Self-study
I am a 27 year old father of 3 with special needs children. I major in Computer science, am in my junior year as a full time student, and currently have a 3.28 GPA (I expect to graduate with a 3.5). I work 19 hours a week in my university's I.T. department as a network technician. Ive worked in the past as a crane operator, bank teller, and Helpdesk Tech. Right now, I am intending to take the June 6th LSAT to make the early application cycle, with hopes of attending Harvard (I know that's a stretch). Before any studying, I scored a 146 on my first PT. I am studying exclusively through 7Sage and don't intend to PT/drill again until at least finishing the core curriculum. My target score is a 176, and I will retest if I am not at least in the 170's.
Am I going about this the wrong way? is Harvard an unrealistic super reach for me? Is 25 hours of studying a week even close to enough? All I read online indicates a score in the 170's requires a minimum (usually more) of 6 months of intensive study...
any opinions would be greatly appreciated, the more honest, the better...
@Ahmad while I definetly thought the majority of your response was helpful, the implication of neglect or abandonment forces me to reply ...
I appreciate the concern about debt and family responsibilities, those are exactly why I’m being deliberate about this path. I’m not assuming $200k+ debt or chasing Big Law at any cost. Schools like UT Austin offer strong Texas placement with significantly better ROI, especially with scholarships, and I would not attend law school under conditions that put my family at risk.
This also isn’t about abandoning my responsibilities. I’m already a full-time student, working nearly 20 hours a week, supporting a family, and planning years ahead before making any irreversible decisions. If the numbers don’t make sense when offers are on the table, I won’t go, full stop.
I respect alternative career paths, but this isn’t desperation or escapism. It’s due diligence. Law may or may not be the right move, and I’m doing the work now to find that out responsibly rather than ruling it out based on worst-case assumptions.