4.0/172, scholarship odds? Forum

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ambiguity

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4.0/172, scholarship odds?

Post by ambiguity » Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:02 am

Short version: what is the best scholarship outcome one could expect (e.g, assign reasonably high probability to, rather than hope to get lucky) for an applicant with the numbers above?

Longer version: I am a 28 year old, gay white male who has been working in finance for six years. I considered law school when I was in college, took the LSAT, got a 173 (score since expired). For reasons I won't spill ink on, I pursued another career. I never forgot about law school and have thought increasingly of it over the last two years. Decided to take the February 2018 LSAT with an eye on 2019 matriculation. Just got a 172 back. Disappointed that I underperformed my 22 year old self.

At this stage in my life and career, going back to school involves huge opportunity costs. I do not want to stack tuition on top of these opportunity costs. What's the best outcome I could reasonably expect in terms of full-tuition awards? Trying to decide if what I have is good enough or if I need to retake.

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VirginiaFan

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Re: 4.0/172, scholarship odds?

Post by VirginiaFan » Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:53 am

You're probably out of the running for the Hamilton. Ruby is possible, but a stretch.

Otherwise, however, you're a great candidate for a full tuition scholarship anywhere beneath the t6. I would apply to every school in the t13. You'll end up with a couple full rides, and at that point you'll have to decide whether biglaw with 60k living expenses + opportunity cost is worth it to you.

Good luck!

silenttimer

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Re: 4.0/172, scholarship odds?

Post by silenttimer » Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:49 am

Do you want to be a lawyer? If so, then opportunity cost is worth it from going to law school. You can't become a lawyer otherwise. But if you want to go to law school simply to chase "prestige," then opportunity cost likely isn't worth it. If you are in finance, you likely already are making good money and perhaps even more than what a first year corporate lawyer in NYC would make ($180k). To forego 3 years of income and dip into savings for "prestige" would not be worth the opportunity cost IMHO.

ambiguity

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Re: 4.0/172, scholarship odds?

Post by ambiguity » Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:47 pm

VirginiaFan wrote:You're probably out of the running for the Hamilton. Ruby is possible, but a stretch.

Otherwise, however, you're a great candidate for a full tuition scholarship anywhere beneath the t6. I would apply to every school in the t13. You'll end up with a couple full rides, and at that point you'll have to decide whether biglaw with 60k living expenses + opportunity cost is worth it to you.

Good luck!
Is that something you think I can bank on? LSN looks a bit fuzzy. Outside of T6, we are really just looking at UVA, Duke, Northwestern (unlikely; I am not going to ED anywhere), Penn, Michigan, Cornell.

I guess the real question is if I think I can get a 173-174 on a retake, does the risk that I fuck up and score lower impact my scholarship odds, would that lock in any opportunities that aren't already locked in, and is it worth several more months of LSAT suffering.
silenttimer wrote:Do you want to be a lawyer? If so, then opportunity cost is worth it from going to law school. You can't become a lawyer otherwise. But if you want to go to law school simply to chase "prestige," then opportunity cost likely isn't worth it. If you are in finance, you likely already are making good money and perhaps even more than what a first year corporate lawyer in NYC would make ($180k). To forego 3 years of income and dip into savings for "prestige" would not be worth the opportunity cost IMHO.
I am getting paid more than a first year associate, in a low-tax, low-COLA jurisdiction no less, so relative to a first-year New York associate I am printing money.

I think longer run, I would be happier as an attorney. It might be better financial decision on a long-run horizon if I did well at a law firm, but that isn't something integral to my choices.

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