DO NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL!!!

[cs_rudy]

"Here's a little background about me.  I was always one of the smartest kids in my high school and did all the things I needed to do to get into law school.  I got a 161 on my LSAT which is the top 14% of test-takers."

This is when I stopped reading.

You generalize that I should not go to law school from the fact that you have not met with great success. Why should I care? Your experiences are not analogous to mine and your goals are obviously very different, so why should I decide not to do anything because of your shortfalls.

It sucks that law school didn't live up to your expectations, but to claim that no one should go to law school on that basis is utterly ridiculous.

Let me illustrate with a hypo:

Say I went to law school three years ago, graduated at the top of my class, and am now working at a prestigious law firm in a big city and making beau-coup bucks. I have managed to invest my money well and I've paid off my loans and drive a nice sports car and live in a condo-with-a-view downtown. I am quickly becoming one of the most respected Mid-Level associates and am on track to make partner in the next few years.

Would you go to law school on the basis of the information above? I hope not. Just as I hope no one who reads your post decides not to go to law school because YOU had a bad experience.

[JeNeSaisLaw]

"Here's a little background about me.  I was always one of the smartest kids in my high school and did all the things I needed to do to get into law school.  I got a 161 on my LSAT which is the top 14% of test-takers."

i stopped reading because 161 is quite low.  any high school students in here, don't worry: there's a significant chance you will score much higher than this kid and get into a much better school.

What planet are you on? 161 is not "quite low" and there is not a "significant chance" that any person will score higher than the 8Xth percentile. I wish you had a LSN so I could keep track of where not to go.

[JeNeSaisLaw]

Do you understand what it means to score better than 84% of test takers? Do you understand who is taking this test? Everybody (well, I can't say everybody, but probably so close it doesn't matter) is college educated and for the most part a different kind of student than less than average quality college student across the country. To score above 84% of that population is a damn impressive thing. To argue otherwise is horrifying.

So, yeah, it will not get you seriously considered at the top 14 without some unbelievable soft factors, but that does not mean it is not impressive. Don't confuse the idea that some people are making financially irresponsible decisions with their law school choices with the idea that a score is not impressive.

You are a fool for thinking that it anybody can score above the 84% and even more foolish for thinking that there is a significant chance that anybody will.

You really frustrate me.

[Pop Up Video]

Everybody (well, I can't say everybody, but probably so close it doesn't matter) is college educated and for the most part a different kind of student than less than average quality college student across the country. To score above 84% of that population is a damn impressive thing. To argue otherwise is horrifying.

A lot of worthless liberal arts majors with dead-end sales jobs who see law school as the last chance before they descend into TTT-dom take the LSAT.  Unfortunately, many of them descend even further into TTT-dom then they already are due to not completely failing it... like the OP.

Finishing better than 84% of this population is not all that impressive.

Oh, and if getting over a 170 makes me a prodigy, I have a bridge to sell you...

Hey, I'm not a liberal arts major, but I'm close, and as such, I take offense. 

[Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration]

I can't believe you are asserting that being in the 85th percentile is not impressive.  This is one of the most pretentious, illogical things I have ever heard.  Out of every 20 people, you are 3rd best.  Wow, that sucks actually, you should not be proud of yourself at all.  And the whole fact that people can go up to that point that easily makes it EVEN MORE impressive to ACTUALLY achieve it.  IF so many people are accruing the tools to be in the 85th percentile, and someone has to win out, how much more impressive is it to be this person?  On LSD we are constantly surrounded with people who are applying to T-14 schools; this is so far from being representative of reality.  Your argument, is flawed, elitist, and unnecessarily patronizing to people in the 85th percentile who should be extremely proud of their accomplishments.

[JeNeSaisLaw]

PBJ please stop being irresponsible.

[RokoMotion]

It's funny...I always thought life is what we make of it.

[EatYourVeggies]

I think we can all agree that there are a lot of stupid people walking around with bachelor's degrees.  The testing pool may be a little better than the "average" American, but the "average American" should make us all sad. 

[vap]

PBJ please stop being irresponsible.

he stays up all night memorizing Federal Rules of Civil Procedure but doesn't understand what's going on in the exam.

  This from the 0L reading a hornbook.

[bridget_jones]

I agree with Biglulz. It seems like some of the people on this board get an ego boost out of coming on and making remarks to discourage anyone who doesn't have T14 aspirations. To say that a 161 is not law school material is absolutely ridiculous. I know many attorneys who went to regional schools (some tier 3) and they are very happy and love their jobs. A 161, paired with a good GPA, could get you a nice scholarship at some schools, so to say that you'll accrue a huge amount of debt is not necessarily the case. Anyway, the bottom line is that anyone who seriously wants to pursue law should try and do so because you don't have to do Biglaw to be successful.