Chances of getting in or totally rejected? 165/3.1 undergrad

[HollyDontSpend]

I am writing this on behalf of my husband (who is the one trying to get into law school). Since I will be the breadwinner while he's in school (which is a TERRIFYING thought) I am fearful of his actual chances of getting into law school. Both of us were sitting at lunch yesterday and he said, "Do you think I could get rejected from every school I apply to?" I had no idea how to answer because I don't know anything about law school! He is looking at SMU, U of H, U of Texas (we're in Texas if you couldn't tell), U of Wisconson-Madison, U of Iowa, U of Minnesota, College of William and Mary, and whatever else looks attainable. His prelaw advisor that was assigned to him is from our undergrad on the other side of the state and has yet to reply after 3 phone calls and 5 emails. This is something he has always wanted to do and finally decided to act on it and I don't know how he'd handle it if every school said, "No."  Our experience in theatre "MFA land" is that nothing is certain----at all, because the field is so subjective. Deadlines are always soft, and answers are always shaky. 
I am a solid supporter of his decision, so I don't want him to know that I am worried about this. I've researched a lot and have been lurking on here since June when he took his LSAT and have scoured Law School Numbers extensively and see that his stats are promising, but never certain.  So, overall, I guess this is a slight rant and also an outsider's question for those familiar with the process, can he actually get into one of those aforementioned schools? Thank you for any feedback you could provide. It is greatly appreciated. 

[bigs5068]

Well he could apply to lower ranked schools and get massive scholarship money with his numbers. There are plenty of lower ranked schools in Texas that would offer him BIGTIME scholarship money.  With his numbers he can definitely get into plenty of schools do not take U.S. News rankings into consideration that much and go to law school in a location that works for both of you. At then end of the the location you go to law school in and how much debt you are going to go into should be your main concerns unless you are going to a school like Harvard.  That is my opinion anyways.

[HollyDontSpend]

Thank you bigs!

The debt thing is very much a huge factor since I will be paying off students loans (and I'm sure the debt will pass to my kid's kids if we had any!) We both just want him to be at a school that will have great chances of getting a job afterwards. Also I'm a school teacher so I'd like to be in an area that will pay teacher's decently (ha! laughable!). Other than that, seasons (like all 4; fall, winter, spring, and summer) would be super, as well as some outdoorsy things to do nearby.

[bigs5068]

Bay Area teachers do quite well any government job in California pays pretty solidly hence are entire state is completely broke. That is a whole other story though. , Honestly, law school for the most part can get you a job and the difference between tier 2 or 4 in Texas probably doesn't mean much. He could probably get almost a full ride scholarship from some Texas schools with those numbers.  Other people will say different things and I am only a second year law student, but I am glad I picked a lower ranked school, that was in an area that worked for me and my fiance, I also got a solid scholarship. Up to this point I have had no trouble finding paying internships etc granted that is not the same as associate positions and maybe that will be different, but this far into it I think law school rankings are idiotic and you should take the money at lower ranked schools unless you get into a top 25  maybe top 50 school. With a 165 he will have some pretty good opportunities.

Another thing to consider is that you can look into State Schools where the tuition is pretty damn cheap FIU, Florida State, I think University of Alabama, and quite few more have in state tuition and are only about 10-15k a year opposed to 30-35k at non-state schools. Bottom line is your husband definitely has a lot of options a 165 is a pretty solid score.

One other thing to save a few hundred bucks on applications fees is you should go to an LSAC forum or just register for it and he will get a ton of fee waivers. There is one in Houston on November 20th  I think that is the date. I did that and got a million e-mails that just said stop by our booth and you will get a fee waiver. Just going to that one event saved me probably 400 bucks in application fees and I got to talk to admissions officers. Some schools impressed me more than others and I figured if they didn't impress me at an admissions event then I really wouldn't be impressed with the school.

[HollyDontSpend]

Up to this point I have had no trouble finding paying internships etc granted that is not the same as associate positions and maybe that will be different, but this far into it I think law school rankings are idiotic and you should take the money at lower ranked schools unless you get into a top 25  maybe top 50 school. With a 165 he will have some pretty good opportunities.

Really!? Cool!!!!  (As I write this with dollar signs in my eyes) 

One other thing to save a few hundred bucks on applications fees is you should go to an LSAC forum or just register for it and he will get a ton of fee waivers. There is one in Houston on November 20th  I think that is the date. I did that and got a million e-mails that just said stop by our booth and you will get a fee waiver. Just going to that one event saved me probably 400 bucks in application fees and I got to talk to admissions officers. Some schools impressed me more than others and I figured if they didn't impress me at an admissions event then I really wouldn't be impressed with the school.

If he's applying for the 2011-2012 school year, will November 20th be too late to get into some of the schools?

[bigs5068]

No law schools don't even really start accepting Applications until November 1st and most don't expect them to come flying in then. He should prepare all his material letters of recommendation, personal statement, transcripts etc right now. Then once he gets some fee waivers and things he will have everything ready. If he gets his application in before the end of 2010 he will be fine and even if you send it later it should be ok. I honestly don't think most law schools even start looking at their applications until January. Some obviously do and the motto is the earlier you send in the application the better, but if you get it in by December it should be fine.

In regards to the LSAC forums you should register for that today it takes two seconds and it is free.  Now that I think about it you should just register for all of them. You don't have to attend or do anything you just pop up on their mass mailing list and a lot of schools give fee waivers in those e-mails alone.  Then a lot say stop by our booth and we will give you a fee-wavier and you probably should actually attend the one in Houston to pick up a few more fee waivers. Most will make you stop by the booth and you get a fee waiver. The whole system kind of stupid, but it saves you lot of money. For example University of Oregon said if you stop by our booth and say go Ducks we will give you a fee waiver. It was stupid, but it saved me 60 bucks a lot of the schools did random stuff like that.  Some just give you a fee waiver for talking to them and as I mentioned some will just send you a waiver in the mail or e-mail for registering for the forum. If you don't get an e-mail and they don't offer you one on the spot if you write your LSAC number down at the booth a week or so later they will send you a fee waiver also. If he actually goes to the one in Houston just tell him to write LSAC number at any school he has even 1% interest in attending and odds are they will give him a fee waiver on the spot or a week later in an e-mail saying thanks for stopping by. It can save you a 1,000 bucks in application fees and maybe he will apply to some school he never even considered that offers him a huge scholarship package who knows. If it's free why not apply everywhere you know that was my philosophy anyways. If he gets a really awesome scholarship offer from some school, which he should with his scores he may even be able to use it to negotiate more scholarship money to a school he really wants to go to.

Sorry for the long rant, but I just learned all this stuff on the go  last year and I figured it is good to help people save money when they can. Good luck to you and your husband. However, for all of this to apply he needs to check the box on LSAC to let schools send him information you will get some junk mail, which is annoying, but for all the money it saves it is worth it. I also think it would be good to check every state he can on his profile that asks what state he would be interested in applying to law school. I think they put a limit on the states you can do that for, but that will further help him pop up on these lists and save money on application fees.

[HollyDontSpend]

Don't apologize for the "long rant" as you say. We definitely need this information and I am glad that you are willing to share. 

That Houston forum sounds great! He didn't know that you could register and not have to go (although going is the intention). From what I understand he's already registered to get all the email (and junk mail) from the LSAC, but I'll check with him on that again. You really have been a wealth of information for us. Thank you so much!

[marcus-aurelius]

Don't apologize for the "long rant" as you say. We definitely need this information and I am glad that you are willing to share. 

That Houston forum sounds great! He didn't know that you could register and not have to go (although going is the intention). From what I understand he's already registered to get all the email (and junk mail) from the LSAC, but I'll check with him on that again. You really have been a wealth of information for us. Thank you so much!

The forums are within in LSAC.  Check on the tabs where it says forum.  Click on it and then look for a forum in your area.  I believe they start in September sometime. 

From my reading (I'll be attending in NYC in October) you can meet with reps from various schools and get/give information

[HollyDontSpend]

Cool thank you! I'm about ready to hack into his account and just get this done for him (but that might be a little emasculating)

[bigs5068]

It literally takes two seconds to do it just do it tonight and it can save you hundred possibly one thousand dollars in fee waivers for two seconds of time. I figured out how to do it so it can't be that complicated.

All you do is log on to his LSAC account click on the forum tab then it will list 7 forums to register for click register and you fill out a basic form. I really think you should just apply to all 7 and attend one that is in a convient location. All this does is get you on the mass mailing list a week before the forum you will get a million e-mails. Then if you actually go to one and stop by a schools both and write your LSAC number down they will send you a follow-up e-mail a week or so later that often includes a fee waiver. You can also say you talked to someone at an LSAC forum on the application and it might help your application slightly since it shows you took an active interest. I don't know if would actually help or not, but I don't think it would hurt to show that you took some affirmative steps to talk to a school.