3.2 GPA and 140 LSAT....lets try this again

[nyr49er]

Ok so since I get called a flame lets please try this again. Its a real friggen post. I dont know why people are so rude on here. Just need some honest advice. I have applied to like 20 schools so far. If people could give me their suggestion on where they think I should apply or their honest opinion of my chances of getting in law school that would be extremely beneficial to me.

I want to be a sports agent. I have met with many agents and professional scouts such as ones with the Portland Trail Blazers. This is no joke or fake thread. I want to pursue a career in this industry for both FIFA and the NFL. I know law school would best prepare me for this career choice.

Just please give me advice and be honest with me on my chances and on where I should go. I said in my previous post that I have had a 3.5gpa or higher for 2 years straight now. My gpa was hurt due to a summer session where I took both Business Stats and Business Math where I got Ds in both. Not because I didnt try, just because I struggle badly with math.

I took my LSAT 2 times. In June 08 I got a 139. In October 08 I got a 140. I prepared hard and took classes and everything. I just cant succeed with the LSAT.

It makes me so mad that a standardized test is going to potentially make or break my life. I have the heart and determination to succeed but I feel like I may not be given that opportunity. So any advice on what to do, where to apply, etc is greatly appreciated.

Once again this is a real post that would like real truthful, RESPECTABLE and meaningful replys. Thank you.

[TTom]

Ok so since I get called a flame lets please try this again. Its a real friggen post. I dont know why people are so rude on here. Just need some honest advice. I have applied to like 20 schools so far. If people could give me their suggestion on where they think I should apply or their honest opinion of my chances of getting in law school that would be extremely beneficial to me.

I want to be a sports agent. I have met with many agents and professional scouts such as ones with the Portland Trail Blazers. This is no joke or fake thread. I want to pursue a career in this industry for both FIFA and the NFL. I know law school would best prepare me for this career choice.

Just please give me advice and be honest with me on my chances and on where I should go. I said in my previous post that I have had a 3.5gpa or higher for 2 years straight now. My gpa was hurt due to a summer session where I took both Business Stats and Business Math where I got Ds in both. Not because I didnt try, just because I struggle badly with math.

I took my LSAT 2 times. In June 08 I got a 139. In October 08 I got a 140. I prepared hard and took classes and everything. I just cant succeed with the LSAT.

It makes me so mad that a standardized test is going to potentially make or break my life. I have the heart and determination to succeed but I feel like I may not be given that opportunity. So any advice on what to do, where to apply, etc is greatly appreciated.

Once again this is a real post that would like real truthful, RESPECTABLE and meaningful replys. Thank you.

The first thing I want to stress is that getting into law school will not make or break your life. You won't believe me on this point, but eventually you'll realize this is true.

Having said that, I think your chances of getting into an accredited law school are almost zero. If you do get in to a Tier-4 school, you'll probably be paying full price, meaning that you'd end up at least 150k in debt by the time you graduate. That is also an if. Although the LSAT is not perfect, it does correlate to success in law school. Just as the LSAT requires analytical thinking, so does the study of law. To be blunt, if a 140 is the highest you can muster on the LSAT, there is a good chance (and this is particularly so at low ranked schools where students do fail out) you won't meet the school's minimum gpa. None of this is very positive news for you.

I really want to stress that your self worth doesn't hinge on going to law school. I was too short to go into the profession I dreamed of going into as a kid - and it did not "break" me.

Good luck,

TTom

[MaxtoneFour]

It could be that you're not qualified to go to law school. Even in America, there are entry barriers to certain professions (as there should be). I have no doubt that you can pursue another dream that will leave you more fulfilled than the law could. Good luck to you.

[Matthies]

Have you ever been tested for dyslexia or other learning disabilities?

I ask because I see some clues in your post that are common dyslexic errors (I’m dyslexic). For example “My gpa was hurt due to a summer session where I took both Business Stats and Business Math where I got Ds in both. Not because I didnt try, just because I struggle badly with math.” This is very typical of people who have perceptual affect dyslexia, because our brains are wired differently we invert numbers/spacel information so math can be extremely difficult for us, even simple basic math because of the way we “see” numbers and letters (inverted or backwards) and then spit them back out (the same way).

Likewise “replys” is a common dyslexic mistake. Dyslexics do extremely poorly on standardized tests, in part because they are standardized on non dyslexic test takers and because they highlight the things we have the most trouble with, picking a letter choice from letters we invert, so you may mean to pick B but your brain sees D. Much worse is when you have to put seven people number 1-7 around a table lettered A-G, that’s like the worst thing you could do to a dyslexic.

Do you ever find things are easier to memorize or understand if you have a picture of them? For example if I gave you a math problem with numbers and letters and a picture of the math problem with no numbers or letters, just symbols representing numbers say ten boxes – seven circles, would seeing it displayed as a picture rather than numbers/letters be easier for you to get the answer? I.e. are you more visual than numeric? Do you do better in creative class like when you write a paper or essay on a subject or classes where you have to answer multiple choice questions from memorization? When you memorize how do you do it, reading it over 20 times or making flash cards, or writing it out? Do you ever write words backwards, or have to think about which hand is your right which is your left? Or confuse words that are homonyms like their, there, where, were?

[PSUDSL08]

I want to be a sports agent. I have met with many agents and professional scouts such as ones with the Portland Trail Blazers. This is no joke or fake thread. I want to pursue a career in this industry for both FIFA and the NFL. I know law school would best prepare me for this career choice.

I agree with TTom that your odds of getting into a T4 law school are extremely slim. Even if you broke into a T4, you're looking to pursue a career in a highly competitive field. Unless you have a guaranteed "in" through your contacts, your odds of breaking into the field with a T4 degree are slim to none. IMO it wouldn't be worth 3 years of your life and $100-150K just to have an outside shot at becoming an agent. I wish you luck in your future endeavors.

[SamE397]

Maybe you could look into a summer program. I know for example University of Detroit Mercy has a summer program specifically for people who feel that their LSAT is not indicative of their ability to perform in law school. The way it works is that you're admitted to the summer program and if you perform reasonably well you can be admitted into the JD program.

FWIW according to the lsat.org ugpa/lsat calculator you could probably get into cooley; I'm guessing  would be paying the full sticker price though. I believe cooley's website tells you if you're eligible for scholarship though. 


However, I would have to agree with T Tom and say that if there is a way you could pursue your interests outside of a law degree maybe you should consider that path. Just because you can't do well on the lsat doesn't mean you aren't a smart capable person.

I know for example, even if I  studied my brains out for years I'd still probably do below average on the MCAT. It's not that I'm unintelligent it's that I don't have the right set of skills to succeed in the sciences.

[sunglee]

Well I don't know about any of this dyslexic stuff, I think you need a professional not some person online symptoms may be different. And I really don't think you getting a 140 on the LSAT means you are a failure and won;t make a great lawyer. With that said, you talk about working with Portland TB, I really think in order to get a job at that level, you really do need to do better on the test.

If you took a class, which you said you did, you need to go back to them and get your money back or retake the class. I would suggest testmasters(that's what I took) and a lot of outside class study-time. The test is difficult but certainly not unbeatable. And if you retake a third time with some serious studying, and you get a score that dramatically differs from your 140, most schools will forgive that school.

A 3.2 gpa is not bad at all, all you need is  to pick that LSAT score up...I think you can do it.

[Matthies]

Well I don't know about any of this dyslexic stuff, I think you need a professional not some person online symptoms may be different.

that's why I said "have you ever been tested" and I do know about the dyslexic stuff.

[themanwithnoname]

It occurs to me that while law school might be the best path for some people to be sports agents, it might not be the best path for you. I wonder whether going to a tier 4 law school is going to be the best way to spend three years getting into the field, rather than taking whatever job you can get at an agency and working your way up.

[nyr49er]

Thank you for all the comments so far:

First off no I have no learning disability however I have never been tested for dyslexia. Maybe it is a possibility. I do better if it is drawn out because I think I am more of a visual learner. However, I honestly cannot be exact. Its hard to say, I never really thought about that.

My first post was quick and would like to expand more.

My ultimate life goal is to be a sports agent for the NFL and FIFA. I have spoken to numerous agents and the Portland Trail Blazers scout was an example of whom I have talked to.

This career in the athlete representation industry is what I know and believe I want to do and there is nothing that I will settle for less than this. I dont need a lecture about how highly competitive the industry is because I know. Ive read all the books, Ive done all the research. This is who I am and what I want to do and I will not let anyone tell me that I cannot accomplish my dream.

To be a licensed NFLPA agent, you need a post degree such as a masters or law degree. Since being an agent requires a lot in terms of contract law and a lot of trust issues I thought that this would be the best choice to have me best prepared. There are THOUSANDS of agents that do not go to law school that are just as successful or more successful than the agents that DO go to law school. However, I enjoy law. In college I have a minor in legal studies (21 semester hours). I have always gotten either an A or B+ and this is at a AACSB accredited school.

I just cant do standardized tests and my problem is do you really think it is worth it? I feel that I would be best prepared however I am really very scared now from comments. I have spent a lot of money on applications, I have told friends and family I want to attend law school. I feel like I will be such a disappointment to friends, family, and most importantly myself. However, I need to be realistic. Im scared that just because I did horrible on the LSAT, that will tranlate into doing terrible in law school. I have the heart and determination, but I want to be realistic. Is the LSAT THAT good of a measure to determine that I most likely wont succeed in law school? Will this be a bad investment for me? Im scared by these comments I see when researching this that law schools prey on these unqualified candidates who fail out.

I hope to obtain in law school internships with possibly Octagon, IMG, or Athletes First to help me get into this business.

If I was to pursue a masters is the GMAT the exam? Is that extremely difficult?

So thank you once again for all the advice and keep it comin!