How Important Are My LSAT Scores?

[augusta]

PhD programs are not cash cows, no, but purely MA programs (ie. with no guarantee of admission to the PhD program in the same university) are DEFINITELY cash cows.

I did the administrative work on an MA program at my university (Ivy, ranked T3 in the discipline) and all the kids are paying $50K/year with no guarantee of PhD admittance.

I also sat in on the faculty and administration meetings during the founding of this program where the justification for the program was that the 15 kids in the program would not be eligible for university or department aid and would thus be a guaranteed contribution of $750,000 to the department per year.

Maybe this isn't true of all schools, but the impression I got from my experience with this department, was that it was common practice amongst MA programs in the social sciences.

Also, money from law and med schools goes to law schools and med schools, not to other departments within the university.  Arts & Sciences in my school does not get a penny of the law school's money.

TITCR. PhD programs, yes, you should and can expect full funding. Terminal master's, or those that hb mentioned (where they require you to do master's work before admittance to PhD): that's where the cash comes in.

[Jamie Stringer]

1. Glad I hardly had to pay for my terminal master's program!

2. <3 Reez standing up for Sociology.

[genericgrad]

To the OP:
I am coming from a PhD program in one of the social science disciplines, so I understand where you are coming from. Pretty much what everyone has said before is correct. LSAT/UGPA are by far the two most important things of your application. This may seem like it sucks, especially after applying to a grad school program where your LOR and research/soft factors are very important, but it is what it is. Study for the LSAT, retake,and you will do fine. At least you should be able to get good LOR from professors in your program.

Yup, you should NEVER go to a PhD program without full funding+stipend, and don't go to a social science PhD program unless you enjoy academia.

[SilenceSeaAndSky]

"Also, you have a neurological condition that precludes you from performing in pressure situations.  And you're considering law school.  Do I need to explain the 8 hundred billion gajillion reasons that this is a bad idea?"

There we go.  That's a fair response.  Clearly, you people are capable of forming solid arguments, yet you assume that I am trying to "stroke my ego" by challenging your logic or by presenting my accomplishments aside from a potentially poor LSAT score for the purpose of promoting my perceived superiority. We are all such fools...
     

[TeeTwenty]

. . . and don't go to a social science PhD program unless you enjoy academia.

False... Economics is a social science, technically speaking, and plenty of economists work in the corporate sector.

[genericgrad]

. . . and don't go to a social science PhD program unless you enjoy academia.

False... Economics is a social science, technically speaking, and plenty of economists work in the corporate sector.

You are right, Economists have been very successful in the private sector; although, Econ is most "scientific" of the social sciences.

[bloomlaw]

There we go.  That's a fair response.  Clearly, you people are capable of forming solid arguments, yet you assume that I am trying to "stroke my ego" by challenging your logic or by presenting my accomplishments aside from a potentially poor LSAT score for the purpose of promoting my perceived superiority. We are all such fools...
     

What he was thinking when he wrote this: I really wasn't stroking my ego, and this will prove it, plus I'll give them a shot to bring them down a rung.

What I thought as I read it: Jesus, this guy is a bigger Deusch than I first thought.

[booyakasha45]

the LSAT is meaningless. you don't even need to take it.

[tcwhat]

"Also, you have a neurological condition that precludes you from performing in pressure situations.  And you're considering law school.  Do I need to explain the 8 hundred billion gajillion reasons that this is a bad idea?"

There we go.  That's a fair response.  Clearly, you people are capable of forming solid arguments, yet you assume that I am trying to "stroke my ego" by challenging your logic or by presenting my accomplishments aside from a potentially poor LSAT score for the purpose of promoting my perceived superiority. We are all such fools...

Whoa, if I was high that may have sounded deep or poetic.

[just some guy]

PhD programs are not cash cows, no, but purely MA programs (ie. with no guarantee of admission to the PhD program in the same university) are DEFINITELY cash cows.

I did the administrative work on an MA program at my university (Ivy, ranked T3 in the discipline) and all the kids are paying $50K/year with no guarantee of PhD admittance.

I also sat in on the faculty and administration meetings during the founding of this program where the justification for the program was that the 15 kids in the program would not be eligible for university or department aid and would thus be a guaranteed contribution of $750,000 to the department per year.

Maybe this isn't true of all schools, but the impression I got from my experience with this department, was that it was common practice amongst MA programs in the social sciences.

Also, money from law and med schools goes to law schools and med schools, not to other departments within the university.  Arts & Sciences in my school does not get a penny of the law school's money.

Re: Bolded

Not 100% true. Universities often use law schools as cash cows for the UG side. That's why the ABA has regs limiting the % of law school revenue the university can siphon over to the UG side. SMU got in trouble for this back in the 80s as I recall.