Looking for qualified backseat drivers to narrow down list. Forum

[Durp_Mcgurty]

Hey all. Long time lurker, here.

I'm beginning to attempt to at least half my list of 30 schools I'm interested in applying to in the coming cycle. I'm not necessarily looking for "what are my chances" answers but rather what range of schools or specific outliers I should be looking at based on my stats, background, and interests. Retaking in September but for now I'm weighing my options on current stats:

168/3.93
Attended a satellite of a large public Uni
I know specific majors aren't really weighed heavily, but I was the top ranked graduating student in both of my major departments (economics+political science)
2 years WE in economic and community development (Americorps VISTA, if it counts for anything)
Avg softs

I am entirely mobile, although as a Westerner (CO) I have a strange, unexplainable aversion to New England (obviously not a dealbreaker). I grew up in a mid-sized city and have enjoyed others, but after visiting NYC I have no desire to live there, Columbia and NYU are out. I have an extremely strong interest in law & economics and constitutional law as academic fields (I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to ED Chicago), although I'm not sure how that translates to the professional world after school. Ideally, I'd see myself in a federal clerkship and eventually end up in PI, but wouldn't be opposed to working biglaw or the like for some time to pay down debt and gain private sector experience. Like anyone, how many schools I apply to will be somewhat dependent on waivers and where I end up going will be a combination of rank and $$ primarily. Sorry if this is too broad, I'm just trying to narrow it down beyond "blanket the T20" or similar advice.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[chrysippusofsoli]

I have similar numbers to you, and I'm planning to blanket the T13 in hopes of getting one of YSH or CCN++ with some money. Of course, you know your own situation better than all of us do, and so if you really don't think you could handle NYC for 3 years (my impression is that Columbia and NYU place well outside of NYC too, but this is just my impression, so people feel free to disagree), then by all means leave the NYC schools out.

Given your numbers and your geographic preferences, Berkeley (black box reputation notwithstanding) seems like a good fit (and a likely outcome) for you. Stanford doesn't seem completely out of the question too, though one can never be sure with them.

But really if I were you I would apply as widely as possible (in the T13); you never know where you might get in, or whichever school might catch you off guard and really impress you during ASW. Good luck!

ETA: I just realized that my advice might have been a little broader than you asked for. I think though, that "blanket T13" (or "apply to as many T13s as possible) is quite a different proposition from "blanket T20" - the former makes quite a bit more sense, at least to me, than the latter. Personally I'm planning to do T13 plus just about 2-3 other schools outside of that group as backups.

[Platopus]

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