What Schools Should I Be Looking @?

ImaCANE
Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:06:32 +0000

Hi, all. A bit of rambling until the line (optional reading here):

I recently decided to pursue law. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, but with the volatility of the job market and the seeming abundance of lawyers, I thought a career in dentistry – and, therefore, a major in Biology – might be a safer bet. Well, what’s the point in job security (which doesn’t truly exist anyhow) if you hate what you’re doing?

Biology was not for me. I know it’s an overused excuse for crappy grades, but there’s a reason for its frequency. For me, there were kids in my Bio classes just enraptured by the subject – enraptured at memorizing a list of 20 things so small they are invisible to the naked eye whose interactions with each other occur in milliseconds. Surely, that major gave me an appreciation for the subject (it is pretty amazing) but I’m no scientist. Anyway, I changed my major to History, am getting all A’s and everything’s just great. I don’t think it is a particularly easy major, but that it suits my strengths and interests.

The problem… two semesters as a Bio major destroyed my GPA. I’m at a 3.0 with two semesters remaining. Assuming all A’s (which is possible) I’ll have a 3.38. Say 3.3. A few questions. I have my LSAT next month. I consistently have been scoring in the high range. My lowest practice test was a 168 and my highest was 176 with several weeks to spare until the actual exam. That first mark was a diagnostic, pre-study test, too. Realistically, I hope for a 174, but I don’t know how closely sitting at my desk at home with my alarm clock as a timer simulates the actual test scenario.



So, we’re assuming an LSAT of 174-175 and GPA of 3.3. I am 20, have a part-time job at a bookstore, am involved in my church running the soundboard, I have been several times to Haiti (pray/ help any way you can, guys!) and have been involved in fundraisers for that cause. Pretty typical stuff here. I am probably going to take a job/ internship at a Harvard law grad’s firm here in Miami over the summer (hopefully I can tap him for a rec).


Where to look? My dreams are Duke, Chicago and Vanderbilt. I think only the last one mentioned is semi-realistic given my GPA. What other schools should I look at? If I score higher on my LSAT’s than my projection, which schools should I look at then?
Any recs to make my future application more appealing?
Also, should I wait to apply until I have my final grades and transcript (and a higher GPA) by mid-December or should I apply as early as possible, including early admission to one of the above dream schools (Chicago/ Duke) and include a letter from my teachers showing that my grades that semester are satisfactory?


Thanks guys. Best of luck with law school admissions.