Critique my App Strategy - 2017/2018 Cycle, 3.3 GPA 161 LSAT M.A. URM Forum

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mdelacruz

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Critique my App Strategy - 2017/2018 Cycle, 3.3 GPA 161 LSAT M.A. URM

Post by mdelacruz » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:10 pm

Where should I be looking at applying if I'm interested in clerkships + BigFed with my numbers?

Current plan is to apply now to lower ranked schools, then retake im Feb and hopefully apply with a better score. Obviously its gonna be late in the cycle, but I figure its better to apply later with a higher score than to apply earlier and face near certain rejection with my current score.

As much as I would love to think that I can eek my way in at a lower t14, general TLS wisdom seems to be that that would be higly unlikely if not altogether impossible. Not looking to just throw away money on apps.

Goal is clerkships then BigFed. Targeting D.C. market.

Current stats:

161 LSAT
3.3 GPA
3 years WE
Mexican URM

Looking to apply now to:

UNC (in state)
Wake (in state)
GW
Maryland (places well in D.C. mkt)
Fordham
Syracuse
Loyola
St. Johns

Seem reasonable? Any other schools I should be looking to apply now to?

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cavalier1138

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Re: Critique my App Strategy - 2017/2018 Cycle, 3.3 GPA 161 LSAT M.A. URM

Post by cavalier1138 » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:15 pm

What kind of federal jobs are you targeting? This list is incredibly unlikely to net you a federal clerkship, and competitive DC jobs are equally unlikely from the majority of schools here.

mdelacruz

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Re: Critique my App Strategy - 2017/2018 Cycle, 3.3 GPA 161 LSAT M.A. URM

Post by mdelacruz » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:34 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:What kind of federal jobs are you targeting? This list is incredibly unlikely to net you a federal clerkship, and competitive DC jobs are equally unlikely from the majority of schools here.
I don't entirely disagree. Obviously my situation is not ideal. If I don't score better in Feb then I'll have to look at killing it 1L year then transferring to somewhere like UVA.

Obviously when the school is lower ranked, you need to be at the top of your class to even have a shot. Would you really say top 5% can't get a Fed clerkship or BigFed coming from UNC though? Or GW?

Ideally I'd like to get FTC, SEC Enforcement Division or CFPB. Also interested in DOJ, DOL or even EPA. Basically any agency. Highly interested in admin and regulatory law.

At this point really just looking to get together a reasonable list of schools where I have a decent shot at admission.

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cavalier1138

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Re: Critique my App Strategy - 2017/2018 Cycle, 3.3 GPA 161 LSAT M.A. URM

Post by cavalier1138 » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:47 pm

mdelacruz wrote:
cavalier1138 wrote:What kind of federal jobs are you targeting? This list is incredibly unlikely to net you a federal clerkship, and competitive DC jobs are equally unlikely from the majority of schools here.
I don't entirely disagree. Obviously my situation is not ideal. If I don't score better in Feb then I'll have to look at killing it 1L year then transferring to somewhere like UVA.

Obviously when the school is lower ranked, you need to be at the top of your class to even have a shot. Would you really say top 5% can't get a Fed clerkship or BigFed coming from UNC though? Or GW?

Ideally I'd like to get FTC, SEC Enforcement Division or CFPB. Also interested in DOJ, DOL or even EPA. Basically any agency. Highly interested in admin and regulatory law.

At this point really just looking to get together a reasonable list of schools where I have a decent shot at admission.
This is the opposite of the strategy you should be using.

All the federal jobs you listed are extremely competitive and often require 4-5 years of biglaw (not sure if the EPA would prefer non-profit experience, but they're the outlier) in addition to a federal clerkship. You cannot count on "killing it" in 1L (much less transferring), so your strategy has to be retaking the LSAT until you have a score that will get you in a school that realistically places you in a position to get these jobs.

Retake or change your goals. You're not getting DOJ or SEC with this list.

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