Where should I apply? 177, 2.73

[thobart]

So I posted on this illustrious board earlier, but I made a huge mistake in calculating my LSDAS GPA.  So, I’m posting a corrected version.  My question is this:  I have a 2.73 LSDAS GPA, and scored a 177 on the LSAT.  My grades were good at first, then exhibited a really really bad downward trend (several terms of all Fs – but never got close to getting kicked out, I was never even on Academic Probation, because these terms followed many “good terms”)  and then exhibited an excellent upward trend with several terms of 4.0 gpa.

My question is, given these stats, what law schools should I apply to?  I’d like to get into the highest ranked law school I can.  What are the highest ranked schools I can consider for safeties, which are my target choices, and which should I choose for realistic reaches?

Thanks for any opinions!

[sunglee]

oh that sucks...what I would do with a 177( dance all night long) Sorry I have no really suggestion..I'm one of those people that don't think everything is so clear cut. I would say apply to the top schools and write a mean-as$ personal statement to explain your gpa...i wish I could lend you my gpa.

Goodluck bud

[Tetris]

I'm just pulling this out of my ass, but I have an entire cycle of LSD-acceptance experience, so here goes.

Highest safety:  Tier 2.  Maybe the bottom of the Tier 1 could be your safety, but I'm overly pessimistic and cautious and don't think so.

Highest reach:  Lower T14.  IF you have the resources, I recommend blanketing everything from NYU down to the Vanderbilt/UCLA area.  Whip up a compelling explanation for your F's (as long as its nothing totally crazy -- use your judgement) and work up some theme that fits your excuse into the broader narrative about you. 

I had a relatively low GPA myself.  My personal statement was about developing a work ethic and how that translated into me becoming a better person and student.  My diversity statement included my socio-economic background.  I wrote a GPA addendum that explained why my GPA didn't really reflect "who I was" (in your situation, I recommend sending a GPA addendum even if its not asked for, unless extra addenda are explicitly forbidden in the application materials).  Notice how all these items in my application had the same theme.

[Tetris]

oh that sucks...what I would do with a 177( dance all night long) Sorry I have no really suggestion..I'm one of those people that don't think everything is so clear cut. I would say apply to the top schools and write a mean-as$ personal statement to explain your gpa...i wish I could lend you my gpa.

Goodluck bud

Your signature was quoted in a footnote of a scholarly Contracts-theory article I read yesterday!  The author was saying that "nobody expects a standard form contract will have unreasonably radical terms".  Pretty nerdy stuff.  I watched the Youtube of the skit and thought it was pretty funny.

[sunglee]

oh that sucks...what I would do with a 177( dance all night long) Sorry I have no really suggestion..I'm one of those people that don't think everything is so clear cut. I would say apply to the top schools and write a mean-as$ personal statement to explain your gpa...i wish I could lend you my gpa.

Goodluck bud

Your signature was quoted in a footnote of a scholarly Contracts-theory article I read yesterday!  The author was saying that "nobody expects a standard form contract will have unreasonably radical terms".  Pretty nerdy stuff.  I watched the Youtube of the skit and thought it was pretty funny.






You got it from a scholarly article and I got it from a movie...Sliding Doors (great film)

OP, I have another suggestion...pray to whom ever you worship, and pick like three top schools you want to go to and apply there.  Then apply to lower tier-1/mid-tier-1 schools

[thobart]

So, these are the schools I'm considerin applying to right now.
Columbia
NYU
Boalt
UChicago
UPenn
Northwestern
UMichigan
UVirginia
Cornell
Duke
Georgetown
Vanderbilt
WUSTL
GWU
Emory
Notre Dame
Fordham
American
UWashington
Willamette
UOregon
Lewis and Clark

Quite a large batch, which I will to have to pare down.  Any comments?

[Miss P]

You should probably take off Boalt and Fordham.  They are hostile to low-GPA splitters.  Chicago, Cornell, Virginia, Duke, and Washington aren't very splitter-friendly, either, but your 177 may just be appealing enough to work.  I recommend adding Hastings if you are interested in the Bay Area and Minnesota if you are interested in the Midwest.

Beyond that, I'd say you have a shot at all the top-ranked schools you listed and will get into a good number of the other ones.  I can't really tell what you want (big school/small school, corporate/academic/public interest, location, etc.) from your list, so I don't know how else to help you pare things down.  Personally, if I got into either Oregon or L&C, there's no way I'd go to Willamette though.  Salem is such an armpit of a city.

The most important thing is for you to apply early (by early November).  Good luck!

[LawDog3]

You should probably take off Boalt and Fordham.  They are hostile to low-GPA splitters. 
The most important thing is for you to apply early (by early November).  Good luck!

This is good advice...the OP should take it! Also, it's very astute of the OP to know that the Super-3 do not dip below 3.0...unless you're GWB. 

[thobart]

thanks for the advice everyone... I will likely take Boalt off my list, I had temporarily forgotten how much they like GPAs.... and I will definitely apply early to all my schools... and ED the best one I feel is 50/50 likely to take me.

[thobart]

Also there is another considerations... I am deeply interested in a legal career... but I know that unless one can get into a top school, without scholarship money it may not make economic sense to aquire so much debt, especially since I will not be graduating until age 31.  Do I have a probable shot at getting into a school that makes law school a good choice?