAT. Is my terrible experience at the lower t-14 too much to overcome in my reapplication? Are my grades too low? I can improve my LSAT but would it be worthwhile?

I think you might want to consult Spivey or Anna Ivey - hire them to help you with your application, since your case so unique.
Were you medically cleared? I would say law schools don't look favorably on your mental health issues, even though they claim to be tolerant. But, like you said, they impede on your ability to perform. How are you going to prove that you would apply yourself this time around? For numbers alone, you will need a higher LSAT to have a good shot, but I doubt your chances would rely solely on numbers.

Thanks. I was thinking about working for a few years to show stability in my life and then applying with a new LSAT. I was wondering if my poor performance in law school would be too much of a setback when applying to other schools though, particularly HLS.

Not to discourage you, but you need to think long and hard about why you want to return to law school. Apparently, law school has caused several mental health breakdowns -- are you sure this is what you want to do for life? You owe it to yourself to have a good life, not just a successful one by worldly standards. And there are many ways to become successful without law school.

Thanks. This is what I want to do with my life.

[jbagelboy]

why HLS?

Better opportunity for certain job outcomes.

Better than what? There are a bunch of schools offering comparable outcomes.

There is no way you get H. Sorry.

Do you think it's my UGPA, my law school GPA, my leaves of absence, or all of them? I'm hoping that working for a couple of years and a higher LSAT will be sufficient.

More importantly, yeah, you won't get in to another top law program with this record. Its not your LSAT or undergraduate stats, its your having received a slate of terrible grades at a law school and dropping out multiple times. No amount of distance between you and that record would be sufficient. It would be wise to move on and find a different route to your passion; there aren't many things only a JD can do.

[BeeTeeZ]

I don't want to make any assumptions, and I definitely don't want to put you on the spot, so this is just a one-way statement you can take or leave. If it doesn't apply to you, maybe it will to someone else.

I have a friend who dealt with substance abuse issues for a very long time, and ultimately decided to go to law school after getting himself together. He was really concerned that taking time off, getting bad grades, and running into some legal trouble along the way was going to keep him from pursuing a legal career.

He went back to school, got good grades, kept his head on straight, and when it came time to explain himself, he was brutally honest. Instead of shying away from the truth, he laid it all out on the table. This friend of mine received handwritten notes from deans along with the acceptance letters thanking him for sharing his story.

I'm not saying this because I have the slightest idea of what your chances are, or what your struggle has been. I'm saying it because sometimes people will surprise you, and everyone loves a comeback story. If you demonstrate you are back on your feet and prepared to start writing a new chapter in your life, people will want to be a part of it.

[SONYAUDIO]

As someone who currently goes to HLS, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that HLS is doable with a higher LSAT score and a well-crafted personal statement (I agree with above poster that a good consultant would be helpful for the latter). The reason is that, largely due to its class size, HLS cares chiefly about numbers, and can't be quite as selective with other factors, such as "fit" or "soft" factors. This is especially true recently due to the dearth of LS applications. The flip side is that your UGPA may be a bit of a liability, but a strong LSAT and URM status could counter-balance that.

Part of my reasoning also has to do with personal experience, since I talked about mental health issues in my personal statement in a way that I think hurt me. Despite getting into HLS, several lower-ranked T-14 schools waitlisted me. Although part of it could have been yield-protection / applying late in the cycle (February), one of the schools specifically brought up my mental health issues as a red flag during my interview, whereas my HLS interviewer didn't mention it at all. My numbers were strong, and I had a couple other unique (but not spectacular) aspects to my application that shined through well enough to gain admission.

Your situation is obviously a bit different, but sufficiently similar to where I think you can have similar success. I wish you good luck, and feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

[ClubberLang]

Move on with life.