Getting into T14 w/ low gpa

[non parata est]

LawDog's undergrad statistics work >>>>>>>>> Jesus

[Stole Your Nose!]

You left out the most important part.

I have analyzed this at tables with others, so I know.

['blueskies]

 

[th0409]

Some background:

28 yrs old, non-URM (Pacific Islander)
LSAT: 172
BA Political Science: 2.8 gpa
MPA: 3.6 gpa
US Navy Officer: 4 years
Volunteer research for the Center for Disease Control in California, volunteer search and rescue for Red Cross, EMT, tutor for enlisted personnel going to college.
My dream schools are CCN, Gtown, the UCs, Virginia, Stanford (yea right).  I'm also applying to Fordham, GW, a few others.

Should i retake the LSAT? Are any of the dream schools possible? Is there anything else I should do, maybe apply to more safeties?  Thanks for your help.

Seems everyone has forgotten about the OP
The bottom line is that if your GPA were higher this wouldn't be a question. Nobody would tell you not to apply to Yale or Harvard or Columbia. The reason everyone is telling you that is because based on some self-reported statistics/graphs and based on some outside research for the schools' admission TYPICALLY PEOPLE WITH YOUR GPA HAVE A HARD TIME GAINING ADMISSION. That means that you MAY OR MAY NOT have a difficult time gaining admission to one of these schools. Or any school for that matter. That doesn't mean it's impossible. The deans of law schools are not on this board replying to your post it's just other prospective students giving your what they believe to be their honest assessment of your application.

What people don't know is what you did for 4 year. If you were an F-14 pilot or nuclear engineer for 4 year I assure you that UG GPA won't mean much. If you got that GPA from the Naval Academy I assure you they won't look down upon it. It is commonly known that service academies have the most stringent standards in terms of grading and academics of any schools in the nation. They don't grade inflate and the required curricula in addition to the required extra-curricular activities almost guarantee that you won't be walking out with a 4.0.

So the factors behind your GPA (which you don't have to explain here, but I would definitely make sure adcomms know if there's something more to your low GPA) are going to make a difference in your admissions.

If you can afford it I would say apply to as many schools in the top 20 as you can. There's no reason any school would not give you strong consideration to be a candidate. even if HYS or Columbia deny you it may have very little to do with your GPA and more to do with the fact that they have to reject somebody!!

[Jolie Was Here]

oh and i just noticed jolie's post in this thread.  i'll take that as enough reason to soften the language i used in my original post ("graduate degrees... next to nothing"), though i maintain that yale, stanford, and berkeley would be a waste of money and that cls and nyu are the very outside reaches.  jolie, you disagree?  also, hi.

Agreed. More anecdotal stuff (likely useless): I took a Feb. LSAT and applied that year to CLS and NYU for shits and giggles. I was already working full-time in NYC, why not? NYU immediately dinged me, CLS waitlisted me . . . even though my application came in after their deadline. Of course, they eventually dinged me too, but they kept me on the waitlist until classes began. The next year I cast a wider net, applied earlyish, etc. NYU immediately dinged me, CLS immediately waitlisted me. I doubt they would have taken me the 2d time around either, but I pulled myself off the WL before they decided.

Also, hi back, Marble. Are you one of my name-changing friends? I'm not around enough anymore to keep track.

[LawDog3]

LawDog3, your post is just a laughable disaster on so many levels. 

I am the Dean of Admissions of a T10 Law School AND I have taken more statistics classes than 99% of the people on this board. So YOU STFU.

Now who's laughable? A dean at a top school (much less ANY school) would not use that type of language...ever. And what problem do you have with me encouraging a guy to take a shot? That's all I am doing. He's not guaranteed anything, we all agree on that.

You can laugh if you want to, but just remember, if you think everyone in your classes is a major stud-intel-freak, you're sadly mistaken. I mean, they are, but not all in terms of numbers. The stats i have put on board work out. They don't happen quite as neatly, but that's as clean a description (on "Any MFA's Out There?") as any you will get of what 1L classes hypothetically look like at top schools. I know; if you don't? Your problem.

If I am wrong, use my hypothetical stats scenario to prove it.

One more time, nobody can say they understand statistics, then look at my scenarios and call them bull. If you understood statistics (the LSAC's as well as the schools') and the goal(s) of the adcoms, you would know that those scenarios are perfectly workable. I'm giving you a gift...telling you how it works and why. Just admit you're wrong and take it as a learning experience.