Where to Go, focused in state of Texas but willing to consider surrounding area

[dolemite01]

Resident in Texas, so a Texas public school would be nice, but if a surrounding area (OK, AZ, NM, AR, LA threw out money might help)

My numbers are not well.
3.48 is what shows up under the App, 3.05 cumulative (lot of C's early on in JC) (3.75 last 2 semesters)
154 LSAT

28 yr old white male.  Life of poverty, projects raised, kid at eighteen and married ever since, now two kids, worked my way through undergrad while raising a family (just graduated undergrad) - all of which is spelled out in my PS.

I make now, after 8 years exp in IT 52-58k /yr, my undergrad is in Poli Sci.  Practicing law is what I want to do, if I can make at least what I make now starting out I will be happy.

At the same time I've scoured the boards for a couple of years now, I'm not going to waste it at school like Wes. or St. Mary's however.

I live close to Austin, so UT-AUstin, (i know, haha) would be excellent.
But what are realistically my options
I was rejected to Baylor and UH last cycle, but my applications weren't even sent until March 08, I took the February LSAT.

So what are the chances, and where else should I apply.  That is, if I leave Texas is there a school out there that might place better than Baylor/UH/SMU and accept my numbers?

How bad/good is TTU?  I hear it's great for Dallas/W. Texas area.  I'm not shooting for BIGLAW out of Law School, but I will bust ass in law school since Ive positioned myself to not have to work for next three years.

UT - Never applied, should I?
SMU - Never applied, very very expensive, is the cost worth it - ?
Baylor - Rejected once, possibly due to late app?
UH - Rejected once, possibly due to late app?
TTU - Never applied
STCL - Honestly, I have a wife and two kids, I wouldn't move them to Houston unless it was possibly for UofH

OU - Possibly, thoughts?
Any others?


Thank you so much for your time and input.

[hopeful1985]

honestly, it sounds like you've answered your own questions- you know you applied late so apply earlier this time. you know you dont want to go to STCL unless you were in Houston for UH, you know that you could take the LSAT to raise your LSAT score again if you studied some more, you know that UT wont be possible unless you do the aforementioned, you know that SMU is expensive but should also know that it places extremely well in Dallas, and you know you never even applied to the other schools you listed so you'll never know unless you try.

i would also consider part-time programs. why not go PT? you get to have less hours, possibly still work, and spend time with your family.

[dolemite01]

honestly, it sounds like you've answered your own questions- you know you applied late so apply earlier this time. you know you dont want to go to STCL unless you were in Houston for UH, you know that you could take the LSAT to raise your LSAT score again if you studied some more, you know that UT wont be possible unless you do the aforementioned, you know that SMU is expensive but should also know that it places extremely well in Dallas, and you know you never even applied to the other schools you listed so you'll never know unless you try.

i would also consider part-time programs. why not go PT? you get to have less hours, possibly still work, and spend time with your family.

Thanks, any thoughts to TTU, and placement stats?
Baylor/SMU/TTU pretty much neck and neck after UT, UH ?
Is UH an outside chance?

[tcwhat]

honestly, it sounds like you've answered your own questions- you know you applied late so apply earlier this time. you know you dont want to go to STCL unless you were in Houston for UH, you know that you could take the LSAT to raise your LSAT score again if you studied some more, you know that UT wont be possible unless you do the aforementioned, you know that SMU is expensive but should also know that it places extremely well in Dallas, and you know you never even applied to the other schools you listed so you'll never know unless you try.

i would also consider part-time programs. why not go PT? you get to have less hours, possibly still work, and spend time with your family.

Thanks, any thoughts to TTU, and placement stats?
Baylor/SMU/TTU pretty much neck and neck after UT, UH ?
Is UH an outside chance?

TTU is probably around fifth for schools in Texas in regards to placement within Texas(1. Texas, 2./3./4. SMU, Houston, Baylor - in some order)

I would say that only Houston/Baylor/SMU are neck and neck. TT is more appropriately associated with South Texas, Texas Southern, and St. Marys.

UH is unlikely at best. According to last years admits, no one near your GPA was admitted unless they also had a 160+ on the LSAT. If you up it to 160, you have a chance at Houston and Baylor and probably SMU PT.

[dolemite01]

honestly, it sounds like you've answered your own questions- you know you applied late so apply earlier this time. you know you dont want to go to STCL unless you were in Houston for UH, you know that you could take the LSAT to raise your LSAT score again if you studied some more, you know that UT wont be possible unless you do the aforementioned, you know that SMU is expensive but should also know that it places extremely well in Dallas, and you know you never even applied to the other schools you listed so you'll never know unless you try.

i would also consider part-time programs. why not go PT? you get to have less hours, possibly still work, and spend time with your family.

Thanks, any thoughts to TTU, and placement stats?
Baylor/SMU/TTU pretty much neck and neck after UT, UH ?
Is UH an outside chance?

TTU is probably around fifth for schools in Texas in regards to placement within Texas(1. Texas, 2./3./4. SMU, Houston, Baylor - in some order)

I would say that only Houston/Baylor/SMU are neck and neck. TT is more appropriately associated with South Texas, Texas Southern, and St. Marys.

