163/4.0 Chances? Forum

Not sure where your numbers will get you? Dying to know where you stand? Come have your palms read by your fellow posters!
Post Reply
asapheebs

New
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2018 5:11 pm

163/4.0 Chances?

Post by asapheebs » Sun Dec 09, 2018 7:54 pm

What schools should I apply to with a 4.0 GPA and a 163 LSAT? I am heavily involved in executive positions in student government, chartered my sorority's chapter, and am a business major.

User avatar
cavalier1138

Moderator
Posts: 8007
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:01 pm

Re: 163/4.0 Chances?

Post by cavalier1138 » Sun Dec 09, 2018 10:48 pm

Don't apply to schools based on where you can get in. Target schools based on your career goals. If those goals are biglaw, competitive PI or competitive government jobs, then you shouldn't waste that stellar GPA.

User avatar
Dcc617

Gold
Posts: 2732
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:01 pm

Re: 163/4.0 Chances?

Post by Dcc617 » Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:40 am

What’s your LSAT history look like? You have unlimited takes and schools look at the highest. Are you sure you’ve squeezed out every single point you’re capable of? Hundreds of thousands of dollars are on the line.

asapheebs

New
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2018 5:11 pm

Re: 163/4.0 Chances?

Post by asapheebs » Mon Dec 10, 2018 12:09 pm

I took the September and got a 158. I am retaking in January but I do not want to be applying that late. My goal is to add another 5 points but I want to turn in some applications in the meantime.

User avatar
Dcc617

Gold
Posts: 2732
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:01 pm

Re: 163/4.0 Chances?

Post by Dcc617 » Mon Dec 10, 2018 6:02 pm

asapheebs wrote:I took the September and got a 158. I am retaking in January but I do not want to be applying that late. My goal is to add another 5 points but I want to turn in some applications in the meantime.
Would you sit out a year if it saved you 200K dollars?

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


asapheebs

New
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2018 5:11 pm

Re: 163/4.0 Chances?

Post by asapheebs » Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:20 pm

Honestly, I do not want to sit out a year. I graduated a year early from my UG in order to get a head start on law school. I have 0 undergrad debt so money is not really my number one concern.

User avatar
cavalier1138

Moderator
Posts: 8007
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:01 pm

Re: 163/4.0 Chances?

Post by cavalier1138 » Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:48 am

asapheebs wrote:Honestly, I do not want to sit out a year. I graduated a year early from my UG in order to get a head start on law school. I have 0 undergrad debt so money is not really my number one concern.
This is concerning.

First, you will be at a distinct disadvantage going straight through like this. There are good reasons people recommend gap years, and those reasons only get better when you graduated a year early.

More importantly, not having debt from undergrad is great. Revel in that feeling. Now imagine having hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Does that feel good? Now imagine that you rushed the decision to go to law school and went to whatever school would take you with your current stats (158/4.0, if I understand you correctly). Now you not only have crushing debt, you have a much, much lower chance of getting a job that can reasonably pay that debt off.

Your situation screams out for a gap year (or five). Rushing this kind of decision, especially at your age, is a recipe for disaster.

User avatar
LSATWiz.com

Silver
Posts: 983
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:37 pm

Re: 163/4.0 Chances?

Post by LSATWiz.com » Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:40 am

As a tutor, I see this trend a lot. In fact, I think that the majority of prospective law students would opt for the add'l 200k in loans than sit out a year either because they are unhappy in their current line of work or are underemployed, feel shame and want to be able to tell their friends and family that they are a law student. I often turn down business from these students, and my only negative yelp review in 10 years (which thankfully Yelp removed) was from someone who called me and I turned down working with because they wanted to improve from a 130 to a 150 in 2 weeks. I'm not insinuating OP is similar - the goal of improving 5 points in 6 weeks if very realistic, but merely speaking about the worst example of a trend I am about to explain:

My observation is the core of the issue is the following. The human brain does not stop developing when someone turns 18. In fact, the prefrontal cortex (the part responsible for long-term planning) develops into your mid-20s, and in men sometimes into their late-20s. In the case of someone who finished UG a year early, the ability to plan one's career years out and consider the implications of debt requires one to utilize a part of their brain that is probably not yet fully developed. The issue is only exasperated when someone has a 4.0, because such an individual is clearly intelligent, has been rewarded for their intelligence and it's not a stretch for them to assume that they can properly plan their future. What people like OP need to realize is that the parts of their brain that begot the 4.0 are only indirectly related to the part of their brain making this decision, and that part of their brain is still growing. In 2 or 3 years, OP will likely regret not sitting out the year.

I'm an advocate of student loan reform for precisely this reason. OP doesn't realize the significance of $200,000 because they assume they'll get big law or something similar. With their current stats and knowing nothing more, a six-figure starting salary is probably a 50-50 proposition. They may get it, they may not. Even if they were making $200,000, that's going to (1) require a miserable work-life balance, (2) in a majority of cases only likely to last for a few years, (3) post tax, $200k is not that much money ($110k from which about 25-30k a year in loans will be deducted), (4) $80k post tax is enough to live on and save but life is expensive. $200k net is a lot of money to anyone, even partners making a million+ a year.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


Post Reply

Return to “What are my chances?”