I've just been told by a law advisor at my school that my transcript will not hold up to the competition of

Question

law school admissions. Mostly due to my freshman and sophmore years of F'n around, which have negatively balanced out my 3.7 in major. Now that I'm graduating, from a top 25 school, do I listen to my advisor who says: "try graduate school first" or do I go straight to some job, OR.... do I give it all I got, take the LSAT, and apply? The answer might be "obvious" and i'll get the responses that I get, but please a little consideration would be cool. Cheers!

Answer 1

GPA matters a lot. LSAT matters more.
Just to give you an idea, I had a 3.5 cumulative GPA (3.0 first semester) and a 176 LSAT and am now in a top 5 law school.
Also note, that if your grades have been improving, that's definitely a plus. Make sure you address that in your personal statement (but don't make excuses). Something along the lines of: "...it took some time for me to find my bearings, and my early grades reflect that, but I am proud at having turned around and excelled my last 2 years"

Also, I'm a little confused about your adviser's statement, law school is graduate school. Or does your advisor mean to complete graduate school in your current major?

I would recommend taking a bunch of practice LSATs just to see where you lie.
Also, give consideration towards working for a year or two before going to law school, especially if you can get a good job (with a lot of responsibility). This will enable you to divert some attention away from your GPA and towards your experience. Resume padding, basically. It doesn't have to be law related, but it does have to give you the opportunity to show leadership skills, initiative, interpersonal skills, analytical ability etc. Working a year in McDonalds isn't going to cut it.

Check for the ranges law schools typically accept:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawrank_brief.php

Lastly, law advisors pretty much have to tell you you won't get into law school. A lot of people think they want to go into law, end up with 130k in debt, and spend the rest of their lives working at a law firm doing what they hate to pay it off. The practice of law is not what you see on TV. It's a lot of reading, a lot of writing, a lot of analysis.

Give it a lot of thought, weigh your options. Keep in mind, most (~70%) people in law school don't come straight out of school, they usually have a few years of work experience.

Answer 2

Take the darn LSAT and apply. If you don't get in, then take a year or two and work, take an LSAT prep course, and apply again. The work experience will make you a stronger candidate, if you need the boost.

The good thing about your grades is that those bad grades were in your first years. You've improved since, and you've done well in your major. If you take a good LSAT, and write good essays, and have good reccs, then even the top law schools may consider you. Really. You can use the application essays to explain your improvement, and how you learned from the experience.

I'll tell you a story. One coworker was in a similar situation. She graduated from Mt. Holyoke with only a 2.3 overall GPA, because her first two years were not stellar. But she did well afterwards, took a strong GMAT, worked a couple years, wrote a fabulous application, and got into Harvard MBA, which at the time was the #1 business school in the world. Looking at her GPA, you'd never think she should even have applied.

Yes, some elite law schools won't want you because of your GPA. But you may be surprised, especially if you crank on the LSAT.

When you go to apply to law school, apply to the schools you really want. Also pick one or two that you really like, but that may be, based solely on numbers, more "realistic". So, for example, apply to Yale, sure. Apply to Columbia. Also apply to, say, Boston College or Howard.

See where you get.

Answer 3

I'd definitely apply. Some law schools will take into account the fact that you shaped up and eventually got a 3.7 in your major (which is pretty darn good). Plus, you're coming from a top school. If you do well on your LSAT, you should have a shot at some decent schools.

Maybe not a top 25 school (depending on how low those early grades were and your LSAT score), but possibly lower first tier or 2nd tier.

I'd definitely give it a shot though. You can always try again the year after that which would give you time to bulk up your application by doing something productive.

I never had a counselor who was worth a damn or knew what the hell they were doing. They exist, I've just never had one for me. My college advisor was the worst. I listened to what they said to the kid with the appointment before me. It was total crap. I just walked in, made them fill out the form to say I showed up (school required it), and walked back out.

Answer 4

I am experiencing sorta the same dilemma. However I do not have the advantage of attending a top 25 school. I also have a 3.7 in my major and all junior/senior courses I've taken but I blew it those first two years. I have opted to wait a year and get my MA. I am sorry now that I made that decision. If I were you, I would prepare for the LSAT and apply. I learned from the assistant dean for admissions at the law school I hope to attend that only your undergraduate gpa is considered. A winning personal statement and your LSAT scores should pull the weight where the ugpa doesn't. Now I have to wait a year before I can try for my dream and it is frustrating. Good luck!

Answer 5

Take the LSAT and apply...the grad school pitch honestly sounds a bit more like your advisor's advertising the school than the best advice.

3.7 is still great, especially from a top 25 school and you likely have the knowledge (when you're being serious) to get in the top 10% on the LSAT. If you are dying to get into a very competitive law school you may simply want to retake the 1-2 courses that hurt you GPA (if, say, you got B-'s or worse in those).
The other thing is make sure to take into account in your law school application any debate or law-related clubs you were in and any student government extracurricular activities.

Best luck!

Answer 6

I went to a good law school and had not so great transcript. It turns out that grades are only one factor. The letter you write is very important too. Smart people are a dime a dozen. Not all are cut out to be attorneys.
Law school is the last resort of the generalist. so many skills are needed that nerds seldom do well. You need resoucefulness and breadth of interests. F'ng off in school is good human nature experinece. you need judgment to be attorney. good judgment comes from experience but experience comes from bad judgment.
So go ahead and apply NOW and think positive. Motivation and character are big factors in this profession. You have to show that you are flexible and can work hard and do not give up and that you care about justice and love the law and will be a credit to the profession. Not just another "brainy" type.
C students make the best attorneys. Writing skills and vocabulary rule. Write clear and concise. Avoid slang. ( like "rule")
Integrity is number one. Go for it now and do not give up
Try mc george law School in Sacramento California. They are excellent. Never let your so-called chances for success control your efforts. let your desires control! if you want to be a Lawyer, then set your mind and be one. There is more than one way to skin a cat. In california you can be an attorney just by working for one and self study. Start by getting paralegal skills if need be, this gives you a peek at the profession and you learn so much good stuff you never get at law school. then you can be solo practice and not need a paralegal to do all the stuff you never learned.
Getting accepted at big law school and getting job at big law firm is so prosaic and may not really be what you are looking for. Those big law firms chew up bodies and spit them out.
examine all alternatives. many calif schools will take anyone with the money and it is up to you to study and pass the bar. the law school just provides you the eligibility to take the test.
Anyway, law school IS GRADUATE school. You get a doctorate after 3 years. ( Juris doctorate or JD)
Talk to attorneys, not your advisor.

Answer 7

I got a 1.5 and 2.5 in my first 2 semesters of college, finished with 3.3. I've already been accepted to Michigan and Georgetown, which are top programs. Apply. Seriously. By the way, transferring after your first year of law school is also an option if you don't get into the school you want on the first try.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 8

To your boss "Listen, I have something important to talk to you about. I have received an acceptance letter from XXXX Law School and am seriously leaning towards going. If I go, it means I'll have to leave this job in mid-July...." Your employer at this point will probably jump in with "congratulations! let me know what your decision is as soon as you can so we can find a replacement." That gives plenty of notice. I do not imagine that a file clerk would be too hard to find. And if they like you they'll be happy for you.

Answer 9

You know some schools focus more on your last 2 years. My MS SLP program only looks at average of last 60 credits.
I say study your butt off for the LSAT, do well, and you will get in somewhere.
Don't let the dream go...

Answer 10

Don't believe everything your hear. Your Advisors' words are just a wrench in your path.
Give it all you have, take the LSAT and apply anyway. Keep the faith. Faith moves mountains.