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I have a 175 (actual) LSAT, and a GPA of 2.71. I'm about as non-traditional as it's possible to get in most areas - I'm in my 30s, lived in a *very* foreign country for about a decade, and have several years' recent work experience as a paralegal in the US.

All I wanted to do was go to UC Davis, and I expected to have to beg them to take me, but I'm told the 175 changes things. My husband can keep his current job in either Minnesota or greater Philadelphia, and we can live for free with relatives in the SF Bay area, so I'm mostly focused on those regions. I'd consider going elsewhere, but it would need to either be cheap enough (or give me enough scholarship money) to offset the financial advantages of the areas I mentioned, or be so highly-ranked and well-regarded that going into massive debt to move there and pay sticker would be a good investment.

Berkeley sent me a fee waiver, which was unexpected, but that doesn't mean anything if they still auto-reject sub-3 GPAs. My first choice is still UC Davis, for personal reasons, but that isn't carved in stone. I'm hoping to get some money from them, but I'm not sure that's realistic. I don't know what my options are, so I'm soliciting opinions from the peanut gallery!

When you say your first choice is UC Davis for "personal reasons," can you be more specific? Your numbers can get you in to much better schools, so I'm curious what career goals would make Davis an ideal choice.

cavalier1138 wrote:When you say your first choice is UC Davis for "personal reasons," can you be more specific? Your numbers can get you in to much better schools, so I'm curious what career goals would make Davis an ideal choice.

Thanks for your reply! My personal reasons have nothing to do with career goals. Going to Davis (or any other school in the Bay Area) will give me the chance to live near and build a closer relationship with immediate family members I didn't have the chance to spend much time with growing up. I doubt Berkeley will want me, and Davis is the best of what's left over. Conveniently, it's also the closest to where I'd want to be (and can live for free).

As for career goals, I'm not at all interested in biglaw. If I have to go that route to pay back debt, so be it, but I'd rather avoid that situation from the outset. I think I'd like to start out with a small firm, then consider going solo in a few years. I don't want to lock myself into anything at this point, though, because I might take a class in some as-yet-unknown specialty and fall in love with it.