Strange LSAT story, t14 school?

[turambar85]

My numbers, as you can see, are a 3.79 g.p.a and a 168 LSAT score.  However, that score was on a Kaplan practice test. 

I have been planning on getting a doctorate in philosophy, and hadn't given law school any thought.  However, my wife (who is going to law school) had to take a practice test on her birthday.  I didn't want her to take it alone, and was curious to find out what all the buzz was about, so I went and took the test.  I didn't study at all, and didn't even know what was on the test.  I didn't know you could write in the book on the logic games either.  I got a 168, despite only getting 54% of the logic games questions right.  This is due, obviously, to by lack of knowledge of how to take the test in large part.  Because I didn't know I could write in the book, I tried to juggle all of the information in my head.  I got the first ten right, but it took me 20+ minutes.  So, I quickly ran out of time, and missed almost all of the second half of the questions.  The next week I did a section of logic games and only missed 6, so I am improving. 

So, given that information, do you seasoned test-takers think that, with a little study time, I can get my score up high enough to get into a t14 school despite my having only gone to the University of Tennessee?

Thanks!

[Jamie Stringer]

If you can score a 168+ on a real LSAT, you have a shot at T14 schools.

[big - fat - box]

Do not go to law school just b/c you think you can do well on the real test.

Do not go to law school b/c you can't think of anything else to do besides the Phil Phd.

Do not go to law school just b/c you think it's a way to get a big $$$.

Right now there are major changes taking place in hiring b/c of the economy. A lot of people at t14 schools who would've got six figure jobs in a good economy are simply not going to get them anymore, and things might not improve by the time you go through recruiting.

[Jamie Stringer]

Do not go to law school just b/c you think you can do well on the real test.

Do not go to law school b/c you can't think of anything else to do besides the Phil Phd.

Do not go to law school just b/c you think it's a way to get a big $$$.

Right now there are major changes taking place in hiring b/c of the economy. A lot of people at t14 schools who would've got six figure jobs in a good economy are simply not going to get them anymore, and things might not improve by the time you go through recruiting.

+1

[turambar85]

Do not go to law school just b/c you think you can do well on the real test.

Do not go to law school b/c you can't think of anything else to do besides the Phil Phd.

Do not go to law school just b/c you think it's a way to get a big $$$.

Right now there are major changes taking place in hiring b/c of the economy. A lot of people at t14 schools who would've got six figure jobs in a good economy are simply not going to get them anymore, and things might not improve by the time you go through recruiting.

The law was my second career choice, so I have a lot of interest.  My wife is going to law school, and we can attend a similar program and go together.  My LSAT scores can get me into a much better law school than philosophy program.  The philosophy job market is unquestionably much worse than the law market. 

Not to mention, making a lot of money is very low on my reasons for going to law school.

Now, back to the original post, perhaps?

[dischord]

FWIW I scored a 170 on my first blind, timed diagnostic.  Suffice it to say that I did not end up with a T14-worthy final LSAT or at a T14 school.  You have potential to score very high but you're still going to have to put just as much study time as anyone else to ensure a good score, because significant score drops on test day are common if not the norm.

I also chose law school over getting a Philosophy Ph.D. and while I do regret not studying harder for the LSAT or retaking it and reapplying, I don't regret foregoing the Ph.D. for a J.D.  However, if you're interested in both and end up with a high LSAT, you might look at J.D./Ph.D.s.  Depending on your philosophical interests, NYU, Texas, Chicago, Cornell, Mich, etc. come to mind as places that might make you marketable for academia (although if you were specifically interested in legal academia you'd need HYS).  With a 170+ LSAT you likely could get your JD from UT for free or from Cornell or Michigan for less than sticker price, so as long as you got Ph.D. funding the dual degree wouldn't be terribly expensive.  If you're worried about your chances of getting into those Philosophy programs (I mean, NYU's is pretty much impossible) Penn also has a good law and philosophy offerings even though their Philosophy grad school isn't the greatest, and UCLA has good Philosophy of Law scholars and a fairly new joint program.  At most places you can also apply to the non-J.D. program after your first year is done, and if you did well and had awesome law prof recs on top of your paper, proposal, and UG recs that might make you slightly more marketable to Philosophy departments.