UH is unlikely at best. According to last years admits, no one near your GPA was admitted unless they also had a 160+ on the LSAT. If you up it to 160, you have a chance at Houston and Baylor and probably SMU PT.

If I take in Feb 09, am I screwing myself on late applies?

[Ninja1]

honestly, it sounds like you've answered your own questions- you know you applied late so apply earlier this time. you know you dont want to go to STCL unless you were in Houston for UH, you know that you could take the LSAT to raise your LSAT score again if you studied some more, you know that UT wont be possible unless you do the aforementioned, you know that SMU is expensive but should also know that it places extremely well in Dallas, and you know you never even applied to the other schools you listed so you'll never know unless you try.

i would also consider part-time programs. why not go PT? you get to have less hours, possibly still work, and spend time with your family.

Thanks, any thoughts to TTU, and placement stats?
Baylor/SMU/TTU pretty much neck and neck after UT, UH ?
Is UH an outside chance?

TTU is probably around fifth for schools in Texas in regards to placement within Texas(1. Texas, 2./3./4. SMU, Houston, Baylor - in some order)

I would say that only Houston/Baylor/SMU are neck and neck. TT is more appropriately associated with South Texas, Texas Southern, and St. Marys.

UH is unlikely at best. According to last years admits, no one near your GPA was admitted unless they also had a 160+ on the LSAT. If you up it to 160, you have a chance at Houston and Baylor and probably SMU PT.

If I take in Feb 09, am I screwing myself on late applies?

Yes.

[Ninja1]

My take on your listed schools, using the 3.48 number (I wasn't really sure what you meant was the difference between that and the cumulative number, though if we're using the 3.05 for anything, that will change some things):

UT - Save the application fee.
SMU - Highly unlikely.
Baylor - No.
UH - Again, highly unlikely.
TTU - Good shot. My favorite quality v. likelihood of acceptance of your schools.
STCL - Should be an easy in.
OU - Possible, but don't bet the farm, or even the tractor.

How do you feel about Arkansas (either one), Denver, Kansas, Louisiana State, Missouri - Kansas City (your best shot by far of all of these schools I'm listing), New Mexico, and St. Louis (decent shot), if you have to pay sticker at all of them? Not real great odds at most of these schools, but better than most everything else you have on the board. Also, keep in mind that schools usually pay for numbers (or race) more than anything else, so don't be surprised if you don't receive any scholarship offers.

And one final caveat, don't completely count on getting $52-58k/yr starting out. While it's certainly possible, it's far from guaranteed. You'll still probably do a lot better in law long term than IT, as you should be about at the top of the salary chain by now unless you make management or take up programming, but initially, you may be making less and have student loan debt to repay.

[dolemite01]

honestly, it sounds like you've answered your own questions- you know you applied late so apply earlier this time. you know you dont want to go to STCL unless you were in Houston for UH, you know that you could take the LSAT to raise your LSAT score again if you studied some more, you know that UT wont be possible unless you do the aforementioned, you know that SMU is expensive but should also know that it places extremely well in Dallas, and you know you never even applied to the other schools you listed so you'll never know unless you try.

i would also consider part-time programs. why not go PT? you get to have less hours, possibly still work, and spend time with your family.

Thanks, any thoughts to TTU, and placement stats?
Baylor/SMU/TTU pretty much neck and neck after UT, UH ?
Is UH an outside chance?

TTU is probably around fifth for schools in Texas in regards to placement within Texas(1. Texas, 2./3./4. SMU, Houston, Baylor - in some order)

I would say that only Houston/Baylor/SMU are neck and neck. TT is more appropriately associated with South Texas, Texas Southern, and St. Marys.

UH is unlikely at best. According to last years admits, no one near your GPA was admitted unless they also had a 160+ on the LSAT. If you up it to 160, you have a chance at Houston and Baylor and probably SMU PT.

If I take in Feb 09, am I screwing myself on late applies?

Yes.

Thoughts on taking Dec 08 LSAT (4 Weeks away) - I've taken it once, 154 is the score I guess it's really a question is 4 week enough time to prep, or am I screwing myself there too?

If I apply in Jan. I can tell the school I am taking the feb 09 LSAT, but they wont process the app until they receive the score -- the pretty much skews my chances since I'll be in the pack really late - correct?

[hopeful1985]

Dolemite whether 4 weeks is enough time for prep is a relative question because it depends on you and what you can handle (as well as where you are right now). Try and take a prep test soon and see where you are scoring. In all likelihood you'll have the fundamentals still down pretty well and you can focus on a few areas to raise that score up 3-6 points.

And yes even if you send everything in schools wont let you "go complete" once the entire package is ready (meaning LSAT scores have to be in). They typically wont look at anything until youre complete. Part of the reason your cycle went bad last year was because of when you applied. Remember these schools, even TTU, use a rolling admissions system so the reg. decision deadline is the absolute latest you want to apply.

good luck man!

[Clayton]

Texas Tech is probably the best school you can get into. UT, UH, Baylor, and SMU are going to reject you based on your lsat score.