Law School Discussion

Hi.  I'm not going to get to take the LSAT until December.  Will I still be viable as an applicant?  Will I still be able to get the best scholarships?  Or it really too late to apply? How long does it take to get the LSAT score to the schools?  NYU has a Jan. 1 scholarship deadline.  Would the score get there in time?

Also, as a non-traditional student, I'm  a little confused.  I'm a professor, with a MA and a Ph.D. and some publications in my field.  What I'm hearing on these boards is that none of that really matters, that despite the MA and Ph.D. they'll only really look at my undergrad grades and LSAT, and consider me basically the same as new undergrad graduate with similar UGPA and LSAT scores.  This sounds absolutely crazy to me, especially since just by having a Ph.D. I've demonstrated research, writing, and critical thinking skills far beyond anything an undergraduate can imagine (I know, I teach them).  I figured I would be in top running for scholarships from T14 schools with my academic accomplishments.

so is it true, that all of us "non-traditionals" with amazing academic abilities, are considered the same as the right out of undergrad applicants?  Do they really just look at UGPA (not graduate) and LSAT?

I understand how undergrad GPA is handled, but what about graduate school GPA?  I have a master's and a Ph.D. with excellent GPAs, but not so good undergrad GPA.  I assumed they wouldn't care about my undergrad GPA, with a Ph.D. and all, but the law school credential service says that it only summarizes undergrad transcripts and GPAs, not grad school ones.

Also, I does anyone know how much pull a Ph.D. gives you when applying?  I haven't taken the LSAT yet, but it seems silly given that I've already published my own original research, but I don't pretend to understand what law schools are looking for.