.

[blubberbee]

.

[canthardlywait]

those are all quite a stretch... I'd throw a few safety schools in there, u have good #'s but those schools require great #'s.  That being said I do feel like UNC will look very kindly upon ur high GPA, if its in something that's unique and challenging then it will help ur chances even more.

Also... since ur a competitive app that won't be trashed but will also be stretching to get into one of these schools, i'd say to at least mention the Katrina situation if not write ur PS about it.

[hereshopin]

Are you kidding me?

URM
3.96
KATRINA

They're going to see those three things and stop right there. I don't care what the LSAT is, (although 162 is good), you're a desirable applicant.

Write your essay about Katrina for bonus points.

[not funny]

What about:

UCLA
Texas
Vanderbilt
USC
George Washington
Notre Dame
Boston University
Boston College
North Carolina

I am an URM from Atlanta. Do I have a chance at any of these schools? Do I have a GOOD chance at any? I know that UT and UNC are strict as hell about admitting nonresidents. Any advice would be extremely helpful.

I lived in New Orleans until forced to move by Hurricane Katrina, but I don't intend to mention Katrina anywhere on my application. That just seems so cheap to me. Am I doing the right thing by not seeking pitty/admission because of the hurricane, or am I passing up an opportunity?

What kind of URM are you? If you are black, with those scores you are looking at Columbia, Chicago, NYU, Boalt, and basically any top school. You stand a very realistic shot at Harvard, Stanford, and Yale too.

If you are hispanic you should apply to every top school. You will most likely find admission at Michigan, Berkeley, and Virginia -- at the very least.

The Katrina deal only helps your case more. You'd be a feel not to mention it, no matter how cheesey you may think it is. Believe it or not, your experience during Katrina is something that is going to add a great deal to the classroom discussion. More so than most other people have to offer. Law schools would love to hear about this and your ability to discuss the issue.

[habeas dorkus!]

I am black, but Columbia, Chicago, NYU, Boalt, Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, Virginia? Are you kidding? As far as Katrina, you are probably right. Althought I think its cheesy, I would be a fool not to use it to help get me into a top law school. Not doing so could lead to a lifetime of regret. I'm having a hard time deciding what to include/exclude from my application. Should I choose to include everything, it might be hard for me to incorporate everything into my application cohesively because I think that admissions committees would also be interested in:

1) I will be only the 3rd person in my entire extended family to earn a college degree, and the first to attend graduate school.

2) I was once the victim of police brutality. Nothing too extreme. I didn't have to go to the hospital afterwards or anything, but it was brutality nonetheless.

3) My father is a convicted felon, and has been in prison my entire life.

4) I've got an extensive history of volunteer work.

I guess that I'm worried about turning my application into something where I'm begging for admission based on past hardships, instead of proving that I deserve to be there on my own merit. At what point does it become too much? Is there such a point?

Nos. 3 and 4 could help you. There's a difference between begging for pity and demonstrating a history of adversity. Don't feel guilty about the latter.

Also, with your numbers, you really do have a very good shot at ALL of the T14. Your chances of getting into one of CCN are probably better than 50%. You'll almost certainly get into every one of the schools in your OP.

[Infinity]

What about:

UCLA
Texas
Vanderbilt
USC
George Washington
Notre Dame
Boston University
Boston College
North Carolina

I am an URM from Atlanta. Do I have a chance at any of these schools? Do I have a GOOD chance at any? I know that UT and UNC are strict as hell about admitting nonresidents. Any advice would be extremely helpful.

I lived in New Orleans until forced to move by Hurricane Katrina, but I don't intend to mention Katrina anywhere on my application. That just seems so cheap to me. Am I doing the right thing by not seeking pitty/admission because of the hurricane, or am I passing up an opportunity?

I think you should research lawschoolnumbers.com to see where people with comparable profiles are generally accepted rather than asking us 0Ls and 1Ls for our subjective opinions.  From my limited research there, it would seem like you would be under serious consideration at almost any school in the country, though you should check it out for yourself.

As for Katrina, I think you should neither purposely mention it nor purposely not mention it.  If in your personal statement or some of your essays it seems like a natural thing to discuss, then raise it.  Your sentiment of worrying about being "cheap" is understandable and worthwhile in that you do not want to benefit unfairly from the tragedy.  So I think the best course is don't play it up or say that it affected you in ways that it did not, because that would be unfairly benefiting from the tragedy, but that also does not mean you should not mention it.  Basically, tell your story without exaggeration as best you can, and if that includes Katrina, than do not worry about it looking cheap--honesty isn't cheap.

[Alamo]

I'm sure Annabel herself will see this before too long, but your numbers are almost identical to hers:

http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com/display.php?user=AnnabelLee

Put together a solid overall application, and the sky is your limit.

[Saja]

Flame???

Anyway, if it's not, you have a great chance at any school.  Blanket the T14.

[decisiontime]

You'll be crazy not to mention pts 1-4 & Katrina. You seem to have overcome a lot of challenges. Mention them to your advantage and you'll be in. Good luck

[cultural_vacuum]

I am black, but Columbia, Chicago, NYU, Boalt, Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, Virginia? Are you kidding?

No, they are not joking. If you don't apply to those schools, it's your loss. At the very least, you'll probably get into at least one of them. You may even be offerred money. Go over to lawschoolnumbers.com

1) I will be only the 3rd person in my entire extended family to earn a college degree, and the first to attend graduate school.

If you are the first person in your immediate family to attend college, say that on your resume, you can mention it in a "personal" section at the bottom. Other things that go in the "Personal" section are unusual things about you, hobbies, instruments played, languages spoken, etc.

2) I was once the victim of police brutality. Nothing too extreme. I didn't have to go to the hospital afterwards or anything, but it was brutality nonetheless.

Wouldn't mention this unless you can artfully, tactfully integrate it into an essay.

3) My father is a convicted felon, and has been in prison my entire life.

This definitely belongs in a diversity statement about your background and upbringing. You could also mention Katrina in this, if you integrate it well

4) I've got an extensive history of volunteer work.

Goes on your resume. You will have to mention specifics, hours worked, etc.

I guess that I'm worried about turning my application into something where I'm begging for admission based on past hardships, instead of proving that I deserve to be there on my own merit. At what point does it become too much? Is there such a point?

Focus your personal statement on a personal accomplishment or something of that nature. Do not write a "sob story". Mention your hardships in an addendum about your background or overcoming adversity.

I would recommend getting the following books:

THE IVEY GUIDE TO LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS: Anna Ivey

HOW TO GET INTO THE TOP LAW SCHOOLS: Richard Montauk

Both should help you immensely in preparing your application.