HELP! Tier Trouble: UK? NYLS? or Nova Southeastern? Or WAIT??

[What should I do with these choices?/Where should I go in the fall?: Univ. of Kentucky, New York Law School, Nova Southeastern, or wait a year and reapply?]

What should I do with these choices?/Where should I go in the fall?: Univ. of Kentucky, New York Law School, Nova Southeastern, or wait a year and reapply?

University of Kentucky

 4 (33.3%)

New York Law School

 3 (25%)

Nova Southeastern

 1 (8.3%)

WAIT

 4 (33.3%)

Total Members Voted: 11

Voting closed: July 07, 2005, 03:46:21 PM

[Aida7]

Hello all!
I have a tough decision to make and would like any input.  My LSAT numbers are no good (150), I have a 3.47 GPA from NYU. I have heard from most of the schools I applied to, and have narrowed it down to 3: University of Kentucky (ranked 50th) New York Law School (3rd Tier) or Nova Southeastern in Ft. Lauderdale (4th Tier).  I am originally from FL, where my family and long-time bf are, but I did study in NYC for 4 years which is why I am considering returning for NYLS. I am almost positive I want to practice in FL (and if not there, NYC) I most def. DO NOT want to practice in Kentucky of any of the surrounding areas. I am on hold at FSU, if I were accepted I would go there hands down--but it doesn't look good. 
Some pple tell me to wing it and go to the top ranked school (UK) just because of that--its ranking--but I dread the thought of living in the tiny town of Lexington after living in NYC and not having a very diverse group of classmates (I am Hispanic and feel more at home in places like Miami or NY)
Some say to go to NOVA because it is where I want to study (but I hate that it is ranked so LOW...however their facilities are the best I've seen, and I did visit all those schools and a number of others). I hear very mixed reviews about NOVA and how it is regarded in FL, most of them not good.
NYLS has the positive of being in Manhattan, which is a city I love, --and being diverse-- but it is VERY expensive and the cost of living is very HIGH...I would be in debt about $130,000 if I chose to attend there. 
UK gave me an in-state scholarship, NYLS gave me $10,000/yr granted I maintain a 3.2 avg. Nova is about $25,000/yr; they gave me nothing, it would also be all loans, leaving me with about a debt of $106,000.
OR, FINALLY, some have said to WAIT a year, work and re-apply, retake the LSAT (though I probably won't score higher than 155/156-- if that at all), and endure the application process all over again.
If it means anything-- in all honesty, my dream schools would be NYU Law/Fordham, or FSU/U Miami if I was sure I would stay in FL, but these, as we all know, are hard to come by. I thought about transfering, but first year of law I hear is very hard and you have to have the grades to make these schools...which isn't something I can depend on.
Okay so I know this is long, but even if you don't read all the details, please give me some advice and vote!
Thanks so much!
 

[kaest4]

I would say try and take the LSAT again - it would open up more choices- Good Luck with what you decide.  I am in Orlando, but next year I have to return to Pittsuburgh to finish my BSBA and then figure out where I want to attend law school.  I am interested in sports law- so Marquette and Tulane are my top 2 choices. I will be taking the LSAT in Feb. 06 or that June. Not attending LS till Fall 2007. So I have some time.

Once again Good Luck

[charseven]

i think you need to remember why you applied to those schools in the first place. usually people apply to places where for some reason or another they think it wouldnt be too bad to attend. you're right about your LSAT score, even if you retook it theres no guarantee you'll get a better score, and getting a worse score is definatly within the realms of possibility. i think you should pick from the schools you've applied to and go there this upcoming fall semester rather than going through this process again. really do you want to go through this all again? be happy that you got in to some schools thats a feat in itself...no youre not going to harvard, but even if you took the lsat again and reapplied for the next ten years you're probably going to be accepted to the same quality of schools that youre already accepted to which are good schools mind you, they're not top tier, but they're not botton tier. before you make your decision whether to wait or not think about what you plan to do with your law degree. this is still the land of opportunity, where you get your degree from is not the end of your chances at becoming great. there will always be better schools you didnt get into and more prestigious jobs you couldnt land but the idea is to work harder and continue moving foreward rather than putting your life on hold for something you may or may not get. like ive implied, if you were talking about reapplying with the real possibility of getting accepted to harvard versus going this year to one of those schools youve mentioned then it would be different. thats not your situation. youve already been accepted to good schools, dont take that for granted cause it may not be next time around....

[cannotpick]

I'm not saying that there's a perfect (attainable) school for everyone... but it just doesn't sound like any of your options are great. Although highest ranked, Kentucky is regional. NYLS is expensive & New York is only your runner up in terms of places you want to live. Nova's location is good, but let's face it, it just isn't very prestigious. As another poster said, there's no guarantee you'll score better on the LSAT, but higher than a 150 is very attainable. Study your butt off for another year & apply again.

[cannotpick]

Regardless, even if you got a 160 the second time, your average really wouldn't be high enough for NYU or Fordham.

 

As true as this may be, you would be high enough for Cordozo, Brooklyn, & St Johns. The original poster didn't seem to like the idea of huge debt for NYLS. However, if you think that you can finish towards the top of your class, are willing to deal w/ the debt, and are content with working in NYC instead of FL, then go to NYLS

[SleepyGuyYawn]

Don't put yourself through the LSAT twice unless you're really committed to doing something differently this time (for instance, if you didn't take a prep course the first time).

In any case, NYU, Fordham, Miami, and FSU all average LSATs to my knowledge, so I think it'd be a stretch to get into any of them.

Lexington isn't quite the little backwater you're making it out to be, by the way.  It's actually a pretty liberal oasis, albeit in the middle of Kentucky.  If I were you, I'd give it more of a chance.  Don't just count it out b/c there aren't five million people. 

My opinion is that Kentucky is the only one of the three that is worth the money.  It's also the only one of the three that offers a decent chance of getting a good job somewhere else in the country.  Because although Kentucky is surely regional, it is going to be possible to get a job other places if you do your footwork.  It's not impossible, trust me.  I have a friend who graduated from Villanova (ranked lower than Kentucky) in the middle of his class and he was able to get a job at a decent 25 attorney firm in Grand Rapids, Michigan (his hometown).  So it can happen.  But I don't think that would be as likely from NYLS.

In any case, I think that Nova is not worth that much money --first because you'll have a hard time getting a high enough paying job out of Nova to pay off such high debt, and second because you'll be screwed if you graduate in the bottom half of your class. 

NYLS is an alright school.  As long as you don't graduate in the bottom quarter of your class, you'll probably get a pretty decent job.  It'll take you forever to pay off your loans -- that's true. 

So here's my official advice:

1. Give Lexington a chance, do well, and do a lot of footwork to get a position in Florida.  The fact that you have longtime connections to South Florida will definately help you get a job there (firms will understand why you're applying from Kentucky). 

2.  Go to NYLS and do well.

3.  Take the LSAT again and reapply next year.

4.  Go to Nova