Hey, guys! I have a dilemma. Would you take a full ride to a lower ranked school and try to transfer later? I know transfers aren't guaranteed and everything else that comes with the uncertainty of transfers. My thinking is that I won't be taking out any loans so what could it hurt? That's just my thinking but let me know if you guys see any problems with it. Once I transfer to the school of my choice I know I'd be taking out loans so if the transfer is successful that's one year I don't have to pay for. Is it crazy though to ditch the full ride for loans?? I have around $20K loans from undergrad and I'd be looking at about another $40K if the transfer is successful. The school gives plenty of scholarships but I'm not thinking I'd get anything more that maybe $5K if that. I am iffy about staying at the lower ranked school if a transfer is unsuccessful but it wouldn't be detrimental if I did. The lower ranked school doesn't have the best rep but I personally know lawyers from the school that are doing fine. Like most times, I've heard the horror stories and I've heard the success stories about the school and the graduates so I take that with a grain of salt. The first-time bar passage rate at my school of choice is significantly higher than the lower ranked school but there's not a huge difference between the employment rates for the schools. Idk where I want to focus so I can't use that to determine which school has the better program for me. I don't plan on relocating so the weight of the school in a new state or the likes is irrelevant in determining which school is best. What would you guys do?
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@xadrianas6x881 why do you say you'd just take the scholarship and run? I'm just curious. I think I've fallen into the "I'm not getting any younger (I'm 35) and I'm just itching to get this show on the road" trap. I don't want to make a crazy decision because of this but that full ride is nothing to sleep on. Also, the non-refundable seat deposit for the lower ranked school is due today and the final decision for the waitlist for the higher ranked school is Monday. I'm sure that's not a coincidence!
@2396 I like the higher ranked school more solely because of the rep of the lower ranked school but I know that I can obtain the same degree from the lower ranked school. The only condition for the scholarship is maintaining a 2.75 GPA at the end of each year.
You all presented some good arguments. I’m def not banking on the transfer. I know it’s not a guarantee but i don’t see the issue with trying if i decide to go to the lower ranked school. I’ve been waitlisted at my school of choice but I have to pay my seat deposit for the lower ranked school tomorrow. It’s gonna be a long night!
Yep. Something like that. The LSAT Trainer actually breaks question types down for RC and I can see the similarities.
@jacobseeley861 I didn't take antidepressants but I was taking sleeping pills and it heightened my anxiety because I always seemed to be in a fog and I wasn't as sharp as I knew I could be. I felt like I was fighting to actually work at my potential. The harder I fought the worst my scores got. I couldn't concentrate because of the heightened anxiety. I basically felt like I was spinning my wheels and studying was becoming pointless. I had to stop taking the pills. Your meds could be increasing your anxiety. Discuss the anxiety and how it's affecting studying with your doctor and see if he/she can tweak something for you.
When is an addendum necessary if you have a significant score increase? 5 points? 10 points? 15 points? How do you explain the increase other than the obvious of continuing to study or hiring a tutor?
@katrakkade441 gotcha! I didn't have any issues with that. Just do your PT with the extended time so that you're comfortable with it. I think adrenaline made all that go out the window for me. I was only focused on finishing each section. The only time sitting was an issue was during the essay portion because I flew through it and had what felt like forever to sit there and wait for the timer to go off.
@katrakkade441 what exactly do you mean by downsides? No one will know you are testing with accommodations unless you tell them, including the schools, if that's what you mean.
Nobody ever checked my pockets. They only checked my bag but you never know.
laser printer. Mine is a Samsung something and I paid about $50 for it from Amazon. The cartridges are $20 something. Copy your PT on one side and your BR on the other side. I also used notebook paper when I ran out of paper. Some ppl swear by doing everything strictly to game day conditions but it never bothered me.
If the deadline has passed there’s nothing you can do. There is no waitlist. You’ll have to register for the next one. I thought there was late registration but idk. Check the website to be certain.
@tanes25413 It just means that they're not open for registration yet.
You should be PT with 52 mins. I def wouldn't change that to anything beyond a 5 min difference. You do not have a cognitive issue that requires additional time to grasp things but time plays with your mind especially when under pressure. No matter who much you study and how closely you study to test conditions it'll never be what you're faced with on game day. Personally time threw me off because I started worrying about when time was going to be up. I felt like something was wrong because it seemed like it was taking forever for the timer to go off and it totally threw me off my game because I lost focus of what I was doing.
If this is the only way you'll have access to more problem sets then it's def not a bad idea. If you already have access to PT just use the question bank to figure out which questions and level of difficulty and print.
@xadrianas6x881 I believe they will generate after more than one transcript has been received if you reported more than one school. My first transcript was received over a month before my second but I didn't receive the report until after a second transcript was received. It looks like I reported three schools because my school had a name change and it's different from what I reported but the report still generated after the second transcript was received. I didn't have to wait for the third transcript was received. If you reported two schools you won't get a report until they receive the second transcript. Maybe try deleting the school you're waiting on to get a report generated now and then just add it again at the end of the semester. They'll update your report at that time. Also, I received my report within a few days after they received the second transcript.
I def miss studying. Weird. Never thought I'd say that but I def do. I think it's more about the routine. I have to figure out something else to do now.
I doubt it. I’ve been out of school a long time. I tried getting lor from professors but couldn’t do I have work lor. It is what it is. It’s not required that one come from a professor.
I’m gonna be the odd ball, nope!
Maybe it depends on the school???
Or, maybe if someone is waitlisted or trying to negotiate scholarships or something.
I got an email today from a school stating that scores are coming out next week too. I think they’re just going by the predicted date. I’m guessing it’ll be next week though. I don’t recall getting an email in December prior to scores being released though. Everybody got one?
Confident? Nah, read my post again. It felt really easy to me thus the reason I believe I bombed. LG and RC seemed normal for me. The 2nd game with the unknown man and woman tripped me up and can see how the last game could’ve thrown some for a loop with the prerequisites. I think I was all over the place with LR and started panicking and doubting myself because things seemed to be going too smoothly. One section I had to guess on two or three. Don’t remember which one. Def not confident. At all. In fact, I honestly believe I scored lower than December.
Glad I’m not the only one that feels like the test was stupid easy but still feels like they bombed it!
Ready to get it over with already!
Has everyone tested now? I know there were delays due to weather and I’m sure that is pushing back the release. Let’s cross our fingers that they’ll stick with the early release like December from here on out.
@xadrianas6x881 good stuff. Good points about the bonds built during 1L as well. That hadn't crossed my mind. I was just curious to know your reasons for taking the full ride scholarship. I'd love the degree from the higher ranked school but I won't be devastated and I highly doubt I'd think twice about seeing the lower ranked school degree hanging on my wall.
@2396 I haven't heard back from the higher ranked school yet. Their waitlist deadline is Monday and I'll know about the scholarship offered then